Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that President Biden’s border policy is to blame for the recent border crisis because it has “no consequences” for undocumented migrants seeking to enter the country.
Ortiz’s comments came during a recorded deposition from July 28 that was part of a lawsuit by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against the Department of Homeland Security and other border agencies. The video of the chief’s assertions was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
After more than 31 years of experience in law enforcement, Ortiz told attorneys representing Florida that he believes immigration through the U.S.-Mexico border will continue to increase because there are “no consequences” to curb the influx of migrants.
"In my experience, we have seen increases when there are no consequences," said Ortiz during the deposition.
"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?" the attorney asked Ortiz.
"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," he responded under oath.
"Since President Biden was elected, does this document indicate that aliens illegally entering the United States perceive that they will be able to enter and remain in the United States?" the attorney continued asking.
“Yes,” responded the Border Patrol chief.
The document referred to by the attorney is a memo from spring 2021 that discloses Biden’s immigration policies. The document lists “Perceptions of favorable U.S. immigration policies” as one of the reasons migrants are traveling to the border.
Moody’s lawsuit claims that the Biden administration is not following the established federal law, the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires officials to detain undocumented migrants at the border and send them back to their country of origin.
The lawsuit will go to trial in January 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
