The Biden administration faced numerous issues in 2021, including the Afghanistan debacle and soaring inflation. But perhaps the biggest crisis occurred at America’s southern border.
After President Biden took office and removed the stricter border policies of his predecessor, DHS started to report skyrocketing numbers of encounters and arrests.
Now, 14 Republican Attorneys General demand accountability — and this time, they’re not going after Biden.
Instead, they’re focusing on DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been under heavy fire for nearly a year now. Many right-wing leaders and other critics accuse him of being just as lax as Biden.
These critics claim Mayorkas has simply refused to enforce existing immigration and border law. And as a result, the crisis has spun out of control.
So, 14 Republican AGs are calling for immediate action, which involves stripping the border boss of his command. In a strongly worded letter, the Attorneys General slam Mayorkas for dereliction of duty.
Though it’s unlikely Mayorkas will resign, this letter exemplifies the stance of many influential lawmakers in D.C.
The letter, led by Florida AG Ashley Moody, reads in part (via Fox News):
It is the core function of [DHS] to ‘secure the nation from the many threats we face. Yet, since taking office, you have purposely taken repeated actions impairing the safety and security of Americans.
As you publicly boast about your abject refusal to enforce the laws enacted by Congress to keep us safe, our southwest border is a disaster and our nation is on the verge of a national security crisis.
The letter goes on to reference several disturbing statistics, all of which point toward an ineffective – and possibly collapsing – border.
The AGs cite the increasing amount of fentanyl seized in 2021, saying that it’s enough to “kill every man, woman, and child in our country six times over.” It’s a 30 percent increase since Mayorkas took office.
Other Attorneys General who signed the letter come from states like Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
They’re making a statement we’ve heard many times over the past year: that while illegal encounters are way up, the number of deportations is down.
In fact, the data shows that only 55,590 undocumented migrants were deported for the fiscal year 2021, despite “tens of thousands” getting released into the U.S. every month.
The AGs further accuse Mayorkas and his team of refusing to deport “the most dangerous criminals, even though you are required by law to do so.” This is a major sticking point for many citizens as well.
The letter finishes by saying Mayorkas violated his oath to support and defend the country against all enemies, and finishes:
Americans have died because of your failure to obey the law and do your solemn duty.
More Americans will unnecessarily die and suffer for as long as you remain as Secretary. You must resign immediately.
This marks the second time a group of Republican leaders have demanded Mayorkas step down.
Last year, 46 GOP members called Mayorkas a “complete failure” and said he needed to resign. And with the CBP reporting increasingly alarming numbers, the crisis at the border shows no signs of alleviation.
In January of this year, there were reportedly double the number of border crossers (153,941 compared to 78,414 in Jan. 2021).
These are the sorts of statistics that continue to worry Americans around the country, and border patrol authorities have warned of completely unprotected parts of our country.
As far as these 14 AGs are concerned, the blame can be placed squarely on Mayorkas — and they want him gone.
Key Takeaways:
- 14 Republican AGs demand that Department of Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas “resign immediately.”
- They accuse him of refusing to enforce the law, and of violating his oath to protect the country from all foreign enemies.
- Border Patrol continues to report rising numbers of encounters and arrests, and dangerous substances like fentanyl are reportedly flooding over.