SAN ANTONIO — After directly requesting that President Joe Biden address what he called a "humanitarian crisis" that unfolding at the southern border, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says he met with federal government officials this week to discuss ways to stem the flow of human-smuggling incidents like the one that left 53 dead last week in San Antonio.
"There's only so much we can do despite our best efforts," Salazar said via a Zoom call with local media Wednesday afternoon, saying he recently talked with two high-level officials from the Department of Homeland Security.
Salazar said San Antonio being a "hub jurisdiction" for migrants – meaning it's one of the first major cities one would cross when coming from the border – presents unique challenges for law enforcement. The sheriff added that what law enforcement has been doing in response to the high border traffic hasn't been working.
One of the possible solutions Salazar said he asked for was more resources in hub jurisdictions, including other urban Texas counties like Harris, Tarrant and Travis. The sheriff made his case that more federal resources, including grant money to hire more staff or an increase in agents stationed in Texas, could provide Lone Star State authorities with the help they need.
He also brought up the possibility of working to remove the financial incentives that the cartel receives from smuggling migrants.
Salazar says he is not against immigration, but is also not advocating for open borders. He says part of the issue is that migrants trust cartels more than they do law enforcement.
"They just want to come here and work and provide an honest living for an honest day's pay," the sheriff said.
Salazar said he has voiced his concerns that tragic incidents like last week's overheated-semitruck deaths could happen in Bexar County. He also said, however, that even with more resources he wasn't sure if this particular scenario could have been prevented.