Testifying on immigration, Harford County sheriff says Washington leaving the border ‘wide open’
WASHINGTON —
Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill before a House panel to address undocumented immigration.
Gahler used his time to tell the stories of Kayla Hamilton and Rachel Morin, and he touched on his lawsuit against the state of Maryland over the Community Trust Act, a new state law that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents.
“As sheriff, my primary duty is the protection of Harford County, but I cannot police my county effectively when Washington leaves the door to our nation wide open,” Gahler told lawmakers.
Democratic lawmakers on the panel, including Maryland U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-District 8, argued that Tuesday’s forum was overtly partisan. Raskin offered an apology to two of the witnesses who lost loved ones.
“You deserve more than empty promises. We all deserve an America where our children are safe, where law enforcement officials around the country are focused on actually protecting our communities and not meeting quotas imposed by (White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy) Stephen Miller or some ideologue,” Raskin said.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the field will be equipped with body-worn cameras by the end of September.