WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, this week joined Republicans in the House and Senate in sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressing concerns about the organized migrant caravan approaching the U.S. border.
Excerpt from the letter:
“We are writing today with serious concerns about the organized migrant caravan currently on its way from southern Mexico toward the United States. It is estimated over 3,000 migrants from Haiti, South America, and Central America will reach our southern border within the coming weeks.
“… This caravan comes only weeks after ten thousand migrants flooded Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming border personnel and later gaining entry into the United States. While the strategy DHS released on September 18, 2021, stated that migrants ‘who cannot be expelled under Title 42 and do not have a legal basis to remain will be placed in expedited removal proceedings,’ this did not occur in Del Rio. In fact, Senior Executive Branch officials stated that migrants were released into the United States on a ‘very, very large scale.’ We believe this incentivized the recent caravan journey to the United States.
“We must enforce our immigration laws as we do any other laws and ensure migrants in this caravan with nonexistent asylum claims will not be released into the United States. The safety of our American citizens and future migrants depends on your actions.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
Earlier this year, Rep. Meijer joined Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and other members of the Committee, in introducing the Border Surge Response and Resilience Act. This bipartisan bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal partners to establish a comprehensive plan to respond to irregular migration surges, allowing DHS to manage a border surge before it becomes unsustainable. The bill would also establish a fund designated solely for implementation of this plan, allowing DHS to immediately access needed resources to address these humanitarian concerns without waiting months for supplemental appropriations from Congress.
Original source can be found here.
