Raul Ortiz, Biden's Border Patrol Chief, recently said under oath that the President's border policies contain "no consequences" for illegal aliens crossing into the United States and that those policies are to blame for the record-breaking surge at the border.
Fox News reports:
Fox News Digital first obtained a video of Ortiz's assertions, which came during a recorded deposition from July 28 as part of discovery in a lawsuit by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against the Department of Homeland Security and other border agencies.
Moody's lawsuit charges that the agencies under Biden's direction are failing to follow established federal law, the Immigration and Nationality Act, that requires officials to detain illegal aliens at the border until they are sent back to their country of citizenship.
Chief Ortiz told attorneys during the deposition that he believes illegal immigration across the southern border will increase exponentially because there are no consequences to curb the unprecedented flow of migrants.
Chief Ortiz discussed this fact with lawyers representing the state of Florida:
"In my experience, we have seen increases when there are no consequences," Ortiz stated.
"So, if migrant populations believe that they're going … there are not going to be consequences, more of them will come to the border. Is that what you're saying?" questioned the attorney.
"There is an assumption that if migrant populations are told that there is a potential that they may be released, that, yes, you can see increases," Ortiz responded.
"So, it will increase at an exponential rate. Is that what is being suggested here?" continued the attorney.
"Well, I do think it will increase, yeah," responded Ortiz.
In addition, the attorney asked, "Since President Biden was elected, [do Biden's immigration policies] indicate that aliens illegally entering the United States perceive that they will be able to enter and remain in the United States?"
"Yes," he told the lawyers while under oath.
Moody's lawsuit cites a spring 2021 DHS memo that disclosed Biden's immigration policies; the memo listed "Perceptions of favorable U.S. immigration policies" and pursuit of economic and educational opportunities as some of the reasons aliens have given for surging the border.
Moody's lawsuit also cites the Administration's November 2021 "Alternatives to Detention" document, a CBP memo detailing the implementation of mass catch-and-release of migrants who illegally crossed the southern border.
Under President Trump, an ICE review of the Alternatives to Detention program found that it had "little value," is of "significant expense," and saw the vast majority of illegal immigrants enrolled in the program disappear into the nation's interior.
The memo does note that the Alternatives to Detention program should be "used sparingly" when justified by an "urgent humanitarian reason" or to "address overcrowding." However, Chief Ortiz denied that the program was being used sparingly and replied in the affirmative when asked if the border is "less safe for Americans and aliens alike."
Ortiz agreed with the statement by the Florida attorney that "unprecedented numbers" of aliens have illegally entered the U.S. this year, noting the skyrocketing alien apprehension numbers.
AG Moody stated:
After the Biden administration denied that they were engaged in catch-and-release, and that they were responsible for the historic surge at our southern border, Florida got the chief of Border Patrol to admit, under oath, the truth.
The Biden administration caused the surge, made the border less safe and is flagrantly violating the very federal laws they swore to uphold. The Biden administration is putting hard-working border patrol agents in impossible and untenable positions — risking their lives and safety, and I want to thank Chief Ortiz for testifying truthfully at his deposition.
The lawsuit brought by Florida is set for trial in January 2023 in the Northern District of Florida.
You can read the full article here.
