CNN
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The House Oversight Committee will hold hearings on the Biden administration’s border policy in early February, kicking off what is expected to be a series of hearings on the issue amid widespread Republican criticism.
Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, who currently chairs the committee, has been an outspoken critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Hearings will take place the week of February 6th.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, obtained by CNN, Comer described Department of Homeland Security policies, costs of responding to the influx of migrants at the border, and potential national security risks. requested documents and information about
“The American people and their elected representatives must be made aware of the role of DHS in the humanitarian and national security crisis along the United States’ southern border,” the letter said.
Documents requested by February 2 include: Communications regarding plans to secure borders. We are seeking communications and more related to the end of the Trump-era “stay in Mexico” policy.
Republicans have repeatedly criticized the administration for its handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that the historic number of arrests is evidence that President Joe Biden’s policies are not working. It uses much the same protocol as the administration and continues to rely on Covid-era border restrictions that allow border officials to expel migrants they encounter at the southern US border.
But the administration is facing an unprecedented move across the Western Hemisphere that has contributed to an influx of migrants at its borders, including more people from various countries, including Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The United States, which largely prohibits deporting immigrants to Cuba and Venezuela, presents DHS with a unique set of challenges.
The commission sought testimony from senior Border Patrol officers who oversee specific sections of the border, including the Del Rio sector and the Rio Grande Valley sector.
