Dr. Rand Paul Demands Answers from Sec. Mayorkas on Violent Individuals Released into the Country
Last week, just one day after Senate Democrats made an unprecedented move to dispense with articles of impeachment against the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) held a hearing with Sec. Mayorkas.
In the hearing, I discussed the crisis at the southern border created by DHS's failure to secure and protect the American people. I demanded answers from Sec. Mayorkas on his refusal to follow the laws already in place to effectively secure the nation's borders, leading to numerous instances of violent crime perpetrated by illegal immigrants.
One of those instances resulted in the tragic death of Laken Hope Riley, an Augusta University nursing student who was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra on the campus of the University of Georgia. Last month, I led a letter with several of my committee colleagues requesting information on Ibarra, who was released into the country through parole and went on to commit several violent crimes.
In Thursday's hearing, I pressed Sec. Mayorkas on recent reports indicating Ibarra was released on parole solely because a detention center was at max capacity—a flagrant misuse of the authority. Sec. Mayorkas emphasized a critical point: there's currently no effective method to thoroughly vet these individuals, especially those from Venezuela, for potential violent criminal backgrounds before granting them entry into the country. This oversight is not just a lapse; it is a direct disregard for the safety and security of the American people.
My thoughts and prayers are with all the families that have endured tragic losses from violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants. This should not be happening in the United States and the Biden administration is fully to blame.
DHS has the power to secure the border effectively without new legislation. The Biden administration overturned dozens of executive orders from the previous administration, including the Remain in Mexico policy, which required migrants to stay in Mexico instead of being released into the United States. Sec. Mayorkas and the Biden administration need to enforce the laws protecting the American people and ensure dangerous individuals are no longer allowed into the country.
You can watch my opening remarks HERE and watch my questioning of Sec. Mayorkas HERE.
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