Harris County (Houston) Sheriff Ed Gonzalez withdrew his nomination for director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In an announcement posted on social media Monday afternoon, Gonzalez cited “paralyzing political gridlock” and dysfunction that “threatens America’s heart and soul.” Biden nominated Gonzalez a year ago.
Gonzalez’s nomination has been held up in the Senate since March when Senator James Lankford (R-OK) brought up past allegations of domestic abuse.
The sheriff posted a series of tweets explaining his decision. In other words, he realized he wasn’t going to get the job anyway, he may as well bow out now. He’s keeping his day job.
1/5 On Sunday, I informed President Biden’s administration that I am respectfully withdrawing from consideration for the post of Director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022
2/5 More than a year has passed since the President nominated me for this important position, which has not had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022
3/5 I arrived at this decision after prayerfully considering what’s best for our nation, my family, and the people of Harris County who elected me to serve a second term as Sheriff.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022
4/5 I am grateful to President Biden for the honor of nominating me, and I wish this administration well as it strives to overcome the paralyzing political gridlock that threatens far more than our nation’s border. Frankly, the dysfunction threatens America’s heart and soul.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022
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5/5 My love for America and my desire to serve during these contentious times is stronger than ever. Ensuring the safety and security of the people of Harris County is a great honor, and I am fully devoted to continuing to fulfill this responsibility.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) June 27, 2022
The allegations of domestic abuse set off a hullabaloo and scared off Chuck Schumer from bringing his nomination to a vote in the Senate. It was a pretty seedy story, as my past post linked above addressed. Nonetheless, Biden hasn’t offered up any other nominee and this nomination has stalled for a year. It is further proof of the unserious mindset of the Biden administration when it comes to existing immigration law and securing the southern border. They desire open borders. The White House issued a statement on Gonzalez’s withdrawal.
“Sheriff Gonzalez has the qualifications and experience to do this important job and would have been a great leader of ICE,” a White House spokesperson said Monday, according to Reuters. “We thank Sheriff Gonzalez for his willingness to serve in the face of baseless allegations against his family.”
Gonzalez would have fit right in. He was a critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He doesn’t support deportation, generally speaking, and ended a partnership with ICE and Harris County deputies.
Gonzalez was a vocal adversary of former President Donald Trump, who has previously endorsed Abbott, and his immigration policies, specifically on deportation. After becoming sheriff of Harris County, where more than 400,000 undocumented immigrants are estimated to live, Gonzalez ended a partnership with ICE that trained deputies to screen jailed individuals for their immigration status, among other efforts.
“I do not support #ICERaids that threaten to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, the vast majority of whom do not represent a threat to the U.S.,” Gonzalez tweeted in 2019. “The focus should always be on clear & immediate safety threats.”
Gonzalez was a former Houston police officer before serving three terms on the city council. He was elected sheriff of the state’s most populous county in 2016 and won reelection in 2020.
The Senate has not confirmed an ICE director since Biden took office. There has not been a Senate-confirmed ICE director since the Obama days. The current acting director, Tae Johnson, replaced the previous acting director, Jonathan Fahey last year, who only lasted two weeks on the job. Would there be any difference in the Biden border crisis if he did have a director of ICE? That’s doubtful. Do we think Biden would suddenly insist on the southern border being secure and order ICE to do its job? Of course not. Biden doesn’t care. He has never, ever been to the southern border in his fifty years in Washington, D.C. If he doesn’t see it, it doesn’t exist, right?
It doesn’t matter who Biden nominated as director of ICE. He’ll only nominate someone who shares his views. Look at DHS Secretary Mayorkas. He follows orders from Biden and keeps insisting the border is not wide open. The morale of Border Patrol agents is at an all-time low. The floods of illegal migrants crossing the border are making their jobs impossible to do. Biden refuses to provide the personnel and resources needed to push back on illegal migration. The Biden border crisis is intentional.
If Biden was truly serious about national security and border security (he isn’t) he would nominate someone with the conviction to do the job. He could even nominate a Republican with experience in securing the border and make good on his promise to work with both sides of the aisle, a campaign promise he has long abandoned. It will never happen.
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