EXCLUSIVE: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are sounding the alarm to the Biden administration about an impending health crisis on the southern border – warning that President Biden’s “reckless” policies and rhetoric are fueling this.
“Biden government policies that limit immigration enforcement and weaken border security, along with its proposal to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, are signaling to the world that our immigration laws can be violated with little or no consequence,” classifies member James Comer and 18 members of the Supervisory Committee wrote in a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas.
ICE OFFICIALS WILL NEED PRE-APPROVAL BEFORE ATTACHING SOME ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE NEW RULES
“We are particularly concerned that the actions of the Biden government could soon lead to a health crisis on the border and in neighboring communities, causing widespread COVID-19 infections and fatalities,” they said.
Since taking office, Biden has stopped building the wall on the southern border, moved to end the Migrants Protection Protocols (MPP) that keep migrants in Mexico, and tried to impose a 100-day pause on deportations – although it was blocked in response to a lawsuit. He also signed an order revoking the order of then President Trump ending the so-called “catch and release” policy.
Lawmakers note that a November injunction prevented Title 42 evictions – whereby illegal immigrants caught at the border can be quickly returned for public health reasons – from being applied to unaccompanied children, and the Biden administration subsequently created an exception for UACs.
Republicans also point to the bill introduced by Biden and Democrats in Congress this week, which would grant millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and eliminate asylum restrictions.
MENENDEZ PRESENTS DEM IMMIGRATION PROJECT, DENIES ‘AMNESTY’ DESPITE THE CITIZENSHIP PATH FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
“In addition to his reckless policies and executive actions, President Biden’s rhetoric regarding amnesty for millions of illegal aliens and destroying internal surveillance priorities is leading to a perfect storm on the southwest border,” wrote lawmakers. “Without a radically different approach, a health, security and humanitarian crisis is inevitable.”
The administration recently opened an overflow facility for migrant children in Texas as field officers face increased migration across the border. Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was forced to release migrants to the interior of the U.S. – reviving the “catch and release” policy that President Donald Trump intended to end.
CBP said that three factors led to the decision to release families of illegal immigrants: an increase in migrant trafficking, specifically Central American families and unaccompanied children; Mexico’s refusal to accept additional families with children under the age of 12 in areas where migrant camps are increasingly growing, overloading shelter and services; and COVID-19, which severely reduced Border Patrol detention and transportation capacity.
Republican lawmakers warned that the number of unaccompanied families and children “will soon overwhelm border facilities in the midst of a global pandemic, forcing CBP officials to resort to the widespread capture and release of individuals and families illegally present within the country.”
ICE SEX ABUSE INVITATIONS ALMOST RELEASED AFTER THE CONFIDENCE ABOUT BIDEN’S MEMO ‘RELEASE ALL’
The letter describes how they believe this would lead to an outbreak of COVID-19 at ports of entry and at CBP facilities, closing them,
“The increase in illegal immigration on the southern border poses a risk not only for Border Patrol agents who arrest migrants who illegally cross the border, but also for the communities to which these individuals will be relocated – probably leading to widespread COVID infection. -19 and fatalities. “
Lawmakers ask Mayorkas to tell them what the government’s plan is to reduce illegal border crossings, what it is doing to prevent the spread of COVID in ports, how it intends to prevent the release of migrants inland and steps to be taken. continue to take to resolve the situation with Mexico.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
But there are currently no signs of a change in the government’s course, although the White House has warned migrants that “now is not the time” to come to the US
On Thursday, ICE released new guidelines that require officers to seek pre-approval from their superiors to detain illegal immigrants who do not fall into three categories – just as Democrats revealed the text of the immigration bill.
William LaJeunesse of Fox News contributed to this report.