Sheriff Arnott calls on president to secure US-Mexico border in appearance on Fox News
Standing near the United States-Mexico border in Arizona, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott called for heightened border security on Monday during a TV appearance on "The Faulkner Focus" hosted by Harris Faulkner on Fox News.
Appearing alongside three other sheriffs — including Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County, Arizona where the segment was shot — Arnott spoke about the need to secure the border to prevent the flow of illegal drugs into the country, and specifically to Greene County, adding that "the American sheriff is the last front."
"We want to fight this battle," Arnott said. "We need to secure our borders. That's the bottom line. We have to secure our border so that we can stop the drug traffic and crime that comes with that."
The national TV appearance came after President Biden tried to repeal a pandemic-era ruling by the CDC, which allowed migrants to be expelled at the border due to the threat they would pose to public health. Biden tried to roll back the restriction, but a federal judge overruled him.
In the days since, proponents of stronger border restrictions have been calling on the Biden administration to take bigger steps to address the "border crisis," citing the influx of drugs and human trafficking that they say comes with illegal immigration.
Arnott and the other sheriffs discussed how activities at the border have directly affected their counties, with Arnott saying that Greene County has been adversely impacted by drugs coming into the country through the southern border.
"One of the big problems that we have is the narcotics coming over from Mexico," Arnott said. "Every day they have hundreds come right through this area bringing fentanyl, heroin and cocaine over to the United States. It doesn't end right here in [Sheriff [Dannels'] county, it goes to Greene County and it goes to all the counties, and that's why we're here."
Earlier this year, the Springfield Police Department released a warning to the public about a batch of counterfeit pills that the department had seized, warning about possible overdoses. Law enforcement believed the pills were coming from Mexico.
More: Amid increase in overdoses, SPD seizes hundreds of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl
Local law enforcement has also for years pointed to Mexican super labs as the principle source for the meth being consumed in Greene County.
Arnott and the other sheriffs — Dannels; Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County, North Carolina; and Sheriff Wayne Ivey of Brevard County, Florida — are affiliated with the organization Protect America Now, with Arnott and Ivey acting as members of the advisory committee.
According to its website, the goal of the organization is to support "sheriffs and law enforcement members that serve our people and protect our citizens."
Arnott's trip to Arizona was sponsored and paid for by Protect America Now, according to a spokesperson for the Greene County Sheriff's office.
Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Sheriff Arnott goes on Fox News to talk border security in Arizona
