Arrr! Border Patrol cap'n be vexed by Lankford's bill's demise, reckon the good might've outshone the bad, matey!
2024-02-07
Arr, mateys! United States Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens be havin' a proper rant on 'The Story' 'bout the blunder o' the Lankford-Sinema-Murphy border bill. He be cryin' out fer more booty to be given to our noble agency! Ye scallywags best be listenin'!
In a lighthearted interview, Chief Jason Owens of the U.S. Border Patrol expressed his gratitude to the co-authors of the Senate border bill, emphasizing the importance of congressional cooperation for the success of the Border Patrol's mission. Owens acknowledged that while there were aspects of the bill that he liked, there were also parts that he didn't. However, he believed that compromise was necessary and that the bill should have been considered a fair compromise. Critics, such as Senator Ted Cruz, pointed out issues with the bill, including the provision directing litigation to be filed in District of Columbia courts and the threshold for activating emergency powers to close the border. However, Senator Kyrsten Sinema defended the bill, stating that there were misunderstandings regarding the emergency powers element. Owens admitted that in his 28 years with the agency, he has never considered the border fully secure and emphasized the need for more agents, technology, and infrastructure to keep the country safe. He expressed disappointment in the failure of the bill and urged Congress to continue working together to find a solution. Owens also highlighted the importance of proper staffing in handling asylum seekers, as agents are pulled off the line to address these duties, allowing cartels to take advantage of vulnerabilities elsewhere on the border. He suggested that providing statutory authority to remand captured migrants to custody until removal adjudication could help alleviate the problem of single adult males illegally crossing or applying for asylum.