Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) warns that Texas bus drivers are now being threatened by illegal migrants as the crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico continues to spiral out of control.
(Video: Fox News)
Joining Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Blackburn told co-host Steve Doocy that, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to send busloads of illegal immigrants to cities such as New York, the migrants see the free bus rides as “safe passage” to where they want to go.
“What we have heard is that they are threatening the drivers from time to time, and they’re wanting to get to where their friends are,” Blackburn said. “They look at this, Steve, as a safe passage, if you will, across the country because they’re being given that free bus ride to wherever they want to go. And, of course, the sanctuary city policies that many cities across the country have, these large, big blue cities, not Chattanooga, but they have set up – the cartels have been free to kind of set up shop.”
“They have their hubs,” she continued. “That’s where your gangs are located. That’s where the sex trafficking operations are located. And many times, these mostly young men want to get off the bus and they will find somewhere close. They will get off and then they will fly on or drive on to where they want to get to where their friends are.”
According to Blackburn, many who are entering the States are tracked as they work off their debt to the drug cartels.
“You know, Steve, what we know is that when they come across the border, they have a bracelet that is put on them,” she explained. “And then that is more or less the way that the cartels are going to track them as they work out their debt. Many of them have that debt to work out. So getting to one of these hubs and working in whatever way — labor gangs or the sex trafficking.”
Blackburn noted that the treatment of women and children is “just awful,” crime is getting worse, and President Joe Biden is to blame.
“Crime has escalated,” she stated. “You look at the crime rates in New York and these sanctuary city mayors who are now complaining, they should be talking to Joe Biden.”
“This is his policy that has caused this, and they have basically rolled out the welcome mat, said we’re going to be a sanctuary city, give benefits, voting rights, privileges of citizenship,” she said.
Fox News estimates the number of illegal migrants that have been bused to Washington D.C. in August alone is greater than 6,000.
“[U]ntil we secure that southern border, every town is a border town. Every state is a border state,” Blackburn said. “We need to end this and allow our southern border to be secured and give these governors the ability to secure these communities across the southern border.”
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) says the border crisis is a national security issue and believes the National Guard needs to be sent to the border.
(Video: Fox News)
“A lot of it does have to do with national security,” she stated Monday on “Fox & Friends First.”
“You know that border crossings are up over 500 percent from what they were in 2020,” she said. “We have record number of encounters. And it’s not just the people coming across the border, as you indicated. There are people on the terror watch list that are coming across the border and then record number of illegal drugs that have been confiscated including fentanyl and synthetic fentanyl, which has led to record number of overdoses in our young people in this country.”
“We do not have operational control of the border,” Miller-Meeks stated. “Instead of hiring 87,000 IRS agents, we should be putting more money into protecting our southern border and increasing the number of border patrol agents we have.”
A member of the Homeland Security Committee, Miller-Meeks echoed the claims of Sen. Blackburn.
“Every state is a border state,” she said. “You know it’s a problem when you have the mayors of New York and the mayors of Washington, D.C., complaining and asking for the National Guard in their cities to deal with the migrants that are being bused there.”
“We need the National Guard on the border,” she stressed. “And we need President Biden to get control of our border and secure our border.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
- Biden boasts of new taxes, breaks pledge to earners under $400k as Americans struggle with inflation - April 25, 2024
- ‘The Daily Show’ warns Biden following Uncle Bosie cannibal story: ‘You’re going to lose the election’ - April 25, 2024
- Dan Abrams says he’s ‘ashamed’ and ’embarrassed’ to be a Columbia grad right now - April 25, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.