BANGOR, Maine — The National Border Patrol Council announced Tuesday morning its endorsement of Republican candidate Bruce Poliquin, the former U.S. representative who is again running for Maine's 2nd Congressional District seat.
Border Patrol Council Members based in Maine, a former Chief Patrol Agent of U.S. Border Patrol, and Poliquin met to announce the endorsement ahead of the election on Nov. 8.
“We need Bruce Poliquin back in Congress because he has consistently stood up for policies to protect our borders," NBPC President Brandon Judd said in a statement. "Bruce voted to build the wall, end sanctuary cities, rein in chain migration, and keep asylum seekers in Mexico. Bruce traveled to the border this year to meet with law enforcement, and he supports providing the critical border security tools and resources needed to keep Americans safe.”
The NBPC is the "exclusive representative of approximately 18,000 Border Patrol Agents and support personnel assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol," according to its website.
The president of the NBPC's local sector in Houlton, Caleb Pippen, said Poliquin's priorities to secure the border is much needed.
"Many agents who would be assigned to patrol duties are instead being reassigned to deal with a mass migration of people illegally crossing the border to exploit loopholes in our immigration system," Pippen said.
Rather than patrol the border for drugs and crime, Pippen said agents must manage the illegal immigrants crossing into the United States. Border patrol agents in Maine have been removed from their regular duties to assist agents in Texas, according to Pippen.
"We're going to secure this border to make sure that we stop this flow of Fentanyl into this country as best we can, and people are coming here legally, not illegally. That's my plan," Poliquin said.
Last week, Democratic Maine state Rep. Joe Perry spoke to NEWS CENTER Maine in regard to Poliquin's stance on the southern border.
"These people that they love to make pawns out of are asylum seekers coming from very dangerous situations," Perry said. "So the people who are pitching the border wall as a reason to be elected are the ones who are not offering any solutions."
Early voting has already begun in many towns across the state, but the polls will be open on Nov. 8 for Mainers to vote for the state's next government officials.