Tampa Republic

Washington, D.C. – On June 14, 2023,  Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL), alongside House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN), released a preliminary report outlining why an investigation into the conduct of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is necessary. This report presents the facts of the unprecedented crisis at not only our Southern border but our maritime and Northern borders.

Congresswoman Lee’s remarks as prepared can be found in full below:

Thank you, Congressman Higgins. For more than 2 years, Americans have endured the negative effects of the Biden Administration’s failed border policies that have resulted in a national security, humanitarian, and public safety disaster at our southern border. This crisis has left imprints across the country, causing every community to become a border community.

Mexican cartels, transnational gangs, human trafficking groups, and other criminal organizations have taken advantage of our open borders, engaging in a wide range of criminal activities across the United States. However, among the vilest crimes these criminals engage in is the exploitation and trafficking of children.

Last month, we saw the heartbreaking loss of a migrant child who arrived in the U.S. without a parent or guardian and died in federal custody in Safety Harbor, Florida, not far from my district. 

Responsibility for these atrocities falls on Secretary Mayorkas, who has had a direct hand in the open-border policies that have gotten us here.

A Florida Grand Jury report from March revealed alarming details about the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s role in the trafficking of minors. The report details critical failures in the process, both in screening minors and in screening sponsors, that serve to empower drug cartels and criminal organizations, putting those who cross our border in danger of being trafficked, exploited, and harmed. 

To make matters worse, fentanyl is being trafficked over our border, infiltrating our communities which has resulted in it being the leading cause of death for people ages 18-45. Recently, authorities in my own community (Polk County) confiscated 11 pounds of fentanyl. Shortly after this bust, Attorney General Ashley Moody announced that Florida authorities have seized enough fentanyl in just a few months to kill every single Floridian.

Congress’s responsibility here is very serious—securing our border, enforcing our laws, and taking steps to ensure we stop unchecked illegal immigration is the humanitarian thing to do. It is our obligation to ensure community safety.

When we fail to enforce our laws, we empower criminals.

Today, the Homeland Security Committee will start our investigation into Secretary Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty and get answers for the American people. We are a nation of laws and we expect our nation’s leaders to follow and enforce these laws.

House Republicans made a promise to keep our nation safe. We passed the most comprehensive border security bill to date and now we will examine the facts and failures of this administration to provide answers for Americans. At the end of the day, our constituents back home deserve to feel safe in their communities.

Thank you.

Read the full preliminary report here.

Original source can be found here.