The Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr.

President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Help America’s Sheriffs Keep Our Neighborhoods
and Communities Safe by Halting Illegal Immigration
April 7, 2021

Dear Mr. President:

America’s Sheriffs are deeply troubled about the dangerous impacts your administration’s border policies are
having on our citizens, legal residents and communities.

You must act now before our nation’s public safety resources are overwhelmed with the criminal side effects of

unchecked illegal immigration, including transnational gangs, guns, dangerous drugs and human trafficking.

America’s Sheriffs urge you, Mr. President, to reverse course and help us protect our communities by securing

the southern border. Both the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations recognized the threats and

dangers presented by illegal immigration. It is critically important that you see it as well.

We, the undersigned sheriffs, like you, took oaths and made promises to the American people that we would

uphold and enforce the rule of law. The crisis at the border is penetrating our neighborhoods throughout the

interior of the United States, thus undermining our unyielding commitment to protect “We, the People.”

As this situation continues to evolve, more families will be exposed to the violence associated with drug traf-

ficking and transnational gangs. More parents will suffer the loss of their children, not because they were irre-

sponsible, but because of exposure to criminal illegal alien violence caused by the reckless and irresponsible

policies of your administration.

America’s Sheriffs recognize that in order for democracy to flourish and remain healthy in our republic,

we must uphold and enforce the rule of law. There is no place for injecting political agendas that diminish the

safety and security of our nation. We cannot undermine the confidence and faith of the people in our basic

pre-cept of equal justice under the law. Our founders established the legislative branch of government to create and

amend laws. Neither “We, the People” nor the founders ever intended for those elected officials chosen by the

American people to represent their interests to circumvent the legislature and decide for themselves what special

class of individuals will be excused from abiding by our existing laws.

In a myriad of ways, you and your administration are encouraging and sanctioning lawlessness and the

victimization of the people of the United States of America, all in the name of mass illegal immigration.

What is most troubling to America’s Sheriffs is that you and your administration were well aware that this crisis

would happen when you ceased construction of the border wall and changed border security policies. Sheriffs

were talking with the Obama/Biden administration about these same concerns that we were experiencing at

the time based on the lax policies then being implemented. In fact, America’s Sheriffs attended meetings in

Washington with then-Undersecretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, who is now your

Secretary of Homeland Security. You and he are fully aware of what illegal immigration does to our citizens,

legal residents and our communities.

You may imagine how violated America’s Sheriffs feel that you unleashed a predictable crisis upon our nation

that puts those we promised to protect at risk of grave danger. America’s Sheriffs will not defy our oaths. We

will not join with those who suggest that we ignore existing laws in collusion with those elected officials who

arbitrarily feel that they should be excused from being accountable and required to follow our laws. To do so

would violate the promise of America’s Sheriffs to those who bestowed upon us the honor and privilege to

represent their safety and security concerns. The people of the United States of America expect us always to

uphold and enforce the rule of law.

In the interests of ending the undermining of our laws and the increased risks to the safety and security of the

people of the United States of America, we respectfully request that you immediately reverse course on your

pro-illegal immigration policies, resume the border wall construction, and embrace the common-sense,

public-safety-supporting border policies of the previous administration.

America’s Sheriffs believe that the citizens we serve have an absolute expectation that our efforts will be

rooted in public service rather than political self-service. This fundamental distinction is the only path forward

to a safer, more prosperous nation.

America’s Sheriffs stand ready to work with you and your administration if you are willing to move in the right

direction. Until that time, all of us will continue to uphold our oaths, enforce our sovereign authorities, fight for

public safety and keep our promises to the American people who have placed their trust in us.

Sincerely,

Hundreds of sheriffs from counties all over the country.