Quote

I'm the elected sheriff, and I'm going to keep doing what the Constitution says I can do.

I don't bow down to the federal government.

While we don't have the authority on the state level to change federal policy, my fellow governors and I do have a duty to protect our states' citizens, and we have a personal responsibility to act when we have the power to do so.

I'm, you know, having begun my public service in state government. I very much respect the authority of states to make the decisions to provide for its citizen - the safety and welfare of its citizens.

This is the sheriff you're talking about, with a gun and badge that enforces the law. Nothing is going to stop me from cracking down on illegal immigration as long as the laws are there.

I am not a federal employee. I am a constitutional officer. My job is the Constitution of the United States, I am not a government employee. I am in the Constitution.

The government, both state and federal, has a duty to be reasonable and accommodating.

Public servants should always be accountable and responsible for what they are advocating, and I challenge the American people to demand this from their representatives.