Arizona sheriff hits back after Harris says she wouldn't change anything from past four years
Trump would 'no doubt' prioritize border security: Sheriff Mark Dannels
Cochise County, Arizona Sheriff Mark Dannels discusses Vice President Kamala Harris' immigration policy after the Border Patrol union unanimously endorsed former President Trump.
An Arizona sheriff is calling out Kamala Harris after the vice president said on "The View" that she would not change any of the policies enacted since President Biden took office.
"When I hear that, it's upsetting, it's insulting, because we've seen the worst of the worst over the last three and a half years, tragedy after tragedy and children die, and you name it," Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels said on "America's Newsroom" Monday.
Southwest border encounters under the Biden-Harris administration have gone up 241.5% compared to the Trump administration.
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CBP figures show rise in border encounters during Biden-Harris administration. (Faulkner Focus )
During a recent Univison townhall, Harris also defended her record on the border.
"I was the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state in this country, California. That is also a border state. I have taken on transnational criminal organizations. I have taken on transnational criminal organizations that are trafficking guns, drugs and human beings. And I've prosecuted them. I will put my record up against anyone in terms of the work I have always done and will always do to ensure we have a secure border."
Dannels said he and others at the border have been "intellectually avoided and abandoned" by the Biden-Harris administration.
"She asked me why, and I explained all that to her. We've done invites, and they never honor our invites as sheriffs. And to hear her say that now, if anything, she just says, hey, we could do a better job, say something to that effect," said Dannels.
"She just did a media clip where she said she wouldn't change anything Biden did. That's an insult to us here on the border. It truly is."
In comparison, Dannels said Trump "engaged, worked, and prioritized" border security and "made a difference."
Dannels said he is not surprised that former President Trump received the endorsement from the Border Patrol Union.
"I haven't found one agent to come up to me and say, 'Sheriff, it's working on the border.' Just the opposite. Their morale is in the dirt. They're looking for some hope and President Trump's their hope."
National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez announced the union's endorsement of former President Trump during a rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on Oct. 13, 2024. (Fox News)
During a rally in Arizona on Sunday, Trump told the crowd that he was "honored to receive… the endorsement" of the National Border Patrol Council.
"It’s a great honor," Trump said. "They said it was unanimous. Thousands of people."
He then invited Paul Perez, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, onto the stage.
Perez said he had a message for everyone in the crowd.
"If we allow border czar Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell," Perez said. "The untold millions of people, unvetted, who she has allowed into this country that are committing murders, rapes, robberies, burglaries and every other crime will continue to put our country in peril.
"Only one man can fix that. That is Donald J. Trump," he continued. "He has always stood with the men and women who protect this border, who put their lives on the line for the country."
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
