Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio Barra suspected of killing Georgia nursing student on UGA campus
Sheriffs fighting migrant crime in communities across US as border surge continues: 'The last line' of defense
Sheriffs Leo Dutton, Gary Carauna and Will Snyder share their efforts to combat the migrant surge in their communities on 'Fox & Friends First.'
The murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is a "very concerning" indicator of the state of America's uncontrolled migrant crisis, a sheriff warned Monday.
"We don't know who's coming in. It is a concern. And where do they go? Once they cross the border, they're in and they're given a court date. It could be six years out, seven years out. They're not going to show up for their court date," Winnebago County, Illinois Sheriff Gary Carauna said on "Fox & Friends First."
"The death of this nursing student in Georgia is very concerning," he continued.
"We [law enforcement] have intelligence out there, and we try to be as proactive as we can. At the same time, it's very, very concerning what's going on and the resources that it takes, let alone police resources, just the resources on housing and our jobs and, and just the whole situation that's being handled. I just don't understand it."
MIGRANT CRISIS INCREASING STRAIN ON BORDER OFFICIALS, IMMIGRATION COURTS WITH MASSIVE NUMBERS
Winnebago County, Illinois Sheriff Gary Carauna (left) and Laken Riley (right) (Fox & Friends First/Screengrab & Laken Riley (Facebook))
Carauna shares the concerns of many fellow law enforcement officers about the daily cascade of migrants pouring across the southern border, their identities a mystery.
That widespread concern intensified last week as the nation learned Riley's murder on the University of Georgia campus was believed to be at the hands of Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio Barra.
As the crisis goes largely checked, local law enforcement officials in communities across the U.S. are left with no choice but to take matters into their own hands and try their best to alleviate the havoc.
They insist leaders in Washington, D.C. are falling short of their duty to crack down on unlawful border crossings, leaving them to act as the ultimate barrier in communities overwhelmed by substantial surges of undocumented migrants.
A memorial for Laken Riley is seen along Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens, Georgia on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Riley, a 22 year old nursing student, was found dead on a nearby trail last week. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
"The job's not being done, and we have overcrowding in our jail right now. Part of that is due to undocumented immigrants that are here," Will Snyder, a sheriff from Martin County, Florida, said during the "Fox & Friends First" segment Monday.
"We've had serious crime here committed by people not from the United States that are here for that documentation. I'm the last line here, this is a last resort," he continued. "And if they shake hands together in Washington, we will continue having to fight these battles here on the streets in the United States."
Leo Dutton, a sheriff from Lewis and Clark County, Montana, insisted every state has become a border state in light of the "failed policies" on display. Fentanyl and indentured servitude are consequentially taking his community by storm.
"I represent probably 72,000 citizens here in Lewis and Clark County, and I must partner with other sheriffs to make sure that these failed policies are not going to impact the lives and the peace and security of the citizens of Montana," he said.
While smaller communities feel the crisis' wrath, major cities are also left to grapple with the effects of uncontrolled illegal immigration.
In New York City, for instance, Mayor Eric Adams recently warned that people could soon be "sleeping on the streets" as the Big Apple struggles to house everyone.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
