A letter was sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday from a group of 37 Republican Senators and House members asking the Biden administration to explain the unlawful decision to expand immigration parole programs.
Questioning the recently announced expansion of the immigration parole system, the lawmakers’ letter pointed out that Mayorkas had testified before the House Judiciary Committee that parole “is judged on an individualized case-by-case basis,” and claimed that the new “mass-parole” of thousands more illegal immigrants is “unlawful.” The parole expansion will include monthly parole of up to 30,000 illegal aliens from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela into the U.S. The lawmakers also demanded answers to a number of questions and called for a response no later than January 31.
The letter said that the worst border crisis in U.S. history was created in the first year of Mayorkas’ leadership, and became worse in the administration’s second year. “In the wake of its own failures to effectively address the border crisis, the Biden Administration has also prohibited states from implementing policies to deal with illegal immigration themselves and limited the tools available to Border Patrol agents,” the letter reads. “This administration cannot continue its erosion of the southern border and its mass-parole of migrants into our country. A secure country demands secure borders.”
The Center Square quoted J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), one of the letter’s authors, as saying:
Since the day they took office, President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have purposefully and maliciously eroded our nation’s border security. They have presided over the worst border crisis we’ve seen in decades and more illegal immigration than any administration in recent history. Now, they aim to sidestep Congress and the law by granting parole to hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants.
Here are the questions asked in the letter:
- From what source does DHS derive its legal authority to parole more than 30,000 monthly migrants into the United States?
- From what source does DHS derive its legal authority to parole migrants before they reach the United States border?
- Will the migrants paroled pursuant to this policy be transported into the United States using federal funds?
- How does this policy “enhance border security”?
- Under what criteria were the countries Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua selected for this program?
While this group of GOP senators and representatives awaits a response from an inept Biden administration, the immigration crisis affecting our nation’s southern border states continues to grow. There are now 42 Texas counties that have declared an invasion or expressed support for the state to declare an invasion at the southern border.
Commissioners and Judge Chad Sims from Harrison County, one of the Texas counties recently seeking help, signed a resolution last month expressing support for border counties “experiencing local disaster situations as a result of inadequate border security,” reported The Center Square.
They also cited Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution that authorizes the governor to “call forth the militia to execute the laws of the state, to suppress insurrections and to repel invasions.” Their resolution describes Mexican cartels as “paramilitary, narco-terrorist organizations that profit from trafficking people and drugs into the U.S.” who are creating a security threat and humanitarian disaster “with overwhelming consequences to residents in the State of Texas.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has done about all he can to date to help slow the influx of illegals crossing the border into Texas counties, without officially declaring an invasion. He launched Operation Lone Star in March of 2021 in an effort to stem the tide of illegal drugs and criminals flooding into Texas. Those efforts have led to more than 340,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 23,000 criminal arrests, with more than 21,000 felony charges reported.
Abbott even cited the invasion clauses in a November 14 letter to county judges and in a November 16 letter to President Biden, in an attempt to affirm the seriousness of the border crisis and gain strong federal support to stop the influx of illegals. But to date, outside of Biden’s recent photo opportunity visit to El Paso, no action of any consequence has come about to put an end to the border crisis.
Since last July, the judges and commissioners who’ve signed resolutions or issued declarations of invasion represent the Texas counties of Atascosa, Burnet, Chambers, Clay, Collin, Ector, Edwards, Ellis, Fannin, Franklin, Goliad, Hamilton, Hardin, Harrison, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Johnson, Kinney, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Madison, McMullen, Montague, Navarro, Orange, Parker, Presidio, Shackelford, Somervell, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tyler, Van Zandt, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Wilson, and Wise.
In another effort to bring to light the failures of the Biden administration on immigration, Congressman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) introduced a resolution (H.Res.8) to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the border. Thirty-two House Republicans reportedly have signed on as co-sponsors since Fallon filed the resolution on Jan. 9.
“There’s very obvious dereliction of duty,” Congressman Lance Gooden (R-Texas) told The Dallas Morning News. “The border is not secure. He’s lied about the security. And there’s a strong appetite to investigate this administration and hold them accountable. There’s certainly an appetite to investigate and impeach Mayorkas.”
Gooden also said that “since Mayorkas is impeachable for failing to protect the border and enforce immigration laws, President Joe Biden is, too.”
The resolution has been referred to the Judiciary Committee. No hearings are scheduled.
To learn more about the immigration crisis and what can be done about it, click here.
