Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson met with President Donald Trump and White House officials on February 6 to discuss immigration, gang violence, and reform.

Hodgson participated in a roundtable meeting at the White House, joined by sheriffs from Maryland and Virginia and representatives from the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, several members of Congress and other White House officials.

“The president is fully focused on illegal immigration reform,” Sheriff Hodgson said after the meeting. “Congress needs to secure the border, give law enforcement and justice the tools to protect our citizens and legal residents and pass comprehensive illegal immigration reform to make our communities a safer place to live, work and raise a family.”

The meeting included discussion on the MS-13 gang, border security and legislative matters on Capitol Hill.

“We need these immigration laws changed,” President Trump said to the group. “We have people coming into this country illegally and we can’t get them out. It’s ridiculous. We have to strengthen our laws. … The world is laughing at us.”

Hodgson also met with Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He discussed ideas including eliminating sanctuary communities to combat illegal immigration.

“Everyone’s on the same page in the White House when it comes to illegal immigration,” Sheriff Hodgson said. “The time is now for Congress to act. For years, illegal immigration has been used as a political football on both sides of the aisle. The time is now for real reforms.”

Hodgson also participated in a media event sponsored by the Federation for Immigration Reform at the National Press Club with other Sheriffs from across the country and members of the Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime on Tuesday.

He had more meetings and events scheduled on February 7 at the White House.