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Republican sheriffs in Michigan raise concerns about border, citing crime in their communities • Michigan Advance

During a press conference Thursday organized by former President Donald Trump's campaign team, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) joined James Tignanelli, president of the Police Officers Association of Michigan, and Republican sheriffs from counties across the state in criticizing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' border policies.

Thursday’s call followed Trump’s visit to Howell on Tuesday, where he continued to attack Democrats over crime and immigration, despite Preliminary data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association a 6% decrease in violent crime in the first half of 2024, with FBI reports “historic” decline in violent crime in the first quarter of the year.

Speakers repeated Trump's criticism of Harris' support for immigration reform. falsely claim Harris supports a “mass amnesty and citizenship” for “all illegal immigrants.”

Nesbitt also criticized the Democratic majority in Parliament and accused the leadership of not holding hearings. Republican bills to combat illegal immigration Michigan

“That's why we need President Trump now more than ever to secure the border,” Nesbitt said, referring to Trump's promise to carry out the “largest deportation operation” in American history.

Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy speaks at the “Crime and Safety” press conference held by the Trump campaign in Howell. August 20, 2024. Photo by Jon King.

While law enforcement officials cited examples of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in their communities, they were unable to provide statistics on the percentage of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in Michigan. Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy said there is no mechanism within the state to collect this data.

Republicans have repeatedly linked illegal immigrants to rising crime, but an investigation from the Marshall Project No connection was found between illegal immigrants and increased crime. Study published by Oxford Economic Papers The study found that illegal immigrants were 33 percent less likely to be imprisoned than native-born Americans.

Police officers also raised concerns about fentanyl and drug trafficking in their communities during the conference call. Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole pointed to a recent case in which his department seized nearly 60 grams of pure fentanyl.

“Investigators told us that the fentanyl came directly from our southern border. We also learned that the amount was enough to kill every resident in our community. When you consider that an entire county is lost to fentanyl, that's a pretty big problem,” Cole said.

“I want to tell you that our southern border is a three-legged stool for law enforcement. It is a national security threat. It is a humanitarian crisis and a criminal enterprise,” Cole said, referring to previous comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray. Wray said there was “no doubt” Dangerous people have entered the country via the southern border.

While fentanyl enters the country through Mexico, 90% of illegal fentanyl is seized at legal ports of entry, with more than 100% being imported by U.S. citizens who are legally allowed to cross the border. According to a report by NPR.

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt listens to former President Donald Trump's speech on Biden's border policy in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 2, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols)

In an email to the Advance payment Harris' campaign team criticized Trump for pressuring lawmakers to Senate bipartisan border dealwhich would have provided more than 1,500 additional Customs and Border Protection personnel, funded the installation of 100 state-of-the-art inspection devices to detect fentanyl, and an emergency authority was set up Authorizes the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security to temporarily prohibit individuals from applying for asylum if the southwest border is overcrowded, with limited exceptions.

“Whether as district attorney, attorney general, U.S. senator or vice president, Kamala Harris has never been afraid to take on crime to keep the public safe. She has dedicated resources to stem the flow of dangerous drugs and human trafficking,” Harris spokesman Ammar Moussa said in a statement.

“On the other hand, Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans have shown that they have no interest whatsoever in providing solutions. They are blocking the strongest reforms to secure the border in decades simply for political reasons. There is only one candidate in this race who will fight for bipartisan solutions to secure the border, and that is Vice President Harris,” Moussa said.

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