Morrow County sheriff backs crowdfunding for border wall

Morrow County Sheriff Ken Matlack said Tuesday he “recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C. focused on immigration reform, and one of the projects announced is poised to have a major impact on the safety and security of the American people.”

Sheriff Matlack and the group of 43 sheriffs from 35 states announced the roll out of a National Sheriffs Association crowdfunding website – www.SheriffsWall.org – to raise money for the funding and construction of a wall along the country’s southern border.

Matlack said in a news release that he agreed with the other sheriffs that: “Since Congress has refused to act on the security aspects of immigration reform — and thus done nothing to stop the flow of drugs into our neighborhoods, to stop children from being exploited by sex and human traffickers, nor to stop transnational gangs from terrorizing our schools and communities — America’s sheriffs have decided to come together and take the safety of our citizens into our own hands.”

“We will not sit by while our neighborhoods get more dangerous and the people we’ve sworn to protect face greater risk,” they said.

Matlack said tax-deductible contributions go directly to the Department of Homeland Security through the National Sheriffs Association. And he said legal counsel on both sides has worked to make sure contributions go directly to a special account that can only be used for the wall.

“I believe the time has come to address border security as one of America’s top priorities,” Matlack said. “It is also time to repair our broken Immigration system, which starts with border security, including technology, more border agents and, yes, a wall where it makes the most sense.

“Please join me in making a tax-deductible donation, however great or small, to show how important this issue should be to our elected members of Congress,” he said. “America’s sheriffs will work with our citizens to make America safe again.”