A former FBI agent appeared Thursday on Newsmax to share his concerns about illegal immigration into the United States as well as the systems in place that he says have allowed and enabled it to swell to such magnitudes.
The former agent, Jonathan Gilliam, said the issue goes beyond deportations or whether border czar Tom Holman can deport illegal immigrants. During an appearance on “Carl Higbie: Frontline,” Gilliam said America needs to completely overhaul its immigration system.
“There’s an entire system here,” Gilliam said.
“And, really, my biggest worry is not whether or not Tom Homan can deport these people. It’s whether or not the Trump administration can change this system and take that system out. That’s the purge that really needs to happen.”
Illegal smuggling of immigrants has posed persistent and evolving challenges. Smuggling networks have exploited land and air routes. Charter flights have smuggled migrants into the U.S. Meanwhile, law enforcement crackdowns have revealed the involvement of organized criminal groups operating globally.
The U.S. government implemented strict policies to combat the smuggling of immigrants. The Trump administration has prioritized increased detention measures and building physical barriers along the southern border. Strategies include detaining aliens suspected of violating state or federal laws until they can be removed from the United States.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been doing a massive crackdown on immigrants. The Trump administration was reportedly planning a significant deportation operation in Chicago, potentially deploying up to 200 agents as early as Tuesday. After the media exposed the plans, however, Homan suggested delaying the raid.
Federal law enforcement and ICE agents detained nearly 500 undocumented migrants in sanctuary cities such as New York and New Jersey, targeting those with unresolved criminal charges. In addition, operations in cities like Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, DC saw arrests including an alleged MS-13 gang member in New York, a Jamaican accused of sexual exploitation of a minor, and a Honduran with a DUI conviction.
Featured Image Credit: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States
