“Due to the recent political climate, the Tucson Police Department could no longer assist the Border Patrol.” That is the statement coming from a Tucson Police Department supervisor to the Border Patrol when they requested TPD’s assistance in capturing a criminal illegal alien who had escaped Border Patrol custody and was at large in Tucson. The Border Patrol was also kicked off TPD property.

“Due to the recent political climate” almost certainly meant the election of Donald Trump and the implementation of his tough immigration policy, meaning the supervisor was making a “political” decision on his own for the city of Tucson, or not cooperating with federal authorities is a department policy, which would be appalling, if true, as allowing dangerous fugitives to remain at large to spite President Trump endangers the safety and security of the citizens of Tucson who pay their salaries.

DHS Secretary John Kelly should have a discussion with the Tucson Police Chief to determine if this is his department’s policy or whether this was simply a rogue officer making a political decision for the department and the city, which, if that is the case, Kelly should demand the supervisor to be fired.

If not cooperating with federal authorities is a TPD policy, then federal funds to the city should cease immediately.

I wasn’t able to determine if not assisting federal officers is a TPD policy, but did find this article on Chris Magnus, Tucson Polic Chief, and his hiring a little over a year ago. Apparently, Tucson is a far left city, or as one commenter to the article put it, “a little blue island in the middle of a big red state,” which may explain the sanctuary policy. Link…. TPD Chief

According to Breitbart, Border Patrol agents apprehended a Honduran national with a prior criminal history near the Nogales Station in southern Arizona on Friday. During the arrest, the Honduran violently assaulted the agent and attempted to flee the scene. The man was apprehended only after reaching a state of exhaustion, according to U.S. Border Patrol Agent Art Del Cueto, acting in his capacity as president of National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) Local 2544, and vice president of the NBPC national organization.

 The criminal alien complained of not feeling well after the pursuit. Agents took the man to a hospital in Tucson for evaluation and treatment. During his medical treatment, the illegal alien managed to escape, Del Cueto stated during an interview Saturday morning.

As agents began a search for the escapee, immigration protesters arrived on the scene. The protesters reportedly blocked a Border Patrol supervisor’s vehicle. The agents were forced to move to a Tucson Police Department (TPD) parking lot to set up an incident command center. At first, TPD officials cooperated with the search and use of their facility.

“One of our agents informed me that a TPD ‘management-level supervisor’ advised the agents that his department could not continue with assisting the Border Patrol,” the local union president stated. “He said they were ‘busy with local issues.’”

De Cueto said the agents were then told, “Due to the recent political climate, the Tucson Police Department could no longer assist the Border Patrol.” The agents were then asked to pack up the incident command center and leave the property.

Del Cueto noted this was not an immigration search, but rather, a search for a man with a prior criminal history “so desperate that he would assault a federal agent.”

“I can almost understand if they were too busy with local issues to assist in the search,” he explained. “But, there is no excuse for kicking our agents off the property and delaying our search efforts.”

“This man being on the loose is a danger to the community and any other law enforcement officer he might encounter,” Del Cueto told Breitbart Texas.