- The Washington Times - Sunday, October 13, 2024

The National Border Patrol Council on Sunday endorsed former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Arizona, saying the Republican presidential nominee will end the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border “once and for all.”

Paul Perez, president of the union representing 16,000 Border Patrol agents, said the former president has been a true ally.

“America, I have a message for you: If we allow ‘Border Czar’ Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell,” Mr. Perez said, lamenting that millions of unvetted migrants who have entered the country illegally under the Biden-Harris administration.

“Only one man can fix that. That is Donald J. Trump,” he said.

“He has always stood with the men and women who protect this border, who put their lives on the line for the country,” he said.

In turn, Mr. Trump announced at the rally that he would seek to hire 10,000 more border agents, give border patrol agents a 10% pay raise, and provide agents with a $10,000 “retention and signing bonus.”

“They deserve it,” Mr. Trump said. “They have been treated unbelievably badly.”

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.

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