Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) in asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General to investigate the Biden administration policies that have produced the worst border crisis in U.S. history.
“Multiple sources have confirmed to Congress that the Biden administration was warned by career professionals that the rapid implementation of several border and immigration policies would lead to a predictable surge at the border. Our concern is that the Biden administration proceeded to implement these policies despite the harm they would cause to our border and immigration system. Moreover, the Biden administration did not take adequate steps to prepare for the resulting surge and as a result, a humanitarian crisis has developed,” the senators wrote.
“Congress and the American people deserve to know if the border crisis was preventable or even worse, intentional,” they continued.
The senators asked Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to provide a comprehensive review and report of the crisis and related records, including “[a]ll information provided to the Biden transition team regarding the border, specifically what information was conveyed either in briefings, documents, or communications regarding the consequences of undoing the former Trump administration’s immigration and border security measures.”
The senators also requested the total number of illegal immigrants the government has processed and released into the interior of the U.S. as well as a breakdown of all vetting procedures used before the administration releases migrants into the interior of the country.
Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Thune (R-SD) and Mike Braun (R-IN) also signed the letter.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) led the effort in the House of Representatives, with more than 80 of her colleagues signing the letter as well.
Background
Boozman and his colleagues have filed legislation to block the administration’s outrageous plan to pay up to $450,000 to illegal immigrants using taxpayer funds.
The senator has also called on President Joe Biden to replace Vice President Kamala Harris as Border Czar in light of her failure to stem the flow of illegal migrants to the United States and work with our neighbors to secure the border.
Last fall, Boozman called on Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to address reports that thousands of migrants sheltering in Del Rio, Texas were released into the interior of the U.S. instead of facing deportation as the Biden administration had previously pledged.
He also successfully pushed the Biden administration to preserve Title 42, the public health order that allows U.S. border officials to quickly remove illegal immigrants at the southern border to prevent the spread of COVID-19 rather than detain them in congregate settings within the U.S.