Former US Border Patrol chief slams Biden and Harris for lack of engagement during tenure

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

In an interview broadcast on Sunday evening, former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for not meeting with him during his tenure until his retirement the previous year.

Speaking on CBS News's "60 Minutes," Ortiz highlighted that around 8 million undocumented immigrants entered the U.S. during the Biden administration, surpassing the population of most U.S. states and marking the largest surge in illegal immigration in the nation's history.

“When agencies are making a decision based upon politics or whether they’re gonna get media coverage, hey, we’re gonna put all our personnel in this two-mile stretch,” he said. “What about the other 200 miles?”

“I’ve never had one conversation with the president,” he said. “Or the vice president, for that matter. And so I was the chief of the border patrol. I commanded 21,000 people. That’s a problem.”

When the journalist mentioned observing dozens of undocumented immigrants crossing into the country, Ortiz responded: “We need to make sure that Central America, South America, Mexico, that those regions understand that if you pay a smuggler and you cross in between the ports of entry and you do not have a legitimate claim to some sort of asylum benefit, you’re gonna be sent back.”

When asked if the White House has sent “mixed messages to migrants,” he said: “Yeah, most definitely.”

"I've never had one conversation with the president or the vice president for that matter… That's a problem,” says Raul Ortiz, the U.S. Border Patrol chief under President Biden until he retired last year. pic.twitter.com/bWoZkFbnVc

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 4, 2024