As widespread abuse and criminality pour over the U.S.-Mexico border thanks to the Biden Administration’s manufactured crisis, Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) led a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting the following:
• The name and location of each U.S. city and town where illegal immigrants have been sent, transported, or provided ability or funding to travel to, or allowed to travel to by other funding including their own or private funding for all individuals who entered the U.S. without visas; and
• For each named U.S. city or town, the total number of immigrants who have been sent, transported, or provided ability or funding to travel to, or allowed to travel to by other funding including their own or private funding to such city or town.
Rep. Gohmert was joined by 33 of his colleagues in signing the letter: Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Rep. Yvette Herrell (NM-02), Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-09), Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10), Rep. Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT-At Large), Rep. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Rep. John R. Carter (TX-31), Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-17), Rep. Ted Budd (NC-13), Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08), Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Rep. W. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05), Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10), Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05), Rep. Bob Good (VA-05), Rep. Tom Rice (SC-07), Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Randy K. Weber (TX-14), Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42), Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01)
“It wasn’t long ago that—thanks to the leadership and vision of President Trump—the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border was under control,” said Rep. Gohmert. “Now, after being lured here by misleading promises from the current President, our Southern border has become complete pandemonium, with criminality running rampant. As a result, many illegal immigrants are receiving all-expenses-paid trips, oftentimes courtesy of U.S. taxpayers, to American cities across the country. Congress, and more importantly, the American people, have a right to know how many of these individuals will be flooding their neighborhoods.”
Text of the letter can be found below.
Rep. Gohmert Requests Answers from DHS & HHS on Destinations of Illegal Immigrants Entering U.S. Letter Text
April 15, 2021
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Becerra,
As you are aware, preliminary data confirms that crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border are at a historically high level not experienced in at least 15 years. Just last month, more than 171,000 individuals were taken into custody by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), including 18,800 unaccompanied children. t This latter figure represents an alarming 99 percent increase from February 2021, just one month prior.
Like so many in our nation, we are deeply concerned about this unlawful, manmade humanitarian and national crisis that is being facilitated on our southern border. Our concern is informed not only by such alarming data, as reported by media outlets including The Washington Post and CNN, but also the observations made by many Members of Congress while at the border. We can attest that there is a huge influx of women and children. These increased levels do not merely suggest more illegal crossings, but greatly increased related criminality, including human and drug trafficking and smuggling.
Regarding the human cost, the cumulative suffering inflicted on these individuals will never be completely ascertained due to the clandestine nature of the cartels, gangs, traffickers and smugglers. Once on U.S. soil, and despite the dedication of our CBP officers and state officials, these illegal aliens are often subjected to “poor conditions,”2 as CNN reports. We are quite simply not prepared to handle such an extreme increase in illegal entries into our nation that should be thwarted rather than encouraged. Also difficult to is the enormous impacts to our citizens in border states who continue to suffer property damage and loss, as well as threats to their own safety and that of their families and neighbors.
The widespread abuse and criminality does not end at the border, because as we know many of these illegal aliens end up dispersed in cities across our nation. However, we lack an adequate accounting of the nature and extent of this dispersing of illegal aliens. This is information that the U.S. Congress needs and the American people have a right to know. For that reason, we request that you compile and send the following information within the next thirty (30) days:
- the name and location of each U.S. city and town where illegal immigrants have been sent, transported, or provided ability or funding to travel to, or allowed to travel to by other funding including their own or private funding for all individuals who entered the U.S. without visas; and
- for each named U.S. city or town, the total number of immigrants who have been sent, transported, or provided ability or funding to travel to, or allowed to travel to by other funding including their own or private funding to such city or town.
This requested information is critical to understanding how the unabetted illegal flow of aliens over the southern border affects all Americans in each of the 50 states.
It must be reiterated that members of the executive branch have a duty and many have sworn an oath that would include the requirement to carry out the lawfully enacted legislation under the Constitution. With an open border facilitating illegal entry into our nation and the manifold resulting criminalities, the executive branch is failing miserably in its duty.
Your prompt attention and response to this matter is quite critical to this nation and will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Louie Gohmert (TX-OI), Rep. Brian Babin (TX-36), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Rep. Yvette Herrell (NM-02), Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05), Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-09), Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10), Rep. Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT-At Large), Rep. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Rep. John R. Carter (TX-31), Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-17), Rep. Ted Budd (NC-13), Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08), Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03), Rep. W. Gregory Steube (FL-17), Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05), Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10), Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05), Rep. Bob Good (VA-05), Rep. Tom Rice (SC-07), Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (TX-13), Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large), Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27), Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Randy K. Weber (TX-14), Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-42), Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (NC-11), Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01)
