Category: fox-news/us/immigration/border-security

Shelter dogs would provide therapy for distressed border agents under new bipartisan push

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Stray dogs living in shelters could be given a shot at a new life providing comfort to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers under a new bipartisan proposal.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, introduced a bill this week to establish a pilot program allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to adopt the animals from local shelters and train them to be therapy dogs for Border Patrol personnel. 

It would build on the existing Canine Support Program established by CBP early last year in the face of mounting concerns about agents' mental health as they deal with the ongoing border crisis.

"These men and women work long hours year-round and face enormous challenges head-on," Gonzales said in a press release. "By improving access to canine therapy support, this legislation will give our law enforcement one more tool to improve mental health outcomes at CBP."

‘SIGNIFICANT THREAT’ ICE TRACKS DOWN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX CRIME 

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., one of the bill's original co-sponsors, said the existing program "has shown promise to increase staff morale and allow them to better deliver on their promise to keep our homeland safe."

"This is a strong step in the right direction – not just for those serving, but the communities they serve, too," he said.

In addition to aiding border agents, the proposal could also potentially have a positive effect on the country's animal shelters, which have struggled with overcrowding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a growing number of Americans struggle to make ends meet for themselves, let alone their pets.

"By facilitating the adoption of therapy dogs from local shelters, we're not only providing essential emotional support for our CBP workforce but also offering a loving home to shelter dogs," said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., another of the bill's co-sponsors.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Concerns about the mental health of Border Patrol officers reached the national stage amid an alarming spike in the number of suicides the department has seen in recent years.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, another of the bill's co-sponsors, spoke with Fox News Digital about the issue during a congressional delegation trip to the McAllen, Texas, sector of the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year.

"Every time I come down here, it gets worse; the lack of detention space, the human tragedy you see here; what the Border Patrol has to deal with every day, day in and day out, looking at these migrants that are pouring in; this sense of hopelessness, that it won't stop," the Texas Republican said in January.

"Profoundly, I worry about the mental health of our Border Patrol. The suicide rate is going up. They don't have the proper resources."

BORDER PATROL CHIEF SUGGESTS ‘JAIL TIME,’ TOUGHER ‘CONSEQUENCES’ TO STOP ILLEGAL US-MEXICO BORDER CROSSINGS

Seventeen CBP agents died by suicide in 2022 alone, Chris Cabrera, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Congress in March 2023. That’s the highest number since CBP began tracking it in 2007. There were 19,357 CPB agents on the job in 2022.

Since then, the number of illegal border crossings has continued to climb to new highs, while CBP agents are struggling with replenishing a dwindling workforce. 

Congress won’t pass border security legislation this year, Johnson’s office suggests

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The House GOP’s push to pass border security reform in the 118th Congress could end up an unrealized dream.

A spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pointed out to Fox News Digital that House Republicans have passed multiple border security and immigration enforcement bills – none of which have been taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The Johnson spokesperson indicated that with Republicans and Democrats still far apart on the issue, House GOP leaders are relying on former President Trump to take back the White House next year for any meaningful border policy changes to take place.

GOP PREPS ATTACKS ON VULNERABLE DEM SENATORS OVER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL DISMISSAL

"House Republicans have passed multiple border security bills – including our signature Secure the Border Act, Laken Riley Act, and Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act – which have been ignored by the Democrat Senate and proves their unseriousness when it comes to dealing with the border catastrophe," Johnson’s office said. "Democrats have only proposed measures for political cover that won’t fix the problem, and Republicans are not going to let the White House accept anything less than transformative change."

"House Republicans understand that the only way to truly solve the problem is to elect President Trump in November."

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

Fox News Digital had reached out to Johnson’s office two days after the speaker convened a rare Saturday session to pass his $95 billion foreign aid proposal. 

While the wide bipartisan margin demonstrated a victory for Johnson in his still relatively new leadership role, GOP rebels who have been increasingly critical of Johnson for crossing the aisle on key legislation were furious that he passed roughly $61 billion in Ukraine aid without trying to force through border security measures.

"The only path forward for substantive border legislation was to leverage the Biden regime's push for more Ukraine aid," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X last week.

Johnson has also maintained for months that President Biden himself has the unilateral ability to stop the border crisis through executive action – something the White House has pushed back on, arguing a permanent fix has to come from Congress.

The statement from Johnson's office Tuesday came after Fox News Digital asked if he had spoken with Biden recently about the possibility of executive action on the border, or whether House Republicans could be looking at using the next big legislative fight – fiscal year 2025 government funding – as an area to jam the Senate on border security.

An earlier attempt to pass foreign aid alongside a bipartisan border security deal failed when Republicans in both the Senate and House argued the border measures included would have only codified the Biden administration’s existing bad policies.

‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS

Democrats, however, refused Republicans’ urging to take up their Secure the Border Act, calling its Trump administration-era immigration provisions a non-starter.

Meanwhile, a House GOP aide familiar with the House Homeland Security Committee’s work said the panel was conducting multiple investigations into the Biden administration’s handling of the border, but would not discuss any pending legislation that House GOP leaders could have potentially held up as a new push for reform.

The House GOP aide said Republicans were committed "to respond[ing] to this crisis and [making] sure people know [they] take this issue very seriously."

Senate won’t pass border security legislation this year, Johnson’s office suggests

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The House GOP’s push to pass border security reform through the divided 118th Congress could end up an unrealized dream.

A spokesperson for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pointed out to Fox News Digital that House Republicans have passed multiple border security and immigration enforcement bills – none of which have been taken up by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The Johnson spokesperson indicated that with Republicans and Democrats still far apart on the issue, House GOP leaders are relying on former President Trump to take back the White House next year for any meaningful border policy changes to take place.

GOP PREPS ATTACKS ON VULNERABLE DEM SENATORS OVER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL DISMISSAL

"House Republicans have passed multiple border security bills – including our signature Secure the Border Act, Laken Riley Act, and Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act – which have been ignored by the Democrat Senate and proves their unseriousness when it comes to dealing with the border catastrophe," Johnson’s office said. "Democrats have only proposed measures for political cover that won’t fix the problem, and Republicans are not going to let the White House accept anything less than transformative change."

"House Republicans understand that the only way to truly solve the problem is to elect President Trump in November."

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

Fox News Digital had reached out to Johnson’s office two days after the speaker convened a rare Saturday session to pass his $95 billion foreign aid proposal. 

While the wide bipartisan margin demonstrated a victory for Johnson in his still relatively new leadership role, GOP rebels who have been increasingly critical of Johnson for crossing the aisle on key legislation were furious that he passed roughly $61 billion in Ukraine aid without trying to force through border security measures.

"The only path forward for substantive border legislation was to leverage the Biden regime's push for more Ukraine aid," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X last week.

Johnson has also maintained for months that President Biden himself has the unilateral ability to stop the border crisis through executive action – something the White House has pushed back on, arguing a permanent fix has to come from Congress.

The statement from Johnson's office Tuesday came after Fox News Digital asked if he had spoken with Biden recently about the possibility of executive action on the border, or whether House Republicans could be looking at using the next big legislative fight – fiscal year 2025 government funding – as an area to jam the Senate on border security.

An earlier attempt to pass foreign aid alongside a bipartisan border security deal failed when Republicans in both the Senate and House argued the border measures included would have only codified the Biden administration’s existing bad policies.

‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS

Democrats, however, refused Republicans’ urging to take up their Secure the Border Act, calling its Trump administration-era immigration provisions a non-starter.

Meanwhile, a House GOP aide familiar with the House Homeland Security Committee’s work said the panel was conducting multiple investigations into the Biden administration’s handling of the border, but would not discuss any pending legislation that House GOP leaders could have potentially held up as a new push for reform.

The House GOP aide said Republicans were committed "to respond[ing] to this crisis and [making] sure people know [they] take this issue very seriously."

Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office for comment.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article’s headline has been updated to more clearly reflect that Johnson’s office was referring to the Senate.

This week was a ‘bad week’ for the US Constitution, Ted Cruz says

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Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told "Sunday Morning Futures" anchor Maria Bartiromo that the past week was "really bad" for the United States Constitution. The Texas Republican's comments came as the Senate dismissed the impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and their refusal to enforce the warrant requirement for FISA reauthorization. 

MARIA BARTIROMO:…Why are you having such a hard time moving the needle on security at the border, Senator? ‘You’ meaning Republicans?

SENATE DEMOCRATS KILL BOTH ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS

SEN. TED CRUZ Well, listen, the Democrat Party has embraced open border. They want this invasion. And Republicans, listen, I, I feel for speaker Mike Johnson. He has a virtually impossible job. He's down now to a one vote majority. That majority goes all over the place on everything. And so he's a good man who is trying mightily. But at least so far, Republicans have not been willing or able to use the leverage we have to force real border security. 

I'll tell you, Maria, this week was a bad week for the United States Constitution. This week we had the Alejandro Mayorkas trial that was supposed to happen this week, and Senate Democrats, every Democrat, refused to hold a trial and essentially nuked the impeachment provisions of the Constitution. And also this week, we saw both the House and the Senate refuse to enforce the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement for searches of American citizens on FISA. And I think both of those in the same week is really a bad week for the Constitution.

GOP preps attacks on vulnerable Dem senators over Mayorkas impeachment trial dismissal

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Republicans are planning to pin Senate Democrats' move to kill the articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on vulnerable incumbents ahead of the November elections. 

After several Democratic senators who face tough re-election battles voted in line with their party on Wednesday in order to deem the House-passed impeachment articles unconstitutional and forego a trial, Republican candidates are already using it to their advantage. 

"Joe Biden’s wide open border is going to be a top issue for voters headed into November," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesperson Maggie Abboud told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

REPUBLICANS ACCUSE BIDEN, SCHUMER OF EMBOLDENING IRAN PRIOR TO ATTACK ON ISRAEL

"You can bet we are going to highlight Senate Democrats’ refusal to hold Joe Biden’s DHS Secretary accountable on the campaign trail, in advertising, and in every other way possible," she added. 

A spokesperson for One Nation, a group aligned with Senate Republican leadership and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also shared that it would be continuing to hit Democrats hard on immigration in the wake of Senate Democrats' votes to block the impeachment trial of Mayorkas from moving forward. 

Republican candidates taking on Democrats in competitive races, such as those in Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, were quick to slam their opponents for voting in line with their party and allowing Mayorkas to escape scrutiny. 

"Everyone should be outraged that Jon Tester does more for illegal immigrants in Washington than he does for legal taxpaying American citizens," former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, a Republican Senate candidate in Montana, said in a statement. 

‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS

After voting with his party, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., suggested the impeachment was a partisan game, while also urging both Mayorkas and Biden to use their executive branch authorities to help secure the border and pushing his colleagues in Congress to pass a bipartisan border package. 

His campaign further told Fox News Digital in a statement that while Tester works towards a bipartisan solution on the border, "Tim Sheehy opposes the bipartisan border security bill endorsed by border patrol agents, and repeatedly called to defund the Department of Homeland Security."

Campaigns for Bernie Moreno, the Republican Senate nominee in Ohio, and David McCormick, Sam Brown and Eric Hovde, expected to be the Republican nominees for Senate in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin, respectively, each made similar criticisms of vulnerable incumbent Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Bob Casey, D-Pa.; Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

"Together, Casey, Biden and Mayorkas have enabled drug cartels to flood Pennsylvania communities with deadly drugs like fentanyl," claimed Elizabeth Gregory, a spokesperson for McCormick. 

As Republicans add the Mayorkas impeachment dismissal to their attacks on Democratic opponents, the incumbent senators are already pushing back. 

In a statement, Baldwin spokesperson Andrew Mamo said, "Tammy is focused on solutions, not political games," reiterating her support for a "bipartisan border compromise."

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

"Senator Rosen is supporting solutions to increase border security and fix our broken immigration system because she is a bipartisan and independent voice for her state," Rosen's campaign said in a statement, criticizing "the extreme MAGA Republicans running against her" as "rubber stamps for Trump."

A Brown campaign spokesperson similarly pointed to the senator's support for the bipartisan package, noting that Moreno vocally opposed it. 

Casey's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Tommy Garcia further claimed, "Republican Senate candidates lost their message on the border the minute they opposed the border security bill that members of their own party helped write," referencing a border package that was negotiated by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla.; Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., which quickly lost support following former President Donald Trump's public criticism. 

Garcia remarked that "the ads write themselves," following the Republicans' abandonment of the border package. 

GOP SENATOR EYES LEGISLATION TO DEFUND 'PROPAGANDIST' NPR AFTER SUSPENSION OF WHISTLEBLOWER

Both Republicans and Democrats appear to be prepping to wield the border issues against one another, but Republican strategist Doug Heye noted that Democrats "are massively on defense on the border."

With this in mind, Heye also said, "Impeachment of the DHS Secretary was largely a niche issue for the Republican base already well-committed in those races."

Uncommitted and swing voters are not likely to have paid attention to it, he said. 

Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, agreed with Heye's assessment, adding, "I don't think the specifics of the Mayorkas impeachment matter much if at all — it just seems like too much of an Inside Washington story to matter."

However, he pointed out "[President] Biden has terrible numbers on immigration." 

"Republicans will of course hammer on the issue, so it is something Democrats need to be prepared to counter," he continued. 

Republican strategist David Kochel called the Mayorkas impeachment a "lose/lose" situation for Democrats. While vulnerable incumbents are expressing their support for the bipartisan border package, he noted it wasn't accomplished, and thus it is more difficult for them to use in their favor. 

"The idea was to kill this thing quickly and hope voters forget about it," he said of the Mayorkas impeachment proceedings. Going through with a full trial likely would have looked worse for Democrats, he added. 

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Murphy slams Republicans on Mayorkas vote in response to Trump Jr.: ‘Republicans are full of s‑‑‑’

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Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., took aim at Republicans on Friday in a social media response to Donald Trump, Jr. after calling out Senate Democrats who voted to end the impeachment case against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

"Your Friday morning reminder that Republicans are full of s--- when they complain about the border," Murphy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "They killed the tough, bipartisan border security bill because Trump told them to keep the border a mess because it would help him politically."

Murphy was responding to an earlier post by Trump, Jr. where he called out Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio - all of whom voted with their party to dismiss two articles of impeachment and are currently seeking reelection. 

‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS

"Next time Dems like Bob Casey, Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown try to portray themselves as tough on the border, remember that they just did Biden's bidding by voting to acquit Mayorkas without a trial," Trump, Jr. wrote on X on Thursday. "By taking that vote, they all just endorsed the invasion at our southern border!"

The first article against Mayorkas alleged he had engaged in "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" when addressing the border in his capacity as DHS Secretary while the second article claimed he had breached public trust. 

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., initially requested unanimous consent — which would have provided a set amount of time for debate among the senators, as well as votes on two GOP resolutions and a set amount of agreed upon points of order. The request was objected to by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

Schmitt stated in his objection that the Senate should conduct a full trial into the impeachment articles against Mayorkas, rather than the debate and points of order suggested by Schumer's unanimous consent request, which would be followed by a likely successful motion to dismiss the articles. 

Schumer proposed a point of order declaring the first article unconstitutional. A majority of senators agreed despite several failed motions by Republicans. 

It was deemed unconstitutional by a vote of 51-48, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting present. 

After another batch of motions to avoid voting on Schumer's second point of order, which would deem the second article unconstitutional, the Senate agreed to it. The vote was along party lines 51-49, with Murkowski rejoining the Republicans. 

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report. 

Vulnerable House Dems do a U-turn on illegal immigration after calling crisis ‘non-existent threat’

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A handful of vulnerable House Democrats, all of whom dismissed concern about the southern border crisis and voted against measures to enhance border security in the past, have attempted to show their attention to the issue as they campaign for re-election.

Three Democrats in competitive House races this election cycle — Reps. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., and Eric Sorenson, D-Ill. — have introduced bills, resolutions and amendments over the last year that would do little to limit the flow of migrants entering the country illegally, but they acknowledge the crisis.

Caraveo, who represents Colorado's 8th Congressional District, introduced a package of legislation earlier this year pertaining to some of the immigration struggles facing the United States.

The first-term lawmaker introduced two bills — the HELP for Interior Cities ACT and the ANTI-Drugs Act — in February and insisted both pieces of legislation address "the needs of Colorado communities in the wake of a recent increase in migrant arrivals."

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

"This comprehensive plan would deliver funding to interior cities like Denver that are in need of support, reduce the financial burden placed on local governments, and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. It would also deliver much-needed funding to law enforcement both at the border and here in Colorado," she said of the measures at the time.

The HELP for Interior Cities ACT does little to address the flow of migrants entering the country and provides additional funding for migrant shelters located in cities not found along the border. The ANTI-Drugs Act, however, would make an already-existing Department of Homeland program titled "Operation Stonegarden" permanent and give law enforcement agencies grants for equipment and "personnel, including overtime and backfill, in support of enhanced border law enforcement activities."

Prior to introducing the measures, Caraveo was one of 211 Democrats who voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. That measure, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system and created additional penalties for visa overstay.

Caraveo was also one of 210 House Democrats who voted against a GOP-led effort in the House to impeach Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas.

During her previous tenure in the Colorado state House of Representatives, Caraveo joined other Democrats from across the nation to send a letter urging the Biden administration to relax immigration rules and "divest from immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP."

Another Democrat who has brought attention to the issue in recent months is Vasquez, who represents New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District.

Earlier this month, Vasquez introduced a resolution that "condemns Republican inaction on common-sense solutions to our Nation’s broken immigration system and the challenges our Nation faces at the border."

Like Caraveo, Vasquez voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. Last October, however, he introduced a package of immigration bills amid a skyrocketing number of illegal immigrants arriving at the U.S. border. Those measures aimed to increase penalties for smugglers and cartels who engage in violent crimes, provide pathways for certain migrants to lawfully work in the U.S. and fund additional personnel at ports of entry.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CRASH THAT KILLED DEMOCRATIC SENATOR'S ADVISER

Prior to joining Congress, Vasquez lashed out at then-President Trump amid immigration woes in 2018 and insisted the idea of "sending the military to quell a non-existent threat" is "beyond stupid."

In a November 2020 post to Twitter, now known as X, Vasquez responded to one social media user who called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection by writing, "the only ICE we need to be melting."

Vasquez was also one of many Democrats who applauded President Biden's decision to terminate construction of a border wall along the southern border. In a January 2021 post on social media, he said, "As of today, all construction on this racist, environmentally destructive, massive waste of money comes to a grinding halt. This vanity project was little more than a glorification of xenophobia and an insult to border communities. Lets tear it down."

Like Caraveo and Vasquez, Sorensen, who represents Illinois' 17th Congressional District, voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which would have largely increased the total number of CBP agents.

Sorensen introduced two amendments to the Secure the Border Act — one that would require the hiring, training and assigning of "not fewer than 500 additional CBP officers" at points of entry and another that would have appropriated $25 million to "improve coordination" and "expand" a fentanyl task force.

Both amendments were not considered prior to a vote on the bill in the House, and Sorensen cited a lack of bipartisan cooperation in voting against the legislation.

After introducing the amendments, Sorensen went on to vote "nay" on impeachment efforts against Mayorkas earlier this year.

Sorensen, like most of his colleagues on his side of the aisle, has expressed opposition to the Trump-proposed idea of a southern border wall. In a November 2019 post promoting an Illinois restaurant, he wrote, "We don’t need border walls, we need more pancakes and burritos!"

Last July, Sorensen joined 201 other Democrats, including Vasquez and Caraveo, in voting against a measure that would have prevented the use of facilities of certain schools that receive federal financial assistance to provide shelter or housing to illegal immigrants. Additionally, the trio of Democrat lawmakers rejected a measure that aimed to prohibit the federal government from using certain federally administered lands to provide housing for illegal immigrants.

Caraveo and Vasquez are both seeking re-election to their seats that have been labeled "Democrat Toss Up" by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analyst. Sorensen's seat has been labeled as "Lean Democrat."

CBP records show the first six months of fiscal year 2024 had 1,340,801 total encounters, exceeding the first six months of fiscal year 2023, which set a record of 1,226,254 total encounters.

Caraveo, Vasquez and Sorenson did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Dem senator’s claim downplaying border crisis resurfaces after staffer killed by illegal immigrant

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Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-Nev., claimed that there were "no open borders," just two days before the migrant arrested in a deadly car accident that killed her adviser illegally entered into the U.S.

In a resurfaced video from March 10, 2021, a month when Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) reported over 170,000 migrant encounters at the border, Cortez Masto is seen telling MSNBC that there was "a lot of misinformation" surrounding the southern border crisis.

"There's no open border," the Democrat Senator claimed. "As someone who was attorney general for eight years, my state worked very closely on the border with Mexico. There are no open borders."

Just two days later, on March 12, 2021, an illegal immigrant by the name of Elmer Rueda-Linares reportedly entered at or near the Rio Grande City, Texas, Port of Entry without inspection by an immigration official, ICE confirmed to Fox News Digital. That same migrant would go on to be arrested in connection with the death of one of Cortez Masto's own senior advisers.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CRASH THAT KILLED DEMOCRATIC SENATOR'S ADVISER

Kurt Englehart, senior advisor to Cortez Masto, was killed in a car collision south of Downtown Reno, Nevada, on April 6, 2024. Rueda-Linares, the illegal migrant driving the vehicle that collided with Englehart, was arrested and charged with failing to stop at the scene of the accident.

HAITIAN MIGRANT, NOW A DOUBLE HOMICIDE SUSPECT, WAS ALLOWED INTO US BY BIDEN ADMIN VIA CONTROVERSIAL APP

CBP noted that encounters increased by 71 percent over February 2021 in March of that year, the same month Cortez Masto made the claim about the border.

Also that month, Fox News Digital reported that CBP agents had encountered a "large group" of illegal immigrants near Las Lomas, Texas, apprehending 134 illegal immigrants who had come to the southern border from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

When asked about the 2021 comment, a spokesperson for Cortez Masto stated that the Senator "has repeatedly pushed for additional border security funding under both the Trump and Biden administrations." Cortez Masto signed a letter in 2020 that demanded the reversal of Trump-era border policies, "condemning the Trump Administration for its harmful policies that have dismantled the United States’ asylum system."

"Senator Cortez Masto has repeatedly pushed for additional border security funding under both the Trump and Biden administrations and voted in February for the bipartisan border security package that Donald Trump and Senate Republicans refused to consider," Lauren Wodarski, spokesperson for Cortez Masto, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "To indicate otherwise is a distortion of her record."

In February 2021, Cortez Masto voted against an amendment that would prioritize "taking into custody aliens charged with a crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury."

Again in August 2021, Cortez Masto voted against establishing "a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security, pursuant to Title 42, United States Code, conducts expulsions of illegal immigrants who may contribute to the spread of COVID-19, including any of the dangerous variants originating overseas, in order to protect the public health of the American People, save American lives, and assist in eradicating the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States." 

The Senator has since cosponsored pieces of legislation that seek to combat the ongoing fentanyl crisis. In 2024, Cortez Masto cosponsored the Stop Fentanyl at the Border Act "to improve border security, imposing new reporting requirements relating to border security, and enhancing criminal penalties for destroying or evading border controls," as well as signing onto the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act with GOP Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

Most recently, the Democrat voted to dismiss the articles of impeachment filed against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border crisis.

Republicans in the House unveiled articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in January, claiming that the Biden administration secretary has "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security."

"In large part because of his unlawful conduct, millions of aliens have illegally entered the United States on an annual basis with many unlawfully remaining in the United States," Republicans alleged. "Alejandro N. Mayorkas knowingly made false statements to Congress that the border is 'secure,' that the border is ‘no less secure than it was previously,’ that the border is 'closed,' and that DHS has ‘operational control’ of the border."

Cortez Masto called the impeachment inquiry a "waste of time." 

"There is no evidence that @SecMayorkas committed high crimes and misdemeanors, so I voted to end this waste of time," the Senator said in an April 17 post on X. "Republicans could have made real policy changes, but they decided to play games and killed the bipartisan border package in favor of this frivolous impeachment."

During the Senate's meeting Wednesday on the dismissal of impeachment articles against Mayrokas, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, appeared to mention the incident in which Cortez Masto's staffer was killed as an example of ramifications of the ongoing southern border crisis. 

"The consequences of our open border policy can touch all of us," Lee said. "One of our dear, respected colleagues having lost a beloved staff member in the last few days. Having lost that staff member as a consequence of the actions taken by an immigrant in this country, who was here unlawfully, who shouldn't have been here. That's a troubling thing."

Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

‘Constitutional authority’ of Senate Dems quashing Mayorkas impeachment trial questioned by experts

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Constitutional law experts are examining the implications of the precedent set by Senate Democrats on Wednesday, when they killed the impeachment trial of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, effectively dismissing it. 

After the Senate deemed both articles of impeachment unconstitutional, the upper chamber adjourned, quashing all hope for a trial on Mayorkas' alleged crimes. This was historically significant, as an impeachment trial had never been dismissed, tabled or otherwise discarded without the accused official having first exited their role in one way or another. 

"The Senate has no constitutional authority to rule that the articles approved by the House do not state impeachable offenses," explained Andrew McCarthy, a former chief assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. 

SENATE STRIKES DOWN BOTH IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES AGAINST BIDEN BORDER CHIEF

The sole power to determine impeachable offenses lies with the House, McCarthy noted. This means neither the Senate nor a court of law would be within their rights to undermine the House's ability to make such determinations. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., proposed two points of order during the court of impeachment deeming both articles of impeachment unconstitutional, which were passed by the Democratic majority. 

"This essentially nullifies the House’s important role in the impeachment process," McCarthy said. 

Alternatively, the Senate would have been well within its rights to "hold a trial and ultimately acquit Mayorkas of the charges," he added. 

REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY 'HEAVY PRICE' IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS

The brief impeachment trial proceedings revealed "yet another of our constitutional norms is being undermined," said Randy Barnett, a renowned legal scholar and professor of constitutional law at the Georgetown University Law Center. 

However, Alan Dershowitz, a prominent constitutional scholar and emeritus professor of law at Harvard Law School, claimed, "There are no constitutional impeachment criteria charged."

He explained further that "dismissal is proper."

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McCarthy warned that "Democrats will come to regret it." He explained that in the case that Democrats take over the House's majority and Republicans the Senate, "Democrats will be undermined by the precedent they have set — especially if Donald Trump is elected president again."

Democrats would likely seek to once again impeach former President Trump if he is elected in November, McCarthy said, and "they have now handed Republicans a precedent authorizing the Senate to ignore the House."

Barnett claimed that impeachment is "ultimately a political power" and thus, political use of it is expected. However, he suggested that "the political nature of impeachment" is exactly what "necessitates the House having the opportunity to present its case both to the Senate and to the electorate in a public trial." This was prevented from taking place in the Senate. 

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"The only reason Republicans impeached Mayorkas was to get a high-profile hearing that would rivet the public’s attention to Biden’s border crisis," added McCarthy, who noted that the House understood they would never see a conviction or removal. 

"The Senate Democrats’ move does deny that public hearing," he said. For this, Democrats will "take a political hit," he continued. 

However, McCarthy described that Senate Democrats made a political calculation, ultimately determining that "it would be better to be criticized for not conducting a trial than to hold a trial," placing President Biden's border policies at the forefront and Democratic senators on record acquitting Mayorkas. 

This, he said, would look like the Democrats "endorsing Biden’s non-enforcement policies."

Senate votes down first impeachment article against DHS Secretary Mayorkas

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The first article of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was deemed unconstitutional by the Senate on Wednesday in a party-line vote. 

The first of two articles of impeachment alleged Mayorkas engaged in the "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" regarding the southern border in his capacity as DHS secretary. 

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., proposed a point of order declaring the article unconstitutional, to which the majority of senators agreed following several failed motions by Republicans.

The article was deemed unconstitutional by a vote of 51-48, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska voting present. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.