A law enforcement veteran running for sheriff in Galveston County is calling for the impeachment of federal officials he claims are complicit in the ongoing border crisis.
Jimmy Fullen, a constable in Galveston County since 2008, has served for more than three decades in law enforcement, including assisting in Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
“Our main function right now when we’re down there as part of Operation Lone Star is highway interdiction, and we’re strictly looking for the human smuggling portion of what’s going on down there,” he explained to The Dallas Express.
“We’ve been going down there since 2021 when the county judge designated me as the coordinator for the Galveston County contingency down there,” Fullen said.
Fullen and his colleagues help out on the border in Kinney County between Eagle Pass and Del Rio. The small rural county only has six full-time deputies.
“They’re kind of overwhelmed with the amount of human smuggling that’s coming through their county,” Fullen noted. “That’s the original reason we got on board and decided to do down there and help them.”
“Whether you’re Democrat, Independent, Republican, or Libertarian, what’s going on down on that border and the blind eye that this administration’s turning, and again I’m talking non-partisan, but those people need to be impeached,” he said.
“Mayorkas and every lawmaker out there that is sitting there allowing this to happen on that border needs to be impeached. Period,” the veteran law enforcement office continued. “In my opinion, it’s treasonous.”
Fullen joins a growing chorus of voices calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. As reported by The Dallas Express, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), and Gov. Abbott have all demanded Mayorkas’ removal for failing to secure the southern border.
“I’m very passionate about what I’ve seen down there. It’s horrible,” Fullen explained. “It’s probably a lot worse than most people think it is or what’s being reported to them. For the current administration from the president on down to allow this to happen, it’s just completely treasonous and, seriously, they ought to all be impeached,” he claimed.
DHS has stood by its actions and that of Secretary Mayorkas, claiming in early June, “As a result of planning and execution — which combined stiffer consequences for unlawful entry with a historic expansion of lawful pathways and processes — unlawful entries between ports of entry along the Southwest Border have decreased by more than 70 percent since May 11.”
Fullen is running to succeed long-time Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset once that sheriff retires in 2025 after nearly 40 years with the department. With 35 years of experience of his own, Fullen said he plans to take the department to the next level.
Reflecting on some of the anti-police sentiments expressed around the country over the past several years, Fullen said, “We’re fortunate that we live in a southern state, especially in the southern part of Texas. We don’t have the movement like they do upwards, like in Dallas or Austin, to defund the police.”
“Fortunately, we have commissioners and city councilmen down in this area that still believe in the police and law and order, and we are still funded appropriately to come out and do our jobs,” he said.
In Dallas, the City Council voted to defund the overtime budget for the police department a couple of years ago, despite protests from Mayor Eric Johnson. In Austin, the lack of support from city hall has led to an exodus of police officers, prompting the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy additional troopers to patrol the city’s streets, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Fullen said he is running for sheriff to ensure Galveston County continues supporting effective public safety measures.
“The most important thing from day one would be identifying positions in the sheriff’s office that could be staffed by civilians instead of sworn officers,” he explained. “What I want to do is take those positions and immediately put them back on patrol.”
He also emphasized the need for additional security at schools.
“I’m going to find a way to staff those schools with additional police personnel,” he said. “I don’t feel like there are enough officers securing the schools, and not only that but also patrolling around the perimeter of the schools to ward off any would-be attacks.”
Fullen also emphasized the need for responsible budgetary practices to maximize the effectiveness of available funds, thereby making it possible to deliver the best public safety programs to residents.
“We’re going to transform this sheriff’s office into the modern age,” Fullen concluded.
