Grassley, Colleagues Push for Answers on Reckless DHS Decision to Release Illegal Immigrants

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NCJ.) and others in questioning Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about DHS’ reckless decision to release tens of thousands of illegal immigrants, including potentially dangerous criminals, into the country without a proper and complete Notice to Appear (NTA) for formal removal proceedings in immigration court.

 

“These open border policies only make it easier for smugglers and transnational criminal organizations to recruit migrants to make the dangerous journey to the southwest border, and divert the U.S. Border Patrol away from its primary mission of preventing the flow of contraband and illegal immigrants into the United States,” wrote the Senators. “Allowing uncontrolled illegal immigration is harmful to our nation, and it is wrong to encourage more illegal immigration to the country in the middle of a pandemic when millions of hardworking Americans remain out of work and in desperate situations.”

 

The Senators continued, “It is clear these catch-and-release policies are helping to fuel the record-breaking surge in people attempting to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to the Biden Administration’s failure to secure the border and effectively deter illegal immigration, we have surpassed more than 1 million border encounters this year. According to the latest preliminary data revealed in court filings, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates over 210,000 encounters along the southwest border in July alone. This is the highest monthly number of encounters in twenty years. And according to figures obtained by Axios, of the 50,000 illegal immigrants released into the U.S. since March without a NTA, over 16,000 have already ignored the 60-day window in which they were required to report to ICE and pick up a NTA.”

 

Joining Grassley and Tillis in the letter are Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Susan Collins (R-Maine), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).

 

Read the full letter HERE.