Oversight Republicans Send Fourth Letter to DHS, Demand Administration’s Plan to Address Border Crisis

“Our recent trip to the border gave us additional insights that make answers to our previous questions even more pressing.”

WASHINGTON—Today, House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Committee Republicans renewed their request to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for information regarding the pause in construction of the border wall and the Administration’s plan to address the escalating crisis on the southwest border. The Republican lawmakers emphasize the Biden Administration has remained silent, ignoring multiple Committee inquiries and are demanding a prompt response in order to conduct important oversight. 

“To date, you have not responded to our questions, which raises concerns the Biden Administration has no plan to address the humanitarian, national security, and health crisis at the border that is worsening by the day and has no end in sight,” wrote the lawmakers. “Despite the worsening conditions, we still have no insight into President Biden’s decision to halt construction of the border wall, how billions of dollars of funds actually appropriated by Congress for the border barrier system are being handled by the Administration, or how the Administration intends to ensure the security and safety of Americans living in border regions where construction of physical barriers was halted. We still have no insight into how the DHS intends to reduce illegal border crossings to manageable levels or mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Most alarming, we have no insight into how the Administration plans to care for and stem the flow of the most vulnerable—the children crossing the border by the thousands.”

In March alone, over 172,000 migrants were encountered by DHS—the highest monthly number in 15 years. Even as officials predict a surge of more illegal border crossings, President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to ignore the crisis, have failed to implement a strategy to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, and have not even visited the border to witness the dire conditions they created by implementing open borders policies.

“As the weeks go by, it is clear the Biden Administration’s dangerous unraveling of the prior Administration’s deterrent-focused policies not only thwarts the will of Congress and wastes taxpayer money, but also exacerbates the growing crisis on the southwest border… We therefore reiterate the requests made in our February 4, 2021, February 19, 2021, and March 10, 2021 letters and urge your prompt response,” concluded the lawmakers. 

Read today’s letter here.