Committee Democrats Continue to Ignore Biden’s Border Crisis

Comer, Fallon once again request hearing and call on Secretary Mayorkas, CBP, and ICE to testify

WASHINGTON – Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Representative Pat Fallon (R-TX) sent a letter to Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Committee Democrats lamenting their continued and persistent inaction on conducting oversight over the deteriorating situation along the United States Southern Border. In the seven months since Oversight Republicans first requested a hearing, border patrol agents have become overwhelmed, containment facilities have become overrun, and immigration courts are drowning in cases. Now, the lawmakers are requesting the Secretary of Homeland Security and senior officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear before the Committee and address the ongoing border crisis.

“During Fiscal Year 2021, there were over 1.7 million encounters along the southwest land border—the highest total ever recorded. The past three months have each seen approximately 200,000 apprehensions each. The vast majority of those apprehensions were illegal border crossers, apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol between ports of entry. And those numbers only represent the illegal aliens who were in fact apprehended.  According to some estimates, over 400,000 individuals evaded detection entirely and entered the United States,” wrote the lawmakers. 

“Despite recent assurances by the Secretary of Homeland Security and other Administration officials that the border is not open, DHS personnel are releasing many illegal aliens into the interior.  Since March 20, 2021, at least 160,000 aliens encountered by DHS personnel were released into the United States and not removed under the immigration laws or expelled under public health authorities. Many—almost 100,000 since March—were not even issued a Notice to Appear in immigration court by CBP, but were simply asked to report to an ICE office upon reaching their ultimate destination for further processing.  Unsurprisingly, a large percentage of those individuals are failing to report to ICE as directed,” concluded the lawmakers. 

It is the Committee on Oversight and Reform’s responsibility to provide accountability and transparency on behalf of the American people. Unfortunately, Democrats continue to shirk their duties in holding the Biden Administration accountable. 

Read the full letter to Chairwoman Maloney here.