Southwest border sector chiefs confirm illegal immigration crisis is historic, Rep. Green says

U.S. Border Patrol chiefs responsible for sectors of the southwest border confirmed to Congress that the current immigration crisis is historic, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said. 

"We spoke with some of the most senior and experienced leaders in the U.S. Border Patrol and they clearly recognize the unprecedented scope of this crisis," Green said Sunday after his committee released portions of transcribed interviews with the sector chiefs.

"Their stunning testimony further informs the Committee’s oversight work and emphasizes why we must hold Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas and President Biden accountable for intentionally facilitating the worst border crisis in our history."

Green blamed what he calls "mass catch-and-release" policies for the increased numbers of illegal immigrants.

Green released 10 transcripts of interviews with current and former Border Patrol sector chiefs who confirmed to the committee that illegal immigration is alarmingly high.

His investigation comes as illegal immigrant encounters last fiscal year, which ran from October 2022 through September 2023, hit a record high of 3.2 million. Meanwhile, illegal immigration encounters hit more than 309,000 last month, marking the highest number of encounters for any October on record, per Customs and Border Protection data.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.