Staff Reports
On the third anniversary of the January 6th Capitol incursion, the Justice Department announced that it intends to continue pursuing prosecutions against more individuals involved in the events of that day. During a press conference, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves emphasized that thousands of people had entered the area outside the Capitol without authorization and therefore could be subject to prosecution.
However, it is worth noting that there is another place where countless individuals have entered without authorization: the southern border. Since Joe Biden assumed office, over 8 million people have illegally entered the United States, and that number doesn’t even include the 1.7 million known “gotaways.”
Instead of exerting substantial effort to apprehend those who breached the Capitol on January 6th, the Biden administration should focus on securing the southern border. The Border Patrol has already apprehended hundreds of individuals on the terror watch list, which raises concerns about how many potential terrorists might have evaded capture.
Flashback May 2020: The far-left rioters tore apart the barrier outside the White House piece by piece in an attempt to storm the building and burn it down. Many in the mob called for the president to be lynched. #CapitolRiot pic.twitter.com/krfqIRglNY
— Andy Ngô ?️? (@MrAndyNgo) January 7, 2022
During the press conference, Graves highlighted the importance of the public’s assistance in identifying individuals who committed crimes on January 6th. While it is widely agreed that those who engaged in violence against police officers or anyone in the Capitol should face prosecution, the same level of vigor has not been applied to those who injured over 60 Secret Service personnel during the riotous events that unfolded following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. The only difference between the two incidents was that the Capitol was less well-defended.
Graves acknowledged this deficiency, stating that there was insufficient law enforcement presence to adequately protect the Capitol and its occupants, let alone arrest the thousands of individuals who illegally entered the grounds. However, he argued that anyone who knowingly entered a restricted area without authorization had already committed a federal crime.
However, it should be noted that the Federalist editor-in-chief, Mollie Hemingway, who covered the events of January 6th, stated that there was no indication that people were not allowed on the Capitol grounds. Senator Ted Cruz also criticized the DOJ’s pursuit of individuals who simply stood outside the Capitol, stating that it was an abuse of power and called for Graves to testify.
During the press conference, Graves detailed the current status of the January 6th prosecutions, revealing that there have been nearly 900 cases filed to date and approximately 149 convictions for “assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.” Of those, 41 included the use of dangerous weapons. However, despite some individuals having handguns on the Capitol grounds, none have been prosecuted for bringing firearms into the building or using them that day.
Based on the information provided at the press conference, it is evident that the government should have focused on prosecuting around 200 people for some level of violence on January 6th, taking into account the 149 convictions thus far and the 80 individuals still unidentified. It is clear that individuals who caused property damage deserve punishment, but the majority of those present were engaging in a peaceful protest and should not be subject to prosecution, especially when considering the leniency shown during the summer of 2020’s “social justice” riots.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who is not aligned with the “MAGA Republican” ideology, criticized the DOJ’s broad approach to prosecuting January 6th protesters, stating that the net was cast too wide and many individuals have been hounded despite simply walking into open doors in the Capitol. While Barr acknowledged that the events of January 6th were a shameful episode, he emphasized that it was not an insurrection. Therefore, it is time for the Biden administration to shift its focus towards securing the border and leave January 6th in the past.
