More than 50 conservative members of the Congress from several states have expressed their disdain over the response of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the ever-rising US border crisis over the weekend, and also raised questions about his actions as Homeland Security Secretary and his “suitability for holding office”.
Mayorkas indicated in a statement on Friday that the Department was planning to increase migration, and is going to deploy additional resources consisting of personnel, medical supplies and transportation to help manage it.
The Republican lawmakers sent Mayorkas a letter in response to Mayorkas’ comment on Friday, that was collectively signed by more than 50 lawmakers including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Minority Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY.)
“Your actions have willingly endangered American citizens, undermined the rule of law and our nation’s sovereignty. Your failure to secure the border and enforce the laws passed by Congress raise grave questions about your suitability for office,” -read the letter.
The lawmakers also pointed out Mayorkas’ “willingness to embrace an open-borders agenda that undermines America’s safety” by rejecting former president Donal Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy.
In the letter, they also criticised the Secretary’s decision to bring the border wall construction along the southern border shared with Mexico to a halt, which resulted in the loss of billions of taxpayers’ dollars.
The letter further called on Mayorkas to take “all legal and necessary actions at your disposal – of which there are many – to secure the southern border, rectify the dangerous policies this administration has put in motion over the past year, and bring your agency into compliance with the laws passed by the United States Congress.”
Number of illegal immigrants skyrocket
Republicans have long been against the Biden Administration’s response to the rising number of illegal immigrants and the border crisis, and the letter to the Homeland Security Secretary comes just a month ahead of President Biden’s decision to formally lift the Title 42 public health order. Title 42 allowed the border officials to immediately expel illegal immigrants that cross the border, without hearing asylum claims, throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Former President Donald Trump also recently expressed his displeasure over the lifting of Title 42. ‘We’re being invaded by millions and millions of people,’ -claimed Trump, adding that, ‘”10 to 12 million people would flood the country if Title 42 were to be repealed”, which according to him was the “largest number of illegal immigrants entering the country,” that he has ever seen. -he said at a rally in Michigan.
Fears of the Republicans regarding the border crisis are totally legit, as a trend of increasing encounters has already taken place. The Customs and Border Protection has reported the largest number of illegal immigrant encounters recorded so far under the Biden administration, which was more than 221,000 in March. The number was in stark contrast to February, which reported around 164,973 stops.
Brian Babin said in a statement that Mayorkas should be relieved of his duties if he is unable to secure the safety of America and its citizens. “Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for our laws and refuses to put radical politics aside and secure our country. He must immediately rectify his dangerous policies and uphold his constitutional obligation to protect our borders, or he should be removed from his position. Our safety and sovereignty are at stake.” -he said.
