Staff Reports
House Republicans took a no-holds-barred approach as they grilled Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden administration's top border official, over the concerning issue of allowing millions of illegal immigrants to freely roam the country. In a Capitol Hill hearing, GOP lawmakers sought to expose Mayorkas's failure to detain immigrants awaiting immigration court proceedings, a departure from legal mandates.
Republicans swiftly spotlighted the incongruity of Mayorkas's claims regarding the Department of Homeland Security's financial limitations hindering the detention of more immigrants at ICE facilities. They noted the surplus of empty beds in these facilities, contrasting sharply with the Biden administration's request for reduced ICE detention beds in the upcoming budget.
.@RepMarkGreen: "Do you know how many ICE detention beds were empty on average during your tenure?"
Mayorkas: "We maximize the use of the detention beds that are available."
Chairman Green: Per your own department, "roughly 9,000 a day in FY22. 3,000 a day in FY22." pic.twitter.com/9dncvkcW5P
— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) April 16, 2024
Though the Biden administration has been reticent about the exact number of released illegal immigrants, estimates hover over 2 million individuals. This flouting of immigration laws, especially regarding the requirement to detain immigrants pending court proceedings, has incensed Republicans.
DHS defended its actions by citing the perennial impossibility of detaining every individual crossing the border illegally and attributed its failure to comply with the law to Congress's inadequate funding. However, Republicans remained unconvinced by these justifications, questioning the adequacy of the Biden administration's proposal to fund 34,000 beds, arguing it fell short of requirements.
In a symbolic gesture of censure against Mayorkas's border crisis management, House Republicans submitted articles of impeachment against him to the Senate. Although the Democrat-led Senate is likely to dismiss the charges, this bold move underscores the GOP's determination to hold the Biden administration accountable for its handling of the immigration crisis.
As the hearing progressed, it became apparent that the Biden administration's proposals for bed space consistently fell short of requirements, despite a surge in illegal immigrant apprehensions at the southern border. While the Trump administration had prioritized adequate detention space, the Biden administration appeared focused on reducing ICE capacity, even amidst increased illegal immigrant apprehensions.
Democrats' proposal to further reduce detention space to 25,000 beds in 2023, amid sustained high levels of illegal immigrant arrests, raised serious Republican concerns. They stressed that the lax immigration enforcement approach under the Biden administration had resulted in the release of millions of illegal immigrants into the country, with few undergoing court-mandated detention.
A nonpartisan research center's analysis revealed that the number of illegal immigrants in ICE custody hit its lowest point since the beginning of fiscal year 2024. The decline in illegal migration at the southern border was attributed to fewer detentions, with ICE increasingly relying on electronic tracking methods for released immigrants.
Alarming statistics showed that out of 6.1 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., only 183,000 were tracked through ICE's Alternatives to Detention program. This left approximately 5.8 million immigrants either untracked or not detained through standard means, highlighting the Biden administration's failure to enforce immigration laws effectively.
In conclusion, House Republicans' persistent scrutiny of Mayorkas and the Biden administration's immigration enforcement approach underscores their steadfast commitment to accountability and advocating for robust border security measures. Remember, adherence to the rule of law is paramount, even for the Biden administration.
