(Deming) – As thousands of National Guard troops deploy to the Mexico border, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions brought his tough stance on immigration enforcement to New Mexico Wednesday, telling border sheriffs that cracking down on illegal crossings and drug smuggling is necessary to build a lawful immigration system.
Sessions spoke at the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition annual spring meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition in Las Cruces, which included 31 sheriff's departments from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
The departments patrol areas located within 25 miles of the border.
Luna County Sheriff Kelly Gannaway was among the sheriffs in attendance.
Sessions ticked off stories about smugglers being caught with opioids and cocaine at the U.S.-Mexico border and legal loopholes that have encouraged more immigrants to make the journey.
Outside the meeting, dozens of immigrant rights activists protested, once again rejecting Sessions' previous characterization of the border region as "ground zero" in the Trump administration's fight against cartels and human traffickers.
Sessions spoke at the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition annual spring meeting with the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition in Las Cruces, which included 31 sheriff's departments from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
The departments patrol areas located within 25 miles of the border.
Luna County Sheriff Kelly Gannaway was among the sheriffs in attendance.
Sessions ticked off stories about smugglers being caught with opioids and cocaine at the U.S.-Mexico border and legal loopholes that have encouraged more immigrants to make the journey.
Outside the meeting, dozens of immigrant rights activists protested, once again rejecting Sessions' previous characterization of the border region as "ground zero" in the Trump administration's fight against cartels and human traffickers.
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