FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 6, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in calling 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.

They wrote: “While we applaud the Administration’s original stated intent to expel the majority of migrants under the CDC’s Title 42 order or to expeditiously remove them, we are concerned that DHS did not actually carry out this plan, deployed resources in a manner that weakened border security, and undermined the deterrent effect of any future statements that the Biden administration will enforce our immigration laws at the border.”

“DHS has openly admitted that the rapid influx of Haitian migrants into the interior was orchestrated by smuggling organizations, which only makes some aspects of the agency’s response more puzzling.”

“The administration’s response to the ongoing border crisis only makes it more likely that we will continue to experience surges like the one in Del Rio.”

The letter was signed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Thune (R-SD), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), Jim Risch (R-ID), John Hoeven (R-ND), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Braun (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Barrasso (R-WY) and Rob Portman (R-OH).

Full text of the letter is here and below.