House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) will lead a group of Republican lawmakers to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday for the first time since Republicans took power in the House earlier this year.
A staunch critic of the Biden administration’s immigration and border policies, McCarthy is one of the first-term Republican congressional leaders — Rep. Lori Chavez Delemar, R-Ore., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., Jen Kiggans, R- Va., and Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.
The group was briefed and aerial toured by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Tucson Sector (a 262-border-mile area covering most of Arizona from the New Mexico border to the Yuma County border), McCarthy office announced. The department is one of the busiest in the country when it comes to both marijuana seizures and illegal alien arrests, according to CBP, with 3,700 agents working at nine stations.
Mr. McCarthy made border security a central theme in last year’s midterm election campaign, saw Republicans barely regain control of the House of Representatives, frequently criticized the policies of the Biden administration, and called for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas.
In November, McCarthy claimed Mayorkas’ actions “created the largest wave of illegal immigration in recorded history.”
“Our country may never recover from Secretary Mayorcas’ dereliction of duty. This is why I am asking the secretary to resign today,” he said. “If Secretary Mayorcas does not step down, House Republicans will examine every order, every action, every failure to determine whether an impeachment inquiry can be launched.”
McCarthy’s visit came in January when border crossings hit their lowest point in two years, with agents encountering 40% fewer people trying to enter the United States.
US Customs and Border Protection recorded over 128,000 transits in January, up from over 221,000 in December.
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced new policies for people from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba. People from these countries can apply for immigration through the new temporary program, but if they try to cross the border instead, they could be blocked from the program and deported to Mexico.
In late January, border officials began implementing a smartphone app for people to apply for asylum, making it the only way to seek exceptions from the pandemic restrictions still in place at the border, dubbed Title 42. policy.
The threat of being deported or cut off from other immigration routes has led to the lowest number of attempted travel since President Biden’s first full year in office.
“The January monthly operational update is a clear demonstration that the new border enforcement measures are working,” CBP acting commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement.
In a statement to multiple media outletthe Biden administration denounced McCarthy’s border visit as a stunt.
“Illegal border crossings have fallen to their lowest level in years since President Biden took steps last month to implement new border enforcement and immigration measures,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said. I am there,” he said. “Why not support President Biden’s plan to fund border security now?”
“House Republicans should spend less time on partisan propaganda and more time working on solutions,” Sams added. “President Biden’s focus is on solutions, and his plan is working. would be wise.”
Immigration and border security, especially the border between Mexico and the United States, are stumbling blocks between Republicans and Democrats in ongoing negotiations on the Farm Bill, which takes place twice every decade.
McCarthy told reporters Tuesday at the World Agricultural Expo in Tulair, Calif., that Republicans are not prepared to address complaints from some farmers about immigration and foreign worker shortages. rice field.
Late last year, during the post-election “lame duck” session, Congress failed to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, backed by California Democrat Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who represents many of the “salad bowls.” bottom. USA — A community that produces the majority of the country’s lettuce crop. The bill would have granted “certified agricultural worker” status to a foreign worker who performed at least 1,035 hours of her agricultural labor between March 2019 and March 2021. These workers will later be able to apply for legal permanent residency.
“The first thing to do before immigration reform is to secure the borders,” McCarthy told reporters. “If we can secure that, I think we can proceed with immigration control.”
Austin Landis, Cassie Semyon, and David Mendez of Spectrum News contributed to this report.
