Washington, D.C. — A national security expert and a North Carolina sheriff spoke on a press call today about the need for immigration enforcement approaches that keep communities safer.
The call (click for audio) included Sheriff Clarence Birkhead of Durham County, North Carolina, and Tim Quinn, who served as principal public liaison for U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2017 through mid-2025.
“What we’ve seen in Minneapolis is not how immigration enforcement should work, and it’s not how the vast majority of Americans want it to work,” said Jennie Murray, President and CEO of the National Immigration Forum. “ … We are glad to see that the White House has seemed to take initial steps in recent days to reduce the presence of the officers in Minnesota, and we’re encouraged that other federal leaders, and state and local leaders, are calling for a de-escalation of tensions.”
In December polling from the Forum and the Bullfinch Group, 80% of Republican voters said they want immigration solutions that “focus immigration enforcement on threats to public safety and national security.”