The Biden Administration’s approach to immigration is facing increased scrutiny as record-breaking border crossings and the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas unfold. Recently uncovered emails between Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials and journalists reveal that the agency acknowledges not tracking illegal immigrants after their release into the interior of the country. Emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Protect the Public’s Trust disclose an official’s off-the-record admission to a Washington Post reporter that the agency does not monitor immigrants released through border state busing programs.
Concerns over DHS’s ability to track migrants post-release were addressed in a September 2023 report by the Office of the Inspector General of DHS. The report highlighted the agency’s limited ability to accurately track migrants’ post-release addresses due to challenges in obtaining and recording addresses. The Inspector General recommended a policy for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to validate migrant addresses, but DHS rejected the recommendation, asserting that it would be impractical without commensurate value.
Michael Chamberlain, the director of Protect the Public’s Trust, argues that the emails reveal DHS’s awareness of the consequences of its policies on border security. He criticizes the Biden Administration, stating that the documents indicate a failure to deliver on promises of transparency, normalcy, and respect for the rule of law concerning borders.
Amid these revelations, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced impeachment by the House of Representatives, with accusations of a “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” related to the handling of the border crisis. The House voted 214-213 in favor of impeachment.
Republican governors, including Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, raised questions about DHS policies in 2022 as they transported immigrants released by DHS to Democrat-controlled states. The revelation that DHS may lack precise information on the whereabouts of released immigrants heightens concerns about security risks associated with increased encounters at the Southern border.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has emphasized the threats posed by the rising encounters at the southern border, particularly the “getaways,” individuals who evade border patrol entirely. In addition to terror threats, recent incidents, such as the arrest of an Afghan national on the terror watchlist and a 15-year-old illegal Venezuelan immigrant firing a gun in Times Square, underscore the multifaceted security challenges associated with the ongoing immigration situation.