Trump swipes at Biden’s demand for legislation to secure the border: ‘I didn’t have a bill’

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Former President Trump took an apparent swipe at President Biden amid White House calls for a border security deal that he "didn’t have a bill" when his administration had "the most secure border in history."

Trump’s comments Wednesday came after Biden earlier this week claimed he had done everything he could do to secure the U.S. border.

BIDEN CLAIMS 'I'VE DONE ALL I CAN DO' TO SECURE THE BORDER

Biden told reporters as he was departing the White House Tuesday that "I've done all I can do. Just give me the power."

"I asked them the very day I got into office," Biden said. "Give me the Border Patrol. Give me the judges. Give me the people who can stop this."

Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, appeared to contradict Biden’s claim and urged Republicans to avoid entering the border deal, which is still being negotiated in the Senate.

"There’s never been a border like this ever in the world," Trump said, adding that a "bad border deal would be worse than no deal at all."

"You don’t need a deal to tighten up the border to make it secure," he continued. "I had the most secure border in history. I didn’t have a deal. I didn't have a bill.

"I said no people are coming in, no drugs are coming, and we don’t want to have human trafficking, which nobody even talks about. That is the No. 1."

Trump added: "You have the right to close up your border… You don’t need bills."

Trump went on to say the individuals illegally crossing are individuals U.S. officials know nothing about.

"Right now, we have no idea who these people are that are pouring into our countries," Trump said. "Last night I watched where they're beating a police in New York City, a gang of people that just came in that didn't speak English. Nobody knows who they are, where they come from. And very importantly, they come from, I can tell you they come from jails and prisons. They come from mental institutions and insane asylums."

He added: "And they're terrorists. They have a lot of terrorists coming too, and we don't want them. I'm sorry, you know, we had a very strong border."

MAYORKAS LASHES OUT AT ‘BASELESS’ GOP ALLEGATIONS AHEAD OF KEY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

President Biden has requested $14 billion in funding for the border as part of its supplemental funding request to Congress, which also includes aid to Ukraine and Israel. The request is being negotiated in Congress after Republicans demanded more limits on asylum and migrant releases into the interior.

Biden has urged Congress to pass the deal, but House Republicans and some conservatives in the Senate have said the reported proposals do not go far enough.

The Biden administration has said it has been expanding "lawful pathways" for migrants while increasing consequences for illegal entry into the U.S. since the ending of Title 42 expulsions in May last year. It has pointed to more than 500,000 removals since May, as well as increased cooperation with Mexico to crack down on human smugglers and fentanyl trafficking.

The administration also says it has been increasing removal flights — including directly to Venezuela. However, it has stressed that it needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform to fix what it says is a "broken" system.

Migrant numbers officially hit 302,000 in December, a new record, after 2.4 million encounters in FY23. Republicans have said that large releases into the interior and a rolling back of Trump-era policies have fueled the crisis and have accused Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of a "dereliction of duty" in his handling of it.

The House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday approved, along party lines, two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas — teeing up a floor vote as early as next week to impeach the embattled Biden official.

Mayorkas impeachment articles approved by committee, setting up full House vote

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday approved, down party lines, two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- teeing up a floor vote as early as next week to impeach the embattled Biden official.

The committee voted down party lines to approve the two impeachment articles, which accuse Mayorkas of having "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security" and of having "made false statements to Congress" that the border is secure and closed and that DHS is in operational control of the border. The articles will now go to the House where they will be voted on on the House floor.

The vote came after a lengthy, and at times, fiery hearing in which Republicans outlined their case for why Mayorkas should be removed from office for allegedly mishandling the crisis at the southern border and Democrats accused Republicans of debasing the impeachment process for political purposes.

MAYORKAS SLAMS ‘BASELESS’ GOP ALLEGATIONS AHEAD OF KEY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

"Today is a grave day," Chairman Mark Green said. "We have not approached this day or this process lightly. Secretary Mayorkas’s actions have forced our hand. We cannot allow this border crisis to continue."

Republicans spent the hearing emphasizing their case against Mayorkas, pointing to record high border crossings, with the record for monthly crossings having been broken in December, and mass releases of migrants into the interior along with narrowed interior enforcement. They accuse Mayorkas of not following immigration law, which they say demands the detention of illegal immigrants, and of failing to secure the border.

"My colleagues across the aisle, seem to say that it's acceptable that we've had 10 million illegal crossings in three years and we've had pushing 300,000 Americans dead from opioid overdose. We're losing our country down there. And the man responsible for executing that policy is Alejandro Mayorkas," Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., said.

Democrats pushed back, first attempting to adjourn the markup and then ripping into Republicans for the proceedings, accusing them of running a "sham" impeachment and of trying to impeach Mayorkas based purely on political motivations and policy disputes, and of interfering with Mayorkas’ efforts to solve the ongoing crisis.

"The extreme MAGA Republicans who are running the House of Representatives are deeply unserious people. They don't want progress. They don't want solutions," Ranking Member Bennie Thompson said. "They want a political issue. And most of all, they want to please their disgraced former president."

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE PREDICTS MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES WILL PASS HOUSE WITHOUT ANY DEM SUPPORT

"You do not have a right to demean this institution, to bastardize the impeachment clause of the Constitution, to belittle the standard of constitutional impeachment to such a degree that you can't even produce a legal memo in support of your articles of impeachment that do not exist in history and do not exist in the law," Rep. Dan Goldman, D-NY., said.

The hearing comes after a bitter months-long argument over the process. Green’s committee began investigating Mayorkas last year and House impeachment articles were referred to the committee in November. The committee held two impeachment hearings earlier this month. Mayorkas did not testify, despite expressing willingness to testify -- a subject of finger-pointing between the two sides over who was responsible. But on Tuesday he sent a lengthy letter slamming the proceedings and defending his record in office.

"I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted," Mayorkas said.

The Biden administration has repeatedly said the crisis at the border has not been caused by policy, but is instead a Hemisphere-wide crisis combined with a "broken" immigration system that needs reform and comprehensive immigration reform. In his letter, Mayorkas declared that "problems with our broken and outdated immigration system are not new."

MIGRANT CRISIS BROKE NEW RECORD IN DECEMBER WITH 302K ENCOUNTERS, OFFICIALS CONFIRM

"Our immigration laws last received an overhaul in 1996. Our immigration laws were simply not built for 21st century migration patterns," Mayorkas said.

He pointed to stats including half a million removals since May, and daily removals nearly double what they were compared to from 2014-2019. He also says that the apprehension rate has been 78%, the same as the prior administration, and there has been a significant increase in removal flights within the Western Hemisphere.

He also points to increased Border Patrol hiring, an anti-smuggling campaign and an intensified anti-fentanyl effort that has seen more seizures of the deadly drug.

"Instead you claim that we have failed to enforce our immigration laws. That is false," he said.

He also pushed back on the criticism his department has faced over an alleged lack of responsiveness to oversight queries from Congress, claiming instead that he has been responsive to Congress with testimony, witnesses and documents.

"The allegations are baseless and inaccurate," he said.

If the House votes to impeach Mayorkas, then the case will go to the Senate for a trial.

Fox News' Tyler Olson, Elizabeth Elkind and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Biden claims ‘I’ve done all I can do’ to secure the border

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden claimed Tuesday "I've done all I can do" to secure the U.S. border, as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is facing an impeachment push by House Republicans over his perceived failure to handle the immigration crisis.

Biden made the comment while speaking to reporters as he was leaving the White House, saying "I've done all I can do, just give me the power."

"I asked them the very day I got into office," Biden continued. "Give me the Border Patrol. Give me the judges. Give me the people who can stop this."

MAYORKAS LASHES OUT AT ‘BASELESS’ GOP ALLEGATIONS AHEAD OF KEY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

The administration also says it has been increasing removal flights -- including directly to Venezuela. However, it has stressed that it needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform to fix what it says is a "broken" system.

House Speaker Mike Johnson shared a video on X of Biden making the remark and said Biden’s comments were "simply untrue" and "He’s either lying or misinformed."

"Here are just a few of the authorities at his disposal – if only he would use them: Presidential Authority to Restrict Entry 212(f), Expedited Removal 235(b)(1), Discretionary Detention Authority 236(a), Mandatory Detention 236(c). No more excuses," Johnson added.

The White House requested $14 billion in funding for the border as part of its supplemental funding request to Congress, which also includes aid to Ukraine and Israel. The request is being negotiated in Congress after Republicans demanded more limits on asylum and migrant releases into the interior.

Biden has urged Congress to pass the deal, but House Republicans and some conservatives in the Senate have said the reported proposals do not go far enough.

TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT CLAIMS BIDEN IS IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW AS BORDER SURGE CONTINUES

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, when asked on "The Faulkner Focus" Tuesday if Biden was doing everything he could, argued "absolutely not."

"In fact, I’m very sick of hearing all of his rhetoric. He doesn’t give evidence," Judd said. "The evidence is incontrovertible [about] what is going on right now. Secretary Mayorkas is complicit in allowing these individuals to violate our laws. Congress would be derelict if they did not hold him accountable.

"When you look at the total number of people that cross our borders illegally and have been released into the United States, the story that doesn’t get told enough is what happens to those people that get released into the United States," Judd added. "They are never leaving, ICE doesn’t go after them, ICE doesn’t deport them."

Migrant numbers officially hit 302,000 in December, a new record, after 2.4 million encounters in FY23. Republicans have said that large releases into the interior and a rolling back of Trump-era policies have fueled the crisis and have accused Mayorkas of a "dereliction of duty" in his handling of it.

Mayorkas lashes out at ‘baseless’ GOP allegations ahead of key impeachment vote

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday took aim at what he called "baseless" and "false" allegations leveled against him by House Republicans ahead of a key vote on impeachment articles in the House Homeland Security Committee.

The committee is meeting to advance two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, accusing him of refusing to follow immigration law and of breaching public trust. A vote is expected later in the day, likely along party lines, moving the articles to a House vote at a future date.

Mayorkas’ letter comes after Republicans have traded barbs with Democrats and the administration over the impeachment push against the Biden cabinet secretary, who Republicans have accused of a "dereliction of duty" in his handling of the ongoing and historic crisis at the southern border. Migrant numbers officially hit 302,000 in December, a new record, after 2.4 million encounters in FY23. Republicans have said that large releases into the interior and a rolling back of Trump-era policies have fueled the crisis.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE PREDICTS MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES WILL PASS HOUSE WITHOUT ANY DEM SUPPORT

Green’s majority began investigating Mayorkas’ handling of the border crisis last year and this month have held hearings on the impeachment articles that were sent by the House last year. Those articles accuse Mayorkas of having "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security" and of having "made false statements to Congress" that the border is secure, and closed and that DHS is in operational control of the border.

"These articles lay out a clear, compelling, and irrefutable case for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ impeachment," Green said this week. "He has willfully and systemically refused to comply with immigration laws enacted by Congress. He has breached the public trust by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people, and obstructing congressional oversight of his department. These facts are beyond dispute, and the results of his lawless behavior have been disastrous for our country."

Green accused Mayorkas of having "completely disregarded the separation of powers, a bedrock of our constitutional republic."

"Congress has a duty to see that the executive branch implements and enforces the laws we have passed. Yet Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly refused to do so. His lawless behavior was exactly what the Framers gave us the impeachment power to remedy. It is time we take this affront to a coequal branch of government, to the Constitution, and to the American people seriously," he said in a statement this week.

The administration and House Democrats have instead blamed the crisis on a "broken" system in need of reform and funding from Congress, which they accuse Republicans of having failed to provide, amid a Hemisphere-wide crisis.

In his letter, Mayorkas declared that "problems with our broken and outdated immigration system are not new"

"Our immigration laws last received an overhaul in 1996. Our immigration laws were simply not built for 21st century migration patterns," Mayorkas said.

He pointed to stats including half a million removals since May, and daily removals nearly double what they were compared to from 2014-2019. He also says that the apprehension rate has been 78%, the same as the prior administration, and there have been a significant increase in removal flights within the Western Hemisphere.

He also points to increased Border Patrol hiring, an anti-smuggling campaign, and an intensified anti-fentanyl effort that has seen more seizures of the deadly drug which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year.

"Instead you claim that we have failed to enforce our immigration laws. That is false," he said.

"The allegations are baseless and inaccurate," he says.

MIGRANT CRISIS BROKE NEW RECORD IN DECEMBER WITH 302K ENCOUNTERS, OFFICIALS CONFIRM

House Democrats have also backed Mayorkas on the matter. On Monday, they released a lengthy report accusing the Republican majority of abusing the impeachment process and running a "sham" process, while sabotaging Mayorkas’ efforts to handle the border crisis.

"What is glaringly missing from these articles is any real charge or even a shred of evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors – the Constitutional standard for impeachment. That should come as no surprise because Republicans’ so-called ‘investigation’ of Secretary Mayorkas has been a remarkably fact-free affair. They are abusing Congress’ impeachment power to appease their MAGA members, score political points, and deflect Americans’ attention from their do-nothing Congress," Ranking Member Bennie Thompson said in a statement.

"Republicans don’t actually want to work towards bipartisan solutions to fix the border – in fact, they have repeatedly sabotaged the Secretary’s efforts to secure the border and denied DHS’ funding requests. Secretary Mayorkas is upholding the law and honoring the public trust as he has throughout his more than 30 years of service to our Nation. The House must reject this sham resolution."

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Elizabeth Elkind and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

House Republicans unveil articles of impeachment against DHS Sec. Mayorkas

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Republicans unveiled articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandrop Mayorkas on Sunday.

The articles, introduced by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., accuse Mayorkas of "Willfull and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and "breach of public trust."

"Throughout his tenure as Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas 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. His refusal to obey the law is not only an offense against the separation of powers in the Constitution of the United States, it also threatens our national security," Republicans allege in the first article.

"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," they allege in the second article.

'SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS': MICHAEL MCCAUL SOUNDS ALARM ON BORDER PATROL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

"These articles lay out a clear, compelling, and irrefutable case for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ impeachment. He has willfully and systemically refused to comply with immigration laws enacted by Congress. He has breached the public trust by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people, and obstructing congressional oversight of his department. These facts are beyond dispute, and the results of his lawless behavior have been disastrous for our country," said Green, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told fellow Republican lawmakers on Friday that he intends to hold a House-wide vote on whether to impeach Mayorkas "as soon as possible."

WATCH: MIGRANTS CLAIM ASYLUM ON COLD JANUARY NIGHT AS CBP UNION LEADER TALKS BORDER CRISIS

Johnson pointed out polling that showed illegal immigration as an increasingly urgent issue for American voters.

"The facts show that President Biden and his Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas have willfully ignored and actively undermined our nation’s immigration laws," the speaker wrote in a letter to colleagues. "Rather than accept accountability, President Biden is now trying to blame Congress for what HE himself intentionally created."

The Department of Homeland Security offered a response to the allegations on Sunday, arguing that Republicans failed to present evidence that Mayorkas has committed any "high crimes or misdemeanors."

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE DEAL TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES

The DHS argues the GOP effort has been a "cynical and hypocritical process" that was "predetermined from the start."

"This markup is just more of the same political games from House Homeland Security Committee (CHS) Republicans. They don’t want to fix the problem; they want to campaign on it. That’s why they have undermined efforts to achieve bipartisan solutions and ignored the facts, legal scholars and experts, and even the Constitution itself in their quest to baselessly impeach Secretary Mayorkas," the DHS said in a memo.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-MS., ranking member of the committee, rejected Republicans' argument in a statement.

The GOP push to remove Mayorkas comes after years of skyrocketing illegal immigration under President Biden's administration.

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson, Griff Jenkins and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report

Republicans probe DHS Secretary Mayorkas over role in housing migrants on federal lands

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Republican leaders on the Natural Resources Committee are probing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) role in placing migrants on federal lands in New York.

In a letter sent Monday to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., who chairs the panel's oversight subcommittee, cited interviews they conducted with federal officials who confirmed DHS's involvement in the decision to house migrants at Gateway National Recreation Area's Floyd Bennett Field, managed by the National Park Service (NPS).

While DHS, according to the letter, intervened to ensure Floyd Bennett Field, in New York City's Brooklyn borough, would be leased to the local government for migrant housing, the land is managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NPS. In one interview, a senior DOI official told congressional investigators that they "did what DHS asked us to do" when they moved forward with the plan last year.

"The Committee is deeply concerned with the Biden administration leasing NPS land for use as a migrant encampment, a use that is not only inconsistent with the National Park Service Organic Act, but publicly recognized as legally perilous by DOI," Westerman and Gosar wrote to Mayorkas.

REPUBLICANS ACCELERATE PROBE INTO BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS TO HOUSE MIGRANTS ON FEDERAL LANDS

"Moreover, the Committee is concerned with the role DHS played in the process, particularly as you described it in the letters to Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul and as described to Committee staff by DOI and NPS officials," the Republican lawmakers continued.

MAYOR'S OFFICE AVOIDS SAYING WHETHER IT BACKS NONCITIZENS VOTING AFTER WARNING MIGRANT CRISIS WILL DESTROY NYC

In August, Mayorkas sent letters to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, hitting back at the officials over their handling of the surge of migrants in New York City, Politico reported at the time. He further noted "structural issues" with New York's handling of the crisis and implored the city and state to accept a lease DOI sent for the temporary use of Floyd Bennett Field to house migrants.

"DOI seeks to finalize that lease as soon as you are ready," Mayorkas wrote to Hochul and Adams, according to Politico.

Weeks later, on Sept. 15, DOI and the local parties executed the agreement to lease portions of Floyd Bennett Field's property. Officials then constructed temporary housing on land along the shore of Jamaica Bay.

However, the Republican leaders have pointed out that, prior to the decision to lease the property, Hochul noted the DOI had itself argued such an action would likely violate federal laws. The governor, who has called for federal assistance in dealing with her state's migrant influx, remarked one month prior that officials told her office "they do not allow for use of shelter on any of their properties."

REPUBLICANS FUME AT BIDEN FOR VACATIONING AS BORDER CROSSINGS EXPLODE: 'DERELICTION OF DUTY'

The Republicans have also probed how the White House Council on Environmental Quality appears to have allowed DOI to bypass the normal eco review process mandated under the National Environmental Policy Act. The 1969 law requires federal agencies to review the environmental impacts of projects and proposals on federal land before approval.

Meanwhile, the housing facility erected at Floyd Bennett Field has been heavily criticized by migrants as inhumane and, according to a Venezuelan mother of three interviewed by The City, "like a hell." Thousands of migrants at the encampment were evacuated earlier this month and sent to a New York City high school, forcing the school to cancel in-person classes.

The Natural Resources Committee's ongoing investigation comes as migrants continue to flood the southern border in record numbers and Republicans call for the Biden administration to make structural reforms to secure the border.

In December, more than 302,000 migrants were encountered attempting to cross the U.S. southern border, by far the largest single month figure ever recorded. The number also brought fiscal 2024 first-quarter numbers to 785,000 encounters, the highest number ever recorded.

DHS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House doubles down after Biden admits US border not secure: ‘The system is broken’

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down on President Biden's admission that the U.S. border is not secure on Monday.

Jean-Pierre nevertheless dodged when asked why Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has repeatedly testified to Congress that the border is in fact secure. The White House described the border as a "broken" system that needs further funding.

"On Friday, President Biden said that he does not believe the border is secure, which is different from what Secretary Mayorkas has testified multiple times on the Hill. Why do they have two different views of the security of the border?" a reporter asked.

"The president has been really clear that we need to move on the border," Jean-Pierre responded. "Him saying that we need to deal with border security, as we, as Mayorkas, as we all have here been doing at the White House, I think shows that we have an issue at the border and we need to deal with it, and we have to act now. There's an urgent need."

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION SOARS UNDER BIDEN: GOVERNMENT DATA

"Mayorkas, who is tasked with making sure those resources are applied – If he is saying something different than the president about whether it's secure or not. I guess I have a hard time understanding why there is a disconnect here," the reporter pressed.

MIGRANT CRISIS INCREASING STRAIN ON BORDER OFFICIALS, IMMIGRATION COURTS WITH MASSIVE NUMBERS

"Look, the president has repeatedly said the immigration system is broken," Jean-Pierre responded, going on to point to immigration proposals he put forward over the past three years.

Biden's administration has sought to downplay record-high levels of illegal immigration seen in the late months of 2023. As many as 10,000 migrants were arrested daily at the southwest U.S. border in December, but the White House sought to pass it off as a seasonal surge.

There were 242,418 migrant encounters at the southern border in November – the highest November on record and the third-highest month ever.

Meanwhile, Republicans on Capitol Hill are pursuing impeachment against Mayorkas.

"This one man is the architect of destruction down here. One man has caused all this chaos, deaths from fentanyl poisoning, danger to the country with terrorists coming in and 8 million encounters with no legal status. He is the architect. He has destroyed the fabric of this nation," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report

House Dem tells mother of fentanyl victim she lacks ‘background to understand’ border chief’s impeachment

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., told a mother who lost her daughter to fentanyl that she was being "used" by Republicans during a House Homeland Security hearing on Thursday.

Goldman's remarks to Josephine Dunn, whose 26-year-old daughter Ashley lost her life to fentanyl-laced pills, came during the committee's hearing titled "Voices for the Victims: The Heartbreaking Reality of the Mayorkas Border Crisis."

Dunn had been invited by Republicans to take part in the hearing and share the story of how she lost her daughter to fentanyl as Congress continues on with the impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Expressing his "sincere condolences" to Dunn for the loss of her daughter, Goldman said that he wanted to "apologize in some ways" to Dunn because she was "being used as a fact witness for an impeachment investigation."

BORDER PATROL SEIZED ENOUGH FENTANYL TO KILL ENTIRE US POPULATION THIS FISCAL YEAR

"Obviously, given what your experience has been, you don't have the background to understand what a high crime and misdemeanor is and how it relates to this," he added in his remarks to Dunn.

Goldman's remarks drew the ire of Dunn, who told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday that the lawmaker is "unaware about what my understanding, about what my education, what my experience is in any of those areas when it comes to misdemeanors or high crimes."

"I have my opinions, and for him to assume that I want to just put more money into a system that has had plenty of money placed into it and is still broken is incorrect. Please don’t think for me. I have a brain, I can think and speak for myself," she told the outlet.

During the hearing, Dunn grew visibly frustrated with Goldman as he attempted to question her.

"You would agree, would you not, that it would help to stop the fentanyl trade and fentanyl trafficking from coming into this country if we had more law enforcement officers at the border and more resources and technology to stop the fentanyl from coming in?" he asked Dunn. "Do you agree with that?"

Dunn rejected Goldman's premise, saying "Border Patrol is now being used to make sandwiches and to screen people and let them into our country. So I disagree with you."

Moments later, Dunn added: "I would like the border patrol to be able to do the job that they were hired to do. Every border patrol officer that I have spoken to has told me that their hands are tied by this administration and Mr. Mayorkas. I’ve been to the border, sir, have you?"

Goldman responded that he was the one asking the questions at the hearing.

TEEN DRUG OVERDOSES HIT RECORD HIGH, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY FENTANYL POISONING, SAYS NEW REPORT

Further highlighting the moment in a post to Facebook, Dunn wrote, "Pardon me sir, but you know nothing of my experience, my background or my understanding. Also, in all of my research, you have yet to travel once to the Southern Border of the United States. Is that why you avoided my question?"

"Are you unable to return to your constituency and explain your lack of understanding of the border, lack of experience at the border or was it something else? I would think you could have heard what I actually said. Not what you wanted me to say," she added.

Last September, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens announced that agents had seized over 2,700 lbs. of fentanyl as part of the more than 69,000 lbs of narcotics seized between ports of entry. The seizures also included 40,000 lbs. of marijuana, 13,000 lbs. of methamphetamine and 11,000 lbs. of cocaine.

That amount of fentanyl, which does not include the amount seized at ports of entry, is more than enough lethal doses to kill the entire population of the United States. While significantly more is caught at ports of entry – with over 22,000 lbs caught at the ports of entry at the southern border this fiscal year – the stat highlights the danger of fentanyl moving between the ports and potentially past overwhelmed agents in the field.

Opioids were involved in more than 100,000 overdose deaths in 2022. Fentanyl is the most prominent opioid, which is produced primarily in Mexico, using Chinese precursors, and then trafficked across the southern border. The drug is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and is often cut with other drugs, meaning that the user doesn’t know that they are ingesting fentanyl.

While opioid deaths have risen sharply in recent years, the Biden administration has pointed to data suggesting that overdose numbers are slowing and has tied that flattening to its drug strategy, which involves going after smugglers, increasing technology at ports of entry and providing additional funding for treatment and prevention within the U.S.

But the administration has faced criticism from Republicans over its handling of the fentanyl crisis, particularly at the southern border, which they say has exacerbated the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Some Republicans, including those on the 2024 trail, have called for military action in Mexico to take out drug labs run by the cartels.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Louisiana gov orders state law enforcement to track illegal immigrant crime

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed an executive order requiring every government agency to capture data on the activities of illegal immigrants in the state -- including the number of those charged or convicted of a criminal offense.

Landry, a Republican, signed the order which directs every executive branch agency to "consider the effects of illegal immigration" on their agencies and offices and collect data relating to the "provision of public services or the expenditure of public funds directly or indirectly to, or for the benefit of illegal aliens."

The executive order will also require law enforcement to collect and report data on a monthly basis on the number of aliens charged or convicted and include their citizenship, nationality and immigration status. It will also require the reporting of criminal history, gang affiliation and whether they are in the country legally or illegally.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION SOARS UNDER BIDEN: GOVERNMENT DATA

"The cost of illegal immigration in this state is falling on the shoulders of hard-working Louisianans," Landry said in a statement. "This Executive Order will analyze data to determine the financial burden our citizens are being forced to carry because of those who do not follow the law,"

"Louisiana will always welcome those who legally immigrate, but taxpayers cannot continue to foot the bill for individuals who break the law and skip the line," he said.

The order comes amid national concern in both Democratic and Republican areas about the ongoing costs of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border -- which has extended its reach far beyond the southern border.

Democratic cities like New York City and Chicago have pleaded for help from the federal government due to the flood of migrants they’ve seen into their cities. Meanwhile, Republican attorneys general have testified to Congress about the effects of illegal immigration and fentanyl -- which is primarily trafficked through the border -- on their states.

BORDER NUMBERS FOR DECEMBER BREAK MONTHLY RECORD, AS BIDEN TALKS AMNESTY WITH MEXICO

Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for what it says are "catch-and-release" policies and narrowed interior enforcement. The executive order says that the administration "has failed to prevent the illicit entry of aliens and has…enacted policies designed to undermine the rule of law and encourage and induce the illegal entry of historic numbers contrary to law."

The Biden administration has said it is a "broken system" that is drawing migrants to the border amid a hemisphere-wide crisis, and that it needs funding and immigration reform legislation from Congress to fix it.

Congress is currently debating a supplemental funding request from the White House that includes $14 billion for the border crisis, including aid to states and communities. But Republicans want to see stricter limits on asylum and a more limited use of parole.

GOP candidate compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazis, ‘not opposed’ to fast-tracking DACA citizenship

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

A Republican running for Congress in North Carolina previously compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazi Germany, and said he was "not opposed" to fast-tracking citizenship for recipients of Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as "Dreamers."

Pat Harrigan, a candidate running to represent North Carolina's 10th Congressional District, made the comments in an Oct. 2022 interview with WFAE 90.7, a public radio station that services the Charlotte area, while a congressional candidate in a different district ahead of the midterm elections.

"There has to be a pathway to citizenship. Look, from my perspective, you look at countries that have rounded up and exported people from their country. It's a list of countries that we don't want to be involved with. It's Russia. It's North Korea. It's China. It is Nazi Germany," he said when asked about a "pathway to citizenship" for individuals in the U.S. illegally.

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"This horse has left the stables on this topic. And the vast, vast majority of immigrants that have come to this country are here because they're trying to build a better life for themselves and for their families," he said.

The interviewer then asked Harrigan about "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S. as children of illegal immigrants, and whether there should be a process for them to gain citizenship more quickly.

"I think we need to look at exactly how we do that, but I'm not opposed to it. I do think it’s incredibly important that we have to gain control of the southern border and gain control of our immigration system first, prior to allowing any type of assimilation program on a widespread basis. Critically important that we do that one-two step," he responded.

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The topic of immigration came up while Harrigan was being asked about former President Donald Trump, and whether he should run again for the White House in 2024.

Harrigan dodged the question, saying he was "laser focused" on his midterm race, which he later lost. However, the interviewer pressed him, noting his expressed disagreement with Trump's "personal behaviors," but that he agreed with him on certain policy points.

"I certainly share President Trump's perspective — at least a portion of his perspective — on our southern border. I absolutely believe our southern border is a very real and present danger for the national security of this country," Harrigan responded, citing statistics concerning individuals suspected of terrorism infiltrating the U.S.

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Harrigan added that he "absolutely" believed the border needed to be secured, but that he diverged with Trump on the issue of labor.

"We have a massive labor crisis in this country right now. And quite frankly, we are wasting the best opportunity that we have had in the last 50 years to regenerate and regrow the American manufacturing capability, domestic manufacturing, because we don't have any labor to support it. We have to have an ample flow of immigrants into this country," he said.

"I'm very pro-immigration," he added.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Harrigan said the "use of an oppobook by establishment politicians to attack … a decorated combat veteran" exposed their "fear" of his commitment to America-first policies.

"I understand the true cost of freedom and the need for strong national security. My stance is clear: secure our borders first, complete the wall, deport illegal aliens who have broken our laws, and reinstate Trump’s border policies before considering any pathway to citizenship," he said.

"I will fight to rectify the border crisis caused by Biden and radical democrats, advocate for Trump’s policies and push for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas for failing to protect our nation," he added.

Harrigan's campaign also pointed Fox News Digital to an ad it released addressing the border crisis.

North Carolina's 10th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who briefly served as speaker pro tempore following former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster in October. It is a deep-red district considered a safe seat for Republicans.

McHenry announced in December that he would not seek re-election.

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