Category: fox-news/us/immigration/illegal-immigrants

Mayorkas slams ‘callous’ smugglers’ ‘profit’ motive for latest tragedy at the border

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday took aim at "callous" smugglers responsible for the deaths of two migrants in a rail car in Texas – accusing the smugglers of only caring about "making a profit."

"We are heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic incident of migrants taking the dangerous journey," the DHS chief said in a statement.

Uvalde Police Department said that approximately 15 people in need of medical attention had been found in the rail car, which had been stopped by Border Patrol two to three miles east of Knippa, Texas, after a 911 call warning of migrants suffocating. Two of those migrants died, five were air-lifted to San Antonio, and five were taken to nearby hospitals. 

Mayorkas praised Border Patrol agents and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents supporting the investigation.

"We will work with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office to hold those responsible," he said. "Smugglers are callous and only care about making a profit."

MIGRANT DEATHS ON TEXAS TRAIN MARK LATEST BORDER INCIDENT IN STRING OF RECENT TRAGEDIES: ‘HEARTBROKEN’ 

The tragedy comes after the death of eight migrants earlier this month on two smuggling vessels that capsized off the coast of Southern California and is one of a number of deadly incidents at or near the border in recent years.

In FY 2022, there were 856 migrant deaths, marking the highest on record and coming amid record numbers of migrant encounters at the southern border.

TEXAS AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST 2 MIGRANTS DEAD, OVER A DOZEN INJURED AFTER SUFFOCATING IN TRAIN CAR

The administration has repeatedly appealed to migrants not to make the treacherous journey north and not to put their lives into the hands of smugglers. Instead, they have called on migrants to take advantage of the legal asylum pathways the administration has either created or expanded – while also tackling "root causes" in Central America. 

However, while the administration believes it has turned the corner and has seen a decrease in illegal border crossings in January and February, crossings remain high, and Republicans have blamed the crisis on the Biden administration’s rolling back of Trump-era border protections.

Republicans in the House have zeroed in on Mayorkas, in particular, for his handling of the crisis. Some Republicans, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have floated a possible impeachment of the DHS chief, while others have introduced articles of impeachment against him.

Mayorkas has brushed off those calls but was recently dealt a blow when Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told lawmakers that DHS does not have "operational control" of the southern border. Mayorkas had told lawmakers last year that DHS does have operational control of the border.

The hearing was held by the House Homeland Security Committee to "examine the direct link between President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ reckless border policies and the unprecedented crisis at our Southwest border" and was one of a number of hearings and visits being held at the border itself by Republicans, now that they control the chamber.

Fox News' Bill Melugin and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
 

GOP leadership pushes back immigration, border bill markup amid infighting

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House Republican leadership is pushing for a delay to a planned markup next week of multiple immigration and border security bills as it deals with infighting between members – a move likely to upset immigration hawks keen to see action from the caucus on the historic migrant crisis at the southern border.

Punchbowl News reported Thursday that leadership has asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to delay a planned consideration of as many as eight border and immigration bills next week before the April recess.

But sources told the outlet that leadership had delayed the markup until after the recess, meaning it will be more than four months since Republicans took control of the House before there is any consideration of legislation to tackle the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border. A source familiar with the situation confirmed the Punchbowl News report to Fox News Digital.

BIDEN ADMIN SCALING BACK DETENTION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, EVEN AMID MIGRANT SURGE 

Jordan told Punchbowl that "we have eight pieces of legislation that we think makes sense, and we’re going to get done as soon as we can, but we’re working with the whole conference."

Republicans have little wiggle room when it comes to defections as they have just a five-seat majority in the lower chamber. While there has been consensus on the broad strokes of how the caucus should tackle the migrant crisis, deep divisions have emerged between members.

Specifically, legislation introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, which would allow DHS to block the entry of illegal migrants into the U.S. until there was "operational control" of the border, has seen internal Republican opposition from a small number of lawmakers.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, has been the most vocal opponent of the bill, calling it anti-American and claiming it bans asylum – a claim Roy has denied. Gonzales' opposition to the bill was one factor in the Texas Republican Party’s move to censure him this month.

But Republicans had campaigned on coming up with solutions to the border crisis and have already held a number of hearings at the border to draw attention to the crisis. Last year, Republicans unveiled a number of policy proposals to secure the border that they said they would advance if they took the House. Policies include finished the Trump-era border wall, expanding Title 42, modernizing technology and overhauling the asylum system.

DHS PUSHES BACK AGAINST MCCARTHY CALL FOR MAYORKAS TO RESIGN OR FACE POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT

Since then, some Republicans – including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – have floated the possibility of impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. That move has yet to happen, although two lawmakers have introduced articles of impeachment.

A coalition of hawkish groups, including the Heritage Foundation, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), America First Policy Institute and Numbers USA, had written to GOP leaders in February urging the party to keep its promises – and warning that resources alone were not enough and that laws needed to be changed to end loopholes.

In a statement on Thursday, Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson said border security needs to be the "top priority" for the House.

BORDER HAWKS SAY FAILURE TO PASS BORDER SECURITY BILL WOULD BETRAY GOP ‘COMMITMENT TO AMERICA’ 

"House Republicans have been in power for several months," she wrote. "They must immediately develop and consider a border security package that ends the asylum fraud, creates an authority to immediately expel illegal aliens, sends resources to complete the border wall, and gives border agents the personnel and tools needed to carry out their proper duties, not the mass release of illegal aliens as directed by the Biden administration. Migrants must be disincentivized from making the dangerous journey to cross the border illegally, and must not be promised any possibility of amnesty."

Anderson noted the ongoing fentanyl crisis, which is primarily smuggled across the border, as well as cartel trafficking and an increase in the number of individuals encountered on the terror watch list. While she blamed the "Biden administration’s deliberate border destruction," she also urged action from Republicans.

"The time is now – American sovereignty has been severely damaged. Heritage Action urges House Republicans to follow through on their Commitment to America and move forward on consideration of a border security package," she said.

Meanwhile, Democrats and the Biden administration have been attacking Republicans for failing to agree to border security funding requests made by the Biden administration. President Joe Biden himself has called for Republicans in Congress to support additional funding to the ports as well as pathways to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Dem congressman ‘may vote to impeach’ Biden’s DHS Secretary Mayorkas

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California Democratic Rep. Juan Vargas said he "may vote to impeach" President Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if Republicans bring articles of impeachment against him. 

Vargas, who made the comments during a news conference on Friday, said his reasoning differs from Republican lawmakers and lies in the construction of two 30-foot border walls.

"Secretary Mayorkas might come up for an impeachment vote because of what the Republicans have heard," Vargas said. "I may vote for it; I may vote to impeach him, but not over those other issues - over this issue."

Vargas' problem stems from President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas not stepping in to halt border wall construction at Friendship Park, which is located at the San Diego and Tijuana border, Fox 5 reported.

WHITE HOUSE BLASTS HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS BUDGET PLAN, CLAIMS IT WOULD HURT BORDER SECURITY AND CUT CBP STAFF

DHS began prepping for possible impeachment proceedings in late January by entering into a potential $1.5 million contract with the New York-based Debevoise & Plimpton law firm, which will disburse cash based on their work. Government records show that the award runs until early January 2025 and could reach up to $3 million, Fox News Digital reported.

David O'Neil, a Debevoise & Plimpton partner, will lead Mayorkas' defense team if needed, Law.com reported. O'Neil is no stranger to impeachment efforts as he aided House Democrats in their impeachment efforts against former President Trump. Employees at the firm also give overwhelmingly to Democratic causes, including Biden's past candidacy. 

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are now probing the contract. Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, who heads up the Oversight Committee, began seeking information from Mayorkas late last month.

In a letter to Mayorkas, Comer said the contract is a no-bid, sole-source agreement, meaning it was awarded directly rather than through a competitive bidding process. Such an award is allowed only due to an "unusual or compelling urgency."

"DHS justified its decision not to use fair and open competition in procuring legal services by citing 'unusual and compelling urgency,'" Comer wrote to Mayorkas. "We are concerned the alleged "unusual and compelling urgency" justification is to avoid congressional scrutiny and oversight."

MEXICAN PRESIDENT THREATENS TO MEDDLE IN US ELECTIONS WITH ‘INFORMATION CAMPAIGN’ AGAINST REPUBLICANS

Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have raised the possibility of impeaching Mayorkas over his handling of the ongoing crisis at the southern border. Multiple members have also introduced articles of impeachment against him.

"The Biden Administration's self-inflicted border crisis has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and the American people are demanding accountability," Comer previously told Fox News Digital regarding the contract. 

"Not only have the Biden Administration's policies exacerbated the border crisis, but it also appears the Administration is exploiting the situation to reward its political allies and cover up Secretary Mayorkas' disastrous decisions," Comer said.

Oversight Republicans grill Mayorkas on asylum remarks that ‘misrepresent’ DHS data

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FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are quizzing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on remarks that they say misrepresents DHS data on the number of migrants who have passed "credible fear" screenings in the United States.

Chairman James Comer and Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have written to DHS querying Mayorkas about remarks he made in an interview with CNN, in which he asserted an orderliness to the massive migration across the southern border seen under the Biden administration.

"The vast majority of those individuals have not sought to evade law enforcement, but have actually surrendered themselves to law enforcement and made a claim for relief under our laws," he said. "And so they make their claims, and the initial threshold for those claims under the law is lower than the ultimate asylum standard." 

However, the lawmakers cite data from DHS that shows only a fraction of migrants is given a credible fear screening -- in which they would claim to have a fear of persecution or torture if returned to their home country. 

HOMELAND REPUBLICANS TO TURN UP THE HEAT ON MAYORKAS AFTER BORDER CHIEF'S ‘EARTH-SHATTERING’ TESTIMONY

"According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, more than 140,000 of the 172,116 Title 8 apprehensions made by U.S. Border Patrol agents in December 2022 resulted in an individual’s release into the country," the lawmakers write. "Yet according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), only 5,001 aliens were referred to that component for credible fear screenings that month. The numbers for other months similarly represent only a fraction of total releases." 

They say that due to conflicting data, it is "impossible to know the extent of DHS’ catch and release policies."

They also claim that the statements "misrepresent DHS’s own data and perpetuates an incorrect narrative about how the Administration processes illegal border crossers for release into the United States."

"But it is clear, that instead of referring illegal aliens to USCIS for a credible fear screening, your policy in most circumstances is to simply release illegal aliens into the country," they say.

Migrants encountered at the border who have not been returned under the Title 42 public health order -- which is due to end in May -- will typically be processed and provisionally released as they continue with their immigration removal proceedings. Migrants will typically be given a Notice to Appear at an immigration court or be paroled into the U.S. while enrolled in Alternatives to Detention and told to check in at an ICE office.

BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS DHS DOESN'T HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF US BORDER

The lawmakers are seeking documents and communications related to the number of illegal migrants encountered at the border and processed into the U.S. in various manners, as well as the number referred to a credible fear screening.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS IN FEBRUARY DOWN TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE JAN 2022; BIDEN ADMIN CREDITS NEW BORDER MEASURES

A spokesperson for DHS told Fox News that it responds to congressional correspondence directly via official channels "and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight."

The inquiry comes as Republicans have been scrutinizing the administration’s handling of the ongoing border crisis, with some Republicans having floated a possible impeachment of Mayorkas.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is pushing forward with a rule that would automatically make migrants ineligible for asylum if they had crossed into the U.S. illegally and failed to claim asylum at a country through which they crossed.

The administration’s policies were dealt a blow earlier this month when a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration’s use of parole to mass release migrants into the U.S. interior, finding the practice unlawful and accusing the administration of turning the border into a "meaningless line in the sand."

Mayorkas gushes over border agents as possible impeachment proceedings loom

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke at the League of United Latin American Citizens conference Wednesday, where he enthusiastically commended U.S. Border Patrol agents.

"The United States Border Patrol make up an extraordinary workforce – individuals who risk their lives every day to secure the border," Mayorkas told the LULAC crowd.

BIDEN ADMIN WEIGHS REVIVIAL OF POLICY TO DETAIN MIGRANT FAMILIES AMID SOUTHERN BORDER CRISIS: REPORTS

Mayorkas made the remarks in conversation with LULAC National President Domingo Garcia after his keynote address.

"And I will tell you something," he continued, "[In] the summer of 2014, I visited the border when the increase in unaccompanied children was occurring, and it was incredible what those Border Patrol agents were doing for those children out of their own pockets."

MAYORKAS SAYS HE WILL NOT RESIGN OVER BORDER CRISIS, INSISTS HE IS PREPARED FOR GOP INVESTIGATIONS

"What they were doing in terms of providing much needed supplies for those kids – whether it was blankets, diapers or whether it was toys," the secretary said. "These are parents in their own right and I want to commend the Border Patrol."

Asked by Garcia what his department was doing to improve humanitarian care at the border, Mayorkas defended the agency over images of migrant children sleeping on Border Patrol facility floors in silver mylar blankets.

BIDEN REPORTED MOVE TO DETAIN MIGRANT FAMILIES MARKS LATEST RIGHTWARD SHIFT AHEAD OF TITLE 42'S END

"This is why I said in 2021, when we saw the increase in the number of children in Border Patrol stations, ‘The Border Patrol station is no place for a child,’" Mayorkas told Garcia. "There are no cots, there are no beds, so children are on the floor. Those silver blankets are mylar blankets. Why? Because they provide warmth but a cloth or wool or the like actually breed insects that can actually serve a detriment to the well-being of the children. So it's visually troubling, but it's actually a health safety issue."

He went on to say that – under his direction – the department went on to dedicate 300 individuals to ensure the system would not "bottleneck" at the stations.

"And so we succeeded in that process," he concluded.

Mayorkas, a Cuba native who grew up in Beverly Hills, California, after his family fled the Castro regime, has been under fire for his handling of the southern border crisis.

Republicans claim he has failed to adjudicate standing federal immigration laws and instead has overseen a deluge of illegal immigrants.

Numbers at the border rocketed up shortly after the Biden administration took office and remained high since then. There were over 1.7 million encounters of migrants at the border in FY 21 and more than 2.3 million in FY 22. So far in FY 2023, which began in October, there have been more than a million encounters.

Biden admin’s taxpayer-backed contracts to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation come under a microscope

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Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is probing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed Biden administration contracts with a left-wing nonprofit to help illegal immigrants avoid deportation.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York-based nonprofit that views immigration enforcement agencies as a "threat" to civil liberties, received hefty Health and Human Services (HHS)-backed contracts as part of efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Now, Grassley is seeking answers on the federal contracts with Vera, who he says has a history of not fully complying with legal and regulatory requirements regarding the expenditure of government funds. In a Feb. 16 letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Grassley raised concerns about the Vera contracts, particularly regarding oversight structures to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

"My concerns with respect to HHS' oversight of its contracts with third parties stems, in part, from HHS' FY 2022 Agency Financial Report," Grassley wrote. "In that report, the HHS Inspector General identified a range of problems with HHS oversight of contracts, including contracts for services with respect to unaccompanied alien children."

BIDEN ADMIN GIVES LEFT-WING GROUPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FIGHT DEPORTATION

"The report included a finding that the ORR 'did not award or sufficiently manage a sole source contract in accordance with Federal requirements,'" Grassley wrote. "Given that Vera could receive almost a billion dollars of taxpayer funds under one contract alone, even a fraction of improper conduct can add up to large sums of money. A robust oversight structure needs to be in place to protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse."

Grassley elaborated on his concerns by referencing a Department of Justice inspector general report that found Vera did not comply with previous "essential award conditions."

"Vera did not comply with essential award conditions related to award expenditures including: personnel and fringe benefits, travel, supplies and other costs, consultants and contracts, and subawards," Grassley wrote. "Additionally, OIG found issues related to Vera's compliance with award special conditions, procurement practices, subrecipient monitoring, and financial reporting."

"The audit also found that Vera had $325,907 in expenditures 'that do not comply with legal, regulatory, or contractual requirements; are not supported by adequate documentation at the time of the audit; or are unnecessary or unreasonable,'" Grassley continued. "This example further demonstrates the need for transparency in how Vera and its subcontractors are using taxpayer funds and what HHS has done to employ robust oversight procedures and policies to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements."

Grassley posed a series of questions to Becerra, including on HHS oversight procedures, policies, and guidelines that are in place to ensure Vera is in full compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

HHS did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by press time.

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PROBES 'NO-BID' DHS CONTRACT TO LAW FIRM TO HANDLE MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT EFFORTS

The Vera Institute of Justice and the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit linked to Vera and another left-wing immigration group, have combined to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed government contracts since President Biden took office.

According to records previously reviewed by Fox News Digital, a vast majority of the money is going towards efforts to keep illegal immigrants in the United States. 

Vera has collected around $350 million from government contracts for immigration services in the past two years. The Acacia Center for Justice has also pocketed tens of millions of dollars in recent federal contracts. The progressive groups landed the contracts amid the escalating border crisis.

Vera received a $171 million HHS-funded contract last March to help unaccompanied minors avoid deportation, the records show. The contract has since paid out around $180 million with supplemental agreements as of December. 

The arrangement lasts until March but can hit as high as $983 million if renewed until March 2027. If extended, it will be the most significant federal contract the group has received for immigration-related services.

Vera has also secured other large government contracts since early 2021, including a $168 million contract in March 2021 for the same purpose of helping unaccompanied minors avoid deportation. During this time, the group also obtained smaller contracts ranging from $4 million to $12 million from other federal departments.

ICE SPENT $17M OF NO-BID CONTRACT TO HOUSE MIGRANTS IN HOTELS THAT WENT LARGELY UNUSED: DHS WATCHDOG 

Vera did not respond to a request for comment on Grassley's letter. 

Meanwhile, the Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit started from a partnership between Vera and Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, has received several "legal services" contracts from the Department of Justice last September that netted the group around $41 million in payments, records show.

The Acacia Center appears to have launched to expand Vera's work with illegal immigrants detained at the border. However, unlike Vera's government contracts for unaccompanied minors, the Acacia Center's contracts do not specify an age group for the legal services. 

Its partner organization, Capital Area Immigrants' Rights, also directs an adult defense program that provides information, support, and legal representation to illegal immigrants, according to its website. It also has a detained unaccompanied children's program that works with minors at the Office of Refugee Resettlement juvenile immigration detention centers in Maryland and Virginia.

The Acacia Center launched last year and received the contracts less than two months after getting a July 2022 determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service, which stated the group's effective date of tax exemption was Dec. 29, 2021, according to filings.

Jordan rips Dems for skipping Arizona border crisis hearing, blasts ‘reckless’ Biden policies

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House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan on Thursday took aim at Democrats for failing to attend an in-person hearing on the border crisis in Yuma, Arizona, as Republicans heard from witnesses about the devastating impact the crisis has had on their communities.

"It's a shame that not one Democrat member of Congress would join us on this trip, despite having weeks of advance notice," Rep. Jordan, R-Ohio, said in Yuma. "It's disappointing, but it's not surprising."

Republicans held the hearing in the besieged community with local officials and the CEO of a local hospital that had spent millions on migrant care as part of the GOP pledge to hold hearings at the border.

But when the hearing was announced last week, Democrats dismissed the move as a "stunt" and said they had not been consulted.

AT ARIZONA BORDER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARS FROM OFFICIALS ON MASSIVE MIGRANT SURGE 

"Instead of focusing on real solutions to a complicated problem, Judiciary Republicans will once again not hear from any federal government witnesses at their hearing, further cementing this hearing as a brazen act of political grandstanding," ranking member Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement. "As a result, Democrats, who have been to the border regularly the last few years, will not attend next week’s performative hearing."

Jordan denied that, saying they had been given weeks of notice. He also rejected the claim that the hearing is a "stunt."

"I would argue it's not a stunt. My guess is our witnesses wouldn't call it a stunt. What we've learned today from them, what we've seen last night on the border," he said.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News in Arizona that the decision not to attend was a "message of disrespect" to the American people.

HOUSE DEMS PLEDGE BOYCOTT OF HOUSE JUDICIARY BORDER CRISIS HEARING IN ARIZONA 

The Republicans viewed the unfinished border wall, of which construction mostly stopped during the Biden administration, and visited the Yuma Regional Medical Center. Officials there said they have delivered over $26 million in uncompensated care to migrants in a 12-month period — enough to support the salary and benefits of 212 bedside nurses.

"It is an unsustainable model to have a hospital like ours bear the entire burden of paying for migrant health care. No business or service can survive ongoing large-scale expense without any offsetting revenue," Dr. Robert Trenschel said.

Other witnesses included Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot and Jonathan Lines, a county supervisor. Wilmot testified that Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal migrants in the area have gone up from 40 a day to over 1,000 a day in the space of two years, and that the county has had to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to lease Porta-Johns to stop migrants defecating in crops.

His county has spent $323,000 in FY 2022 on booking costs for illegal immigrants who have committed state crimes, including sexual exploitation of minors, narcotics charges, assaults, kidnapping, burglary and theft cases.

"Our southern border, against all public comfort statements out of Washington, D.C., is in the worst shape I have ever seen in my career," he said in written testimony. "When one looks at Public Safety, National Security, and Humanitarian, our southern border can only be described as the largest crime scene in the country."

The border saw over 1.7 million encounters in FY 2021 and more than 2.3 million in FY 2022. Numbers are on track to outpace those numbers in FY 2023, although the Biden administration has pointed to a sharp drop between December and January as proof that border measures announced at the beginning of the year — including a humanitarian parole program that allows 30,000 migrants in a month — are now working.

MCCARTHY IN ARIZONA SAYS ‘NO ONE BELIEVES’ BIDEN ADMIN'S CLAIM BORDER IS SECURE, CARTELS ARE IN CONTROL

The Biden administration has blamed Republicans for failing to fund border security and for not going along with an immigration reform bill the administration introduced on Biden's first day in office. The president reiterated those calls for immigration reform, including a pathway for citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, during his State of the Union address.

Jordan on Thursday dismissed the proposal as a "massive amnesty package" and put the blame for the crisis on "reckless" policies by President Biden.

"On day one, day one, January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden said, ‘We're not going to build a wall anymore. We're not going to keep the Remain in Mexico policy, and we're not going to deport any illegal migrants who come in for an immigration violation,'" he said.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., repeated Republican accusations that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has not been enforcing the laws on the books — something for which some Republicans, including Biggs, have cited as grounds for impeachment.

"If this administration refuses to enforce existing laws, why would anyone trust it to enforce future laws?" he asked. "But this won't stop us from trying. That's why we're here today. But I'm afraid that this is going to get worse until the American people demand that these policies be reversed."

"History is screaming this warning at us — countries that cannot or will not enforce their borders simply aren't around very long," McClintock said.

Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

Impeaching Biden over border crisis is Republicans’ ‘only tool,’ Andrew McCarthy says

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National Review contributing editor Andrew McCarthy published an op-ed Saturday claiming "the only thing" that can establish comprehensive security at the southern border is a presidential impeachment.

McCarthy asserted that the legislature and courts are unable to address illegal immigration, necessitating Republicans to threaten removing President Biden from office. 

Republicans moving to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas are aiming "too low," he wrote in the piece.

MCCARTHY RULES OUT AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AFTER BIDEN CALLS AT STATE OF THE UNION

"You probably don’t want to hear this again, but at this stage, the only thing that might — might — turn the tide and establish a semblance of security at the southern border would be for House Republicans to impeach President Biden for first causing the border crisis and then, over the course of the next two years, willfully exacerbating it, not out of incompetence but because it’s what his radical base demands," the National Review Institute senior fellow wrote.

McCarthy claimed that the Supreme Court is "powerless" to correct the massive influx of illegal migrants crossing the southern border, leaving the problem to be dealt with by individual states.

MCCARTHY, IN ARIZONA, SAYS ‘NO-ONE BELIEVES’ BIDEN ADMIN'S CLAIM BORDER IS SECURE

"For over a century, judicial rulings and congressional Democrats have nullified their powers to uphold the rule of law against trespassers," McCarthy continued. "If the Court won’t help them, the states must rely on Biden, and it is Biden who has quite intentionally left the border defenseless, knowing full well that the states would be besieged."

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT 156,274 IN JANUARY AS BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS NEW BORDER MEASURES ‘ARE WORKING’

Acknowledging that the Democrat-controlled Senate would be unlikely to allow an actual impeachment, McCarthy made the case that impeachment articles could bring greater attention to the border issue.

"That is the last thing to which Biden and Democrats want attention called," he asserted. "Border security is an 80–20 issue, favoring not so much Republicans (who are far from uniformly solid on upholding immigration law) as individual candidates and officials who demonstrate seriousness about it, most of whom happen to be Republicans."

McCarthy concluded the article asserting that articles of impeachment were "the only available tool" for Republicans to push the issue to its breaking point.

"Joe Biden is not honoring his oath, and with Congress in a stalemate and state sovereignty nullified, only he can solve the border crisis he’s created. It’s that simple: Either Republicans use the only tool available to them to force Biden’s hand, or they are aiders and abettors," he wrote. "There is no middle ground."

VP Kamala Harris touts successes as ‘border czar’ as she returns to immigration beat with overseas investments

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Vice President Harris this week returned to focusing on targeting what the administration believes are the "root causes" of the migrant crisis at the southern border, announcing $1 billion in additional funding and a new initiative to direct money to Central America.

Harris’ office announced on Monday that an extra $950 million in private sector commitments has been raised from companies, including Nestle and Target, bringing the total amount of Harris’ "Call to Action" launched in 2021 to $4.2 billion.

"The investments that we have made thus far are on track to meet goals set out by the Partnership for Central America, which include the creation of 1 million new jobs by 2032 and the inclusion of 6 million people in the formal financial system by 2027," Harris said at a roundtable at the White House.

In 2021, Harris was put in charge of leading diplomatic talks to tackle "root causes" like poverty, violence, corruption, and climate change which the administration believes are driving the migrant crisis. Republicans ultimately dubbed her the "border czar," a title the White House has rejected.

The task has proved a politically tricky assignment for Harris at a time when migrant numbers at the southern border were skyrocketing. They have stayed at record number since, with over 1.7 million encounters in FY 21, more than 2.3 million encounters in FY 22 and so far every month of FY23 outpacing the prior year.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT 156,274 IN JANUARY AS BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS NEW BORDER MEASURES ‘ARE WORKING’

Harris was initially hammered for failing to visit the border. She eventually did so in the summer of 2021, but has not returned. She has intermittently held events related to migration, but has continued to be dogged by questions about what work she is doing related to the beat and how effective that work has been.

"If you were given a job 2 years ago with the explicit goal of reducing illegal immigration, and then you sit around and do nothing while illegal immigration explodes to levels never seen before, you should be fired and replaced," the National Border Patrol Council said last month. "Period."

But Harris has attempted to counteract that her strategy is a long-term one that needs time to develop. Aides have also emphasized that the beat is migration causes, not border security.

At the core of this push is the public-private partnership known as the Call to Action. The funding is targeted to aim at specific goals: a reform agenda; digital and financial inclusion; food security and climate-smart agriculture; climate adaptation and clean energy; education and workforce development; and public health access; strengthening democratic governance, combating corruption, and improving security.

Despite the historic border numbers overwhelming the U.S. southern border, Harris has sought to claim that the measures are working.

"These investments have created jobs. These investments have increased access to the financial system, including to the Internet. These investments have allowed small businesses which have the potential not only in the United States but around the world, and in particular in this region, have the potential to really thrive if they have access to financing," she said.

BORDER PATROL APPREHENSIONS OF CHINESE NATIONALS AT SOUTHERN BORDER UP 800%: SOURCE 

She also linked the effort to a decline in migration from Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

"Our root causes strategy and these investments represent a long term development effort, but we are already beginning to see positive trends," she said on Monday.

The administration also announced that it would not only be continuing with the program but expanding it. The "Central America Forward" program was announced by Harris as a "new phase" of the partnership that will add good governance and labor rights as priorities into the partnership.

It will also include additional government commitments to support investments in the region, with Harris touting a program to identify clean energy projects as well as workforce development programs. Additionally private sector partners are committing to goals to combat corruption and protect labor rights -- known as the "Good Governance, Good Jobs" declaration.

The administration has been attempting to show that it is turning the corner on the crisis, particularly with the announcement this week of new border numbers, which officials say show that new border measures are working.

STATE OF THE UNION 2023: BORDER OFFICIALS TAKE AIM AT BIDEN'S ‘MADDENING’ REMARKS ON MIGRANT CRISIS

Those numbers for January show that there were approximately 156,000 migrant encounters in January. While still the highest January on record, it is a sharp drop from the 251,000 encountered in December -- and officials said the number of migrants caught by Border Patrol crossing illegally is the lowest since Feb. 2021.

Officials have linked the drop to a new parole program for 30,000 migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba, combined with expanded Title 42 expulsions for those nationalities.

But the administration has also been attempting to put the blame on Congress for failing to pass an immigration reform bill with extra border funding. So far, Republicans have balked at the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants included in the White House’s framework.

"Ultimately, we need Congress to pass legislation that both enhances border security but fixes our broken immigration system. We are a nation of immigrants," Harris said.

But Republican opposition is unlikely to slow down any time soon. Republicans have pledged to investigate the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis now they have taken control of the House. Meanwhile, multiple articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have been introduced in the chamber.

Migrant encounters hit 156,274 in January as Biden admin claims new border measures ‘are working’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

There were more than 156,000 migrant encounters in January, the Biden administration announced Friday -- claiming that the numbers show that the new border measures are "working," despite the numbers being higher than last January.

The 156,274 encounters are slightly higher than the 154,874 encountered in January last year, and significantly higher than the 78,414 encountered in Jan 2021.

However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) noted that the new numbers are a sharp drop from the record 251,978 encounters in December -- which marked a new record at the besieged southern border. It is the first month in 10 months where encounters were below 200,000 encounters.

Officials also said that the number of migrants encountered by Border Patrol entering illegally between ports of entry (128,410) was the lowest number seen since Feb. 2021. There were 21,661 processed by CBP at ports of entry, with 9,902 having scheduled an appointment on the new CBP One application the administration has promoted. 70% of those encountered overall were single adults.

BORDER PATROL APPREHENSIONS OF CHINESE NATIONALS AT SOUTHERN BORDER UP 800%: SOURCE 

While the numbers are historically high for January, which is typically a quiet month for the border, the Biden administration has been tying the significant drop since December as proof that border measures it introduced last month are working. The cornerstone of those measures is the expansion of a humanitarian parole program for Venezuelans introduced last year to include Nicaraguans, Cubans and Haitians. The program allows 30,000 nationals in each month if they did not cross illegally, had a sponsor already in the U.S. and met other conditions.

That was accompanied by an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities. The administration is also expected to introduce a rule that would make migrant ineligible for asylum if they had passed through another country without claiming asylum.

At his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Biden said the measures are working and said there had been a 97% drop in encounters of those nationalities. On Friday, CBP again attributed the drop since December to those measures.

"The January monthly operational update clearly illustrates that new border enforcement measures are working, with the lowest level of Border Patrol encounters between Ports of Entry since February of 2021," CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement. "Those trends have continued into February, with average encounters of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans plummeting."

However, those border measures face pushback from the left, who say the expansion of Title 42 is unjust and harms migrants' right to claim asylum. Meanwhile, on the right, 20 GOP states have sued the administration over the parole program, saying it breaches congressional limits on the use of parole -- which is to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit."

Conservative critics dismissed the new numbers. RJ Hauman, head of government relations at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said the plan is "one big shell game."

"They finally realized the crisis was beginning to become a political liability, so what was their solution? Unlawful parole abuse and processing at ports of entry through an app. This is the end result — lower numbers. It’s all a sham and it’s illegal," he told Fox News Digital.

STATE OF THE UNION 2023: BORDER OFFICIALS TAKE AIM AT BIDEN'S ‘MADDENING’ REMARKS ON MIGRANT CRISIS

Other critics have also expressed skepticism that the measures will have anything more than a short-term effect. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital that cartels will likely replace migrants from those countries with other nationalities, as he said that had after the Venezuela program was introduced last year.

STATE OF THE UNION 2023: BIDEN RE-UPS AMNESTY CALL FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, GOP REPS YELL ‘SECURE THE BORDER’ 

"So now all the cartels have to do is just go advertise services in other countries and replace the Nicaraguans, Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans with a different population. And they always adapt. They're very good at adapting. If you do not enforce Title 42 across the board with every single country, we're never going to get out of this rut. The cartels will just adapt to our policies," he said.

Biden himself has said the measures by themselves will not solve the ongoing surge at the southern border, and has pushed Congress to pass a sweeping immigration bill unveiled on his first day in office.

Biden used his State of the Union to not only tout the recent measures, but also to call on Congress to pass parts of that bill -- includes more funding to the border as well as a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

"America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts. If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers," he said.

Republicans, who have blamed the Biden administration’s policies for the ongoing crisis and called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have largely balked at the idea of an amnesty for illegal immigrants. On Tuesday they were similarly unreceptive to Biden’s plea.

"Secure the border," some lawmakers yelled at the president.

Fox News' Bill Melugin and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.