The union representing 18,000 Border Patrol agents endorsed Republican Mazi Pilip Wednesday ahead of next week’s special House election to replace the expelled ex-Rep. George Santos.
The endorsement of Pilip by the National Border Patrol Council comes as the migrant crisis has become a top concern of constituents in the Third Congressional District, which covers Nassau County and parts of northern Queens.
Pilip, 47, is facing off against former three-term Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi, 61.
Union leaders announced their support of Pilip outside a massive migrant encampment on the grounds of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.
“The sanctuary city policies of Tom Suozzi and the Biden administration still encourage thousands of migrants to cross the border each day, and we need a representative in Congress who will prioritize securing the border, allocating the proper resources, and resuming construction of the wall, all things Mazi supports,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said in a statement.
“Mazi will be a powerful voice in Congress for securing our southern border, supporting and funding law enforcement, and putting the safety of local families first,” Judd added.
Suozzi recently endorsed compromise legislation proposed in the Senate to tighten the border, but the bill is unlikely to become law due to the objections of conservative Republicans.
Pilp, a Nassau County legislator, opposed the measure as well, claiming it would still allow thousands of illegal immigrants to cross the border every day.
