Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) today led 105 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a comprehensive review of the decisions by the Biden Administration that have led to the worst border crisis in United States history.
“When Joe Biden first took office one year ago, he paused deportations for millions of illegal immigrants and halted construction of the border wall. Since then, we have seen eight straight months of record-breaking illegal immigrant crossings and over 1.8 million apprehensions. Despite this catastrophe at our Southern Border, President Biden and House Democrats are pushing mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants. Border security is national security, and Joe Biden’s failure to secure our Southern Border has made all our communities less safe. It is time for Americans to know why this crisis is continuing, and I am proud to lead the push for answers,” Congresswoman Stefanik said.
“Thanks to the Biden administration’s open border and amnesty policies, there have been over 2 million apprehensions at our southern border since he was elected, with virtually zero immigrant vetting process being enforced – Biden is laying out a welcome mat for human traffickers and savage cartels bringing drugs and crime to our communities, and blatantly ignoring U.S. laws and policies that are designed to keep America safe. Under the incompetent reign of Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, we have no idea how many illegal aliens have been released into our nation, we have no idea how many have been resettled and we have no idea where they are in our own country. The administration is either intentionally keeping local law enforcement and communities in the dark, or willfully breaking U.S. laws by letting unvetted aliens roam freely across America. We can’t allow them to continue recklessly ignoring U.S. law and putting families at risk. The Upholding the Law at Our Border Act, requires an immediate investigation to ensure the proper vetting and processing of anyone that comes into our country, and holds the administration accountable for its basic duty of upholding U.S. laws,” Senator Scott said.
In the letter, the lawmakers requested a full accounting of the 2021 crisis on the Southern Border, including a breakdown of illegal immigrants encountered, apprehended, and released into the United States, as well as DHS vetting procedures, involvement with nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and communications with the White House transition team regarding the consequences of undoing the former Trump Administration’s immigration policies.
"If not for a deep desire to serve the American public, it would be nearly impossible for rank-and-file Border Patrol Agents to put on a uniform day in and day out in an attempt to secure this great nation's borders. Against the direct will of the American people, President Biden has made the securing of our borders impossible. Instead, his policies have allowed criminal cartels to advertise their services throughout the world with the promise that illegal border crossers will be allowed to remain in the United States without fear of deportation. This has caused severe human misery as vulnerable women and children put themselves in the hands of dangerous smugglers and human traffickers to be physically and sexually abused and, at times, even murdered. The historic high in illegal border crossings has forced the Border Patrol to dedicate more than 50% of its resources to activities other than patrolling the border. The gaps in the Border Patrol's coverage have led to a huge increase in the flow of hard narcotics into the U.S., which is wreaking havoc on the lives of our children as drug overdose deaths continue to soar. It starts with policy, and President Biden's policies have made our borders the least secure in our nation's history. It is time the Biden Administration recognizes that not one more U.S. citizen should be victimized at the hands of criminal illegal aliens. The Administration's main responsibility is to our safety and prosperity, rather than to that of foreign nationals who knowingly and willfully violate our laws. I am grateful for the oversight role Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Rick Scott are taking from the standpoint of a co-equal branch of government in trying to ensure the safety and security of all U.S. citizens by securing our borders. I live this nightmare every day, and I can personally and unequivocally state that this crisis is man-made and falls squarely on President Biden's shoulders," said Brandon Judd, President of National Border Patrol Council.
“Since taking office, President Biden and his administration have caused a border crisis of record proportions. Their America Last border policy has eroded the rule of law and caused incalculable harm to the American people — the Biden administration must be held to account for this disaster. Fortunately, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Rick Scott are taking action by demanding answers from the DHS OIG. We applaud their oversight efforts and demand that the administration explain their actions to the American people,” said Garrett Bess, Vice President of Heritage Action.
“The Biden administration has recklessly abandoned all forms of immigration enforcement at our southern border, triggering a crisis with no end in sight. At the same time, they refuse to properly comply with congressional oversight requests. The American people deserve to know the impact of the border crisis on their families and communities, while lawmakers need the ability to effectively draft legislation to end it. That is why it is encouraging to see lawmakers in both chambers call on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General to answer detailed questions surrounding the Biden administration’s dismantling of immigration enforcement. We are in desperate need of information illustrating the dramatic surge in unauthorized border crossings, including the number of illegal aliens that the administration releases into the country, and whether or not they acted intentionally to create crisis conditions. FAIR applauds Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Rick Scott for their leadership on this issue, as well as everyone who signed on to this important, bicameral fact-finding mission,” said Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Stefanik and Scott both led the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act in the House and Senate respectively.
