Transcripts For CSPAN Homeland 20240704

Come to order. I apologize. The gentleman from texas is recognized for five minutes. Thank you, chairman. Mr. Mayorkas, members of this committee, please turn your attention to the video screen. All americans, not only the states most heavily affected, but in every place in this country are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens of legal immigrants with. The Public Service they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That is why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more, by hiring a Record Number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens than ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring. By barring the Welfare Benefits daily and the budget i will present to you, we will try to do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens or arrested for crimes, to better identify illegal aliens in the work space as recommended by the commission headed by former congresswoman, barbara jordan. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our Immigration Laws we have seen in recent years and we must do more to stop it. [applause] mister secretary, i can understand why you didnt stand with me and my colleagues and clap. You didnt want to clap at that because you and joe biden believe just the opposite of what president clinton just said. You believe in open borders and complete chaos. Did you notice the bipartisan support in the chamber . As a video was played, everyone was clapping. In that chamber. But if i were in congress in 1995, i wouldve also stood because i wasnt. I stand here today. Other than president donald j trump, the greatest president in my lifetime, with the most safest and secure order of, i believe president clinton understood just how important Border Security is to our nation. But boy, oh boy, have times changed . 28 years later, the left is has gone off the rails. Theyve gone completely nuts. Theyve done just the opposite of what the leader of the Democrat Party, president clinton, stood for on Border Security in 1995. This committees Ranking Member, he was in congress in 1995. I assume he stood, i may assume he stood, it seemed like the majority, if not all, the entire chamber, they stood. Matteroffact, mr. Clinton delivered his speech in the third year of his first term. And he was reelected in 1996. Bob dole won by an for 8 million votes, won the Electoral College 300 7259. He has the support of the American People and im going to assume the Ranking Member also voted for bill clinton in 1996. We have two other members, miss jackson and miss lofgren, they were both freshman at the time. I will assume they stood during that powerful speech as well. You know why they supported and voted . They voted for legislation in 1996 strengthening our Immigration Laws and i applaud them for that. So what has changed, folks . What has changed with the Democrat Party . I will tell you. If you wouldnt have heard president clintons voice or seen his face you would have thought donald trump delivered that speech. I dont believe that president clinton was called a racist a white supremacist who hated immigrants as the left and the Dishonest Media have painted john j trump to be. Mr. Mayorkas, there is a reason why you and joe biden have allowed 5. 5 Million People across our southern border. This is about votes and elections. I have a report from the Heritage Foundation titled, tracking movement of illegal aliens from ngos to interior of the usa. Why do you think ngos have Illegal Immigrants . Well 431 of the 435 congressional districts. The truth is, it remains of the democrats progressive policies are not acceptable to americans. Heritage abstained approximately 30,000 cell phones that were tracked to ngos along border safety. They tracked approximately 22,000 devices at 20 ngo locations in january, 2022. The same devices were later traced to 431 separate u. S. Congressional districts and of the 52, the highest rate was 71 of them where republican congressional districts. The report revealed that the flaw of Illegal Immigrants means a continued rise and supply, surplus labours. That surplus dries down the wages of existing middle class and lower class jobholders until they leave the job forces and then they are forced to go on welfare with the hopes that they will become loyal supporters of the democrats. Thats what this is all about. If this is not about votes, if this is not about votes, one party rule keeping the democrats in power, i make the suggestion if, you put the American People first, you should refer back to trumps border policies, but you will not because you hate him. You despise the man. So, give bill clinton a call and then he can help you with a border crisis that president clinton stated, we are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of law. You, sir, have betrayed constitutional order, neglected your duty, and violated the trust of the American People. And as a nation of law, i look forward to your impeachment. That, i yield back. So recognize the gentleman from california, mr. Colin. Mister secretary, last year, you testified before this committee that this administrations policies were not responsible to the surge of illegal border crossings. And today you, have testified that this administrations policies are responsible for what you claim is a decline in the border crossings. So, why is it that you deserve credit when numbers go down, but not blamed when numbers go up . Congressman, two points. One, the approach that we are taking expanding lawful pathways into consequences for those who did not use them is working, but i want to communicate that the challenge remains. The challenge is a person one on our southern border and has been for decades. What we need mister secretary, youre speaking in general terms and i think this is why many of us on the committee are frustrated with the lack of accountability, that you have shattered all records in terms of the border crossings. You say that you have nothing to do with the dramatic change in policies you had and theres a great decline. You cite that is evidence that youre doing a good job. And i think that is why so Many Americans have lost faith in this administrations ability to secure the border. But i want to actually reference some remarks he made that i found somewhat encouraging. This is on the topic of he made these remarks early in your tenure, april of 2021 at the ucla, the the Immigration Law and policy center. You said this. You said, you referred to an example of someone who crossed the border illegally and went on to commit sex offenses. And you said, i do not believe that individual should be released into the community. You said, i think the states turn that individual all over to ice directly. You had, i think thats a Public Safety need. You went on to say that after such a person has served their sentence, if they were a citizen, there might be no way to keep them out of the community. But you said, i have a tool at my disposal with respect to an individual who unlawfully enter the country. You said, i feel strongly about this. This is a tool that i have at my disposal, its a tool that i feel obligated to employ. Im going to protect the public, he said. Very strong statement in favor of detainees and yes, over the last couple years, we have seen the actual use of detainers decline dramatically. Fiscal year 2021, there were 65,000. Fiscal year 2022, 78,000. Thats about half the average during the trump administration, about one third of the average during the obama administration. So, if detainers are such a powerful tool why have you use them so sparingly . Congressman, let me communicate a very important point. That individuals who pose a threat to Public Safety or National Security are detained. That is the immigration policy the department of Homeland Security under my leadership. Why are you detaining the new last predecessor . Well, one is our detention capacity is limited which is why we prioritize Public Safety and National Security. Number one. And number two, detainers are sometimes not honored by particular jurisdictions. I want to move on to that in a second, but just briefly, has the white house directed you to limit the use of detainers . Congressman, that is a yes or no question. Has the white house . Congressman, know they have not. Thank you. So, on this topic of jurisdictions not honoring detainers you have been critical of these socalled sanctuary jurisdictions. In a 2022 speech to the u. S. Conference of mayors, you said, some of your cities have declined to cooperate with immigration authorities on the removal of the apprehension and removal of individuals, even if those individuals pose a Public Safety threat. You said, i will be coming to you and asking you to reconsider your position of noncooperation. The Public Safety, the publics wellbeing for which we are all charge is, i think, an issue, you said. So, mister secretary, you agree that sanctuary policies threaten Public Safety . Congressman, what do you mean by sanctuary policies . The definition that you give right there, where you said the declining to cooperate with immigration authorities on the removal of the apprehension or removal of individuals, even if those individuals pose a Public Safety threat. Are those sanctuary policies, as you define them, a threat to Public Safety . Sanctuary policies are defined differently by different communities. But to your definition. If i may is a threat to Public Safety . I do not consider it in the service of Public Safety to release an individual into the community when that individual can be released to immigration and Customs Enforcement for proper removal. Thank you. Do you oppose policies that forbid local authorities from cooperation, cooperating with ice . I am aware of some that i do oppose. Do you oppose california sanctuary state law . Im not familiar with the particulars of that law. Have you encounter that californias restrictions on cooperation with local, federal immigration . Congressman, i believe it is imperative that we cooperate with one another, jurisdictions cooperate with us, when it serves Public Safety need. Thank you. Im out of time, but i would like to restate, for the record, that policies you said that you oppose our overriding the ability of local jurisdictions to cooperate, thats exactly what california sanctuary state law does. Thank you and a yield back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado, mr. I thank the chairman. Mister secretary, thank you for being here, thank you for your testimony. I know it has been a long day today and i am certainly grateful to you for your service to our country, and i wonder. I have some questions about fema, as you may recall, we have spoken previously with respect to its Natural Disasters that we faced in the state of colorado, which i had the honor of presenting to congress, particularly wildfires. I very much appreciated the partnership with the department and your sub agencies. Before i do that, i just want to give you an opportunity, i know it has been a very contentious hearing. To the extent that you would like to clarify anything or, you know, perhaps expand on a prior answer that you didnt have ample opportunity to do so . Congressman, i very much appreciate the invitation. I cant recall there were quite a number of times i have not been able to complete my responses, but i look forward to the opportunity. To answer your question. I do think it is important, you know, for those americans who are watching to perhaps provide them with some context about the various ways in which youve served our country. Maybe you could just talk a bit about before you were appointed and confirmed as secretary of Homeland Security, what kind of work did you do . Congressman, i am in, i think its my 22nd or 23rd year of federal service. I joined the federal government because this country has given so much to my family. We came here seeking refuge from the takeover of cuba. I began my federal service as an assistant United States attorney. As a federal prosecutor. I work in that capacity for almost nine years before i was appointed by president clinton. Fighting crime . Yes. Taking on organized crime, taking on cartels, taking on Gang Violence . Yes. Smugglers, all sorts of crimes. I was the largest federal judicial district in the country, Central District of california. I was then nominated, appointed and nominated, then confirmed as the United States attorney. On a bipartisan basis . Yes, it was unanimous. I returned to federal service in 2009 as the director of the u. S. Citizenship and immigration services. And then moved from that position after approximately four years, i became the deputy secretary of Homeland Security. I returned to federal service after that has the secretary of Homeland Security. And about 22 years or so. I will say, mister secretary, what i said previously. We are grateful for your service in Law Enforcement and while we have any disagreements with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, from a policy perspective, perhaps ideological differences, i would hope that they would show you the appropriate respect and recognition, for the work that you have done as a Law Enforcement officer. Someone who has worked in Law Enforcement for the last 25 years or so. I want to talk a bit about as i mentioned, we had, in colorado, some of most destructive wildfires in our States History all happen in the last several years. And in particular, in my district, in colorado, as you will well remember, the marshall fire, which was the most destructive wildfire in history of our state, economically and tragically. We lost the lives of two community members. There have been recent concerning reports that femas Disaster Relief fund, the d r f, which is the main funding source, as you know, through which to provide support to state, local, and travel governments responding to Natural Disasters, Natural Disasters, excuse me, is in danger of running out of funding before the end of this year, potentially even next month. I wonder if you can elaborate on what that shortfall is, when you predicted may run out of funding and how that would impact the feasibility to support communities disaster because of course, there are many votes in congress, myself included, who are championing efforts to ensure that this shortfall does not happen. Congressman, we are seeing an increase in both the frequencys severity and Natural Disasters, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods. And the Disaster Relief fund that fema administers is the primary vehicle that enables fema, the department of Homeland Security through fema, to distribute individual and public the communities devastated by those Natural Disasters. If that were to run out, our ability to assist communities, our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones, to recover from and rebuild after a Natural Disaster would be virtually eliminated, almost eliminated. We are hopeful that the disaster will receive the requisite funding because the money we expect to run out certainly is perhaps on august. Thank you, mister secretary. I couldnt agree more and we will do everything in our power to ensure that fund is replenished. On that, you have my word. With that, mister chairman, i think i yield back. Thanks, chair yield to mr. Hageman for five more minutes. Thank you. First amendment to the United States constitution rests on the principle that no person or institutions, including the government, has a monopoly on the truth and the viewpoint based speech by the government is dangerous, may even spell the death of a constitutional republic. Under the First Amendment, the government has no power to restrict the expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content. As the Supreme Court has explained, if theres any fixed start in our constitutional it is that no official high or headache and prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, national, religion, or other matters of opinion. Labeling misinformation does not strip it of its First Amendment protections. That is so, even if the speech is untrue. At some false admins are inevitable if there is to be an open and vigorous expression of use and public and private conversation. In refusing to carve out a First Amendment exception for fall speech, the frameworks of our constitution recognize the significant danger in making the government, the ultimate arbiters of truth. And it is that axiomatic in the words of the Supreme Court that the government may not induce, encourage, or promote private persons to accomplish what it constitutionally is forbidden to accomplish. Secretary mayorkas, it was reported in may that the dhs, through the targeted violence and terrorism Prevention Grant program, is funding groups targeting conservatives and equating them to domestic terrorists. Originally intended to combat foreign terrorist organizations, operations in the u. S. , it has become yet another government tool weaponized against citizens to violate First Amendment protection, protect it affiliations and speech. One grant to the university of dayton for a program titled prevent oh posted a seminar titled, extremism, rhetoric, and democratic precariously. One of the speakers, unknown antifa member, as part of his presentation, shared a pyramid of farright radicalization, which likened the Republican Party to the Heritage Foundation, the american conservative union, fox news, breitbart news, the National Rifle association, praeger university, tea party patriots, the maga movement, and the pro Police Blue Lives Matter movement, and the Christian Broadcasting Network as the first steps on path leading to nazism and militant neonazism, among other appalling ideologies and groups. This presenter reportedly also taught tactics on how to pressure the removal of conservatives from platforms and is even quoted as saying, a lot of things we are doing are illegal and a lot of it involves breaking the law. Secretary mayorkas, does the affiliation with conservative or christian beliefs make someone a not see or a domestic terrorist . Of course not. Okay, then if that is so, why is your agency targeting americans who are christians and conservatives . They are not. Okay, secretary mayorkas, when you become aware that the university of dayton was implementing your Grant Funding program to target conservatives and christians . It is my understanding that it is not. So, you are not aware of that . No, its my understanding that it is not. You are unaware of the information that has been produced and have you ever seen screen right now . S up on the individual speakers comments, with which i profoundly disagree. Okay, so, when did you find out about this speakers comments . I dont quite recall, congressman. All right, mr. Mayorkas, i actually really want to thank you as well for coming here today, for your performance. I have watched with absolute fascination as you have danced and dodged and lied, yes, lied. We know you have lied, you know you have lied. But more importantly, the American Public knows that you lied throughout your testimony today. And yet, you believe that you and your fellow architects of the censorship Industrial Complex think that you should be able to determine what is and is not true. And what is and is not untrue. You are the walking, talking epitome of the very tyrants that our forefathers recognize would gravitate towards government service. And its because of people like you that they drafted the First Amendment. I thank them for their foresight, i thank them for recognizing that you and people like you would do everything in your power to control speech, to control freedom, to take away our rights, and ive written a document that isnt going to allow you to do that. Unfortunately, we still have courts and judges that recognize that you dont have the power that youre attempting to take, that you do not have the right to limit our freedom of speech, our freedom of association, our right to communicate. Thank god we have the First Amendment, so that we can stop you from doing what you have been doing. With that, i yield back. Your accusations are false. Thank, you youre from texas for five minutes. A country without borders, sir, is not a country at all. A home without a roof and a home without aid or, sir, is not a home at all. I have three Young Children at my home, theyre all under the age of four years old. My home is secure because i lock it up every single night, because i care about their safety. Actually, the number one rule for federal government is to keep our citizens safe. Im a combat veteran, im willing to give my life for that. At one point in time in baghdad and safety is something that actually the reason why im right now is to figure out ways that keep our citizens safe. When youre at your home, sir, do you lock your doors . Congressman, thank you very much for your service in the military. Highest form of service. Thank you. Do you lock your doors at your home . Congressman, i take care of the safety of my family. Understood. We, in the department of Homeland Security, work every day to protect the safety and security of the American People. So, you would agree that the American Public should be afforded the exact same level of safety and security that you provide for yourself and your own family . Thats what 260,000 people dedicate their careers to. Understood, sir. Can you tell the number of unaccompanied minors who crossed our southern border during your tenure as secretary . Very pleased to provide that data to you, congressman. Okay, ive also heard that the performance of this administration that say that your fentanyl is coming ports of entry. Does that mean that no fentanyl is being spotted across our border other than illegal ports of entry . Congressman, the u. S. Customs and Border Protection data evidence is that more than 90 of the fentanyl that enters this country is coming through the ports of entry. So, that means that there are other parts of the border where fentanyl is pouring into our country . That is precisely why ive dedicated increased resources both personnel and technology to interdict more fentanyl in these past two years than in prior. I hear that, but im really speaking for the American Public in my district. Its something we are seeing because we are seeing an increased number of people being murdered by fentanyl every single day. You understand these numbers, correct . Congressman, those numbers have been escalating for more than five years. But theyve escalated exponentially during your tenure. Chip roy went through these numbers, i was sitting here watching, actually appalled at just how much has happened. It is a tragedy, the devastation, devastation that fentanyl wreaks on our communities. I look forward to working with you and with all of the members of this committee. Understood. In addressing this challenge. This requires a united effort. This is not a partisan issue. Unfortunately, sir, unfortunately, sir, it has become a partisan issue. I feel like we, on this aisle, are the ones that are truly trying to four fellow americans. Switching gears on this one. This, sir, Kamala Harris, shes the current Vice President for our country. Shes also the border now, that was dubbed by your boss. You see, on march 21st, 2021, President Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with solving the border crisis and finding the root causes of illegal immigration because, as biden said, shes the most qualified person to do the job. I would like to make a motion to submit this current strip transcript of joe bidens march 24th press conference chairman . Cement. Spent 855 days since joe biden and Kamala Harris the border czar that she solved the root causes of illegal immigration congressman, you have mischaracterized the Vice President s role. The Vice President is im not mischaracterized. Actually, that was a job that was given to her by the president of america. I didnt mischaracterize that. Congressman, the Vice President okay, fine, she has not solve the issue. I think thats pretty clear. I think my colleagues reported did a very good job over articulating that. I want to go to my next topic, this is something that the American Public is really frustrated with because its brynn brought to my attention and i think ive known it for a very long time who are not watching, the secret service is an agency that is within the department of Homeland Security. This has been the case since march 1st, 2003. Now, im assuming that you are aware that cocaine was found by secret service in the white house a couple weeks ago. Is that right . According to secret service, marijuana was also found in the white house twice last year. Twice and we dont know who brought the drugs into the white house, which is the most secure building on earth. And if we cant secure the white house, and how could we secure the border . And without proper leadership, im so fearful that we have turned our beloved white house into a trap house. And the American Public deserves far, far more than that, sir. I thank you for your time, i yield back the rest. Gentleman yields back. The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized. But thank you, mister chairman. Mister secretary, i have listened both in here and in my office today. Your testimony before this committee and i think the frustration that i have is that the cleanup crew at the very end of this committee is that you seem to answer very eloquently all the questions that the other side of the aisle posed. But when posed with questions specific questions about the border on this side of the aisle, you seem to not have, you seem to dance and dodge at talks about the true answers that you talk about. You filibuster, if you will, what people really are asking. And these are not questions that are hatched out of some think tank. These are questions that our citizens have because they see what is going on. You know, whats remarkable to me since day one of this administration, terminated construction of the border wall, you restricted the ability of immigration officers to deport aliens who violate u. S. Law, you terminated the terrain in mexico policy despite people on the ground talking about how successful it was. You have used Parole Authority to release illegal aliens en masse into the United States and creating categorical parole programs in violation of the a and as case by case basis. Your refusal to fire aliens butane during the of their asylum proceedings, youre terminated assigned cooperative agreements with guatemala, el salvador, and honduras. You refused to comply with the provisions of the idea that require detention of asylum seekers. You touched on immigration judges, i. C. E. Attorneys and, the process of the asylum system itself. You support sanctuary city policies by giving them grants. You implemented until it was 100day moratorium on alien removals. You have misused, as has been talk about here, the cbp one app that has institutionalized mass parole and released policies in this country. Its been described as a shell game. Pretty fairly stated. As you otherwise shift things around, you create definitions within your department that you think are appropriate. You create law, which is not your function, and then you come before congress and you say that everything is fine. Well, we have been to arizona, sir. And we have seen the devastation down there, we have talked to people. 70 shares just last year said that there is no border at all. We simply have no border left. In arizona, new mexico, southern california, and texas. That is the National Sheriffs association. You have been held to account by courts, texas v. Biden, dhs is quote, the the crisis at the border is not largely of their own making because of their more lenient detention policies in divorced from reality and by the evidence. Florida versus the United States and the Northern District of florida. Quote, the Biden Administration has affectedly turned the southwest border into a meaningless line in the sand and a little more than a speed bump for aliens flooding into the country by prioritizing alternatives for the tension over actual detention. And by releasing more than 1 million aliens through the country. Real quick, lets play a video. Crisis on the border that just keeps getting worse. These are live pictures of del rio, texas, as town and boarders mexico, where all of 9000 migrants are currently camping out. Government data showing there were more than 220,000 encounters with migrants along the border last month. The highest number in 22 years. Law enforcement leaders from federal, state, and local agencies are now unprecedented to monthlong fentanyl enforcement surge along the southwest border that resulted in the seizure of more than 4700 pounds of fentanyl. Fentanyl being pushed through the desert around el paso has held more than 303 55 compared to last year. For the first time, fentanyl smuggle between the ports of entry. There have been more than 200 people on the island crisis on the border that just keeps getting worse. So, the numbers do not lie. 5. 6 million illegal immigration alien encounters. 1. 5 million known gotaways, more than 2. 2 million Illegal Immigrants aliens into this country, meaning 3. 6 million illegal aliens are in this country since the start of your tenure. That is astronomical. 160 countries. The people on the terror watchlist that we know about, 140 just this year. Its an alltime high. So, look, this doesnt lie. I think the stats, mister secretary. And so, you come up here and you blame the former president. You say that theyve got a d immigration system. You blame congress for not acting, but, you know what . These numbers werent here for obama, they were in here from trump, but they seem to be here for you. So, you like to blame other people for your failures and not doing your job. And quite frankly, the American People want to know, how qualified are you to even carry out your mission . Because everybody else seems to indicate, from local Law Enforcement, to sheriffs, to ranchers, to farmers, to citizens on the border, when i asked them, is the border more secure . They say resoundingly, no. And that is on your watch. I yield. Gentleman yields back. Gentlemen just wait for the signs taken down there. Mr. Moore and then with the secretary. Gentleman from alabama is recognized for five minutes. Thank you, mister chairman. Thank you, mister secretary, for being here today. Im certainly appalled at whats happening at the southern border and my constituents are to. Your border policy make every seat a border state and i said my constituents are appalled, but whats happening, but i know a family whos personally been the consequences of your actions. My district and second congressional districts in alabama Sheriffs Department arrested 29 year old illegal alien from honduras for the of a teenage girl in radville, alabama, in a restaurant. The interesting thing is mr. Zabihullah identified, i guess, as a minor, is what im being told. Hes a 29 year old. And mister secretary, why do you think it is . Ive been to a board of the few times, we are finding so many i. D. S throw down south of the border just its almost like if these people were coming here to apply for asylum, they would want us to know who they were and what they were up to. But for some reason, ideally after idea are just piling up south of the u. S. Border. Why do you think that might be . Congressman, first of all, im very sorry, of course, to learn of the tragedy that occurred that was inflicted on the constituent of yours. I understand that, mr. Mayorkas, and let me say this, sir. We have been apologizing with a lot of people, for a long time, at least in the last few months, last few years, even when the other party was in charge, they had the white house, house, and the senate. We are continuing apologizing to parents for losing their children to fentanyl. And for people getting ripped in restaurants, duis for people who are killing people in cars with no drivers license. I understand the apologies, but not the constituents in this country getting tired of apologies, and they want action. So, who is responsible for the death . Or lets say, the of this 14 year old. Is that you, mr. Mayorkas . Or is that President Biden . Or is it congress . Who is responsible for this . Congressman, the criminal who committed the act is responsible. I look forward to working with you, to address the scourge of fentanyl thats causing so much devastation and death. I look forward to working with you to fix whats long been a broken immigration system. I hear you, but let me say this, sir, and you are aware of this as well. This administration has created two things on the southern border, drug deals and human trafficking. And if the policies of this administration because we talked about it earlier in here and you said four to 5,000. Yeah, thats just south of the u. S. Southern border. In arizona, 109 Different Countries came through that small town they are paying the cartels seven or 8,000. Here, paying 19,000. So, the cartels are getting rich and the American People are paying the price in the form of crimes and drug death. So, we can sit here and talk for four hours, three hours, however long this is going on. Theres a lot of apologies, but not a lot of answers. We need answers for the American People and i think you should be held responsible for that. Believe me, its not fun to have parents in here telling us how they lost their child to fentanyl, believe me. But its on your watch, sir, and its on my watch. We have a responsibility to do something about that. And so, you know, again, the policies, we are turning a blind eye. And people are pouring in here, sheriff daniels said himself in testimony a few months ago, he said, the safest hes other seen the u. S. Southern border, he spent four decades. 20 teen, the worse is ever seen is now. So, he said the responsibility to these people. I will ask you another question, this is i just got this information. Reports in november of 2021, dhs encountered an alien on the terror watchlist. Now, mr. Bossy was fired, quote, from the fbi highly derogatory information, and quote. This is in the fbis database. Dhs decided to release him into the u. S. Because he was overweight and may have been susceptible to covid19. Are overweight terrorists not a threat to the u. S. . Im sorry, congressman. Are overweight terrorists . Because he was overweight and afraid he might get covid, he was on the fbis list. So, are they a threat, overweight tears . Congressman, individuals who pose a threat to National Security or Public Safety are detained, that is the policy. Unless they are overweight. Thats what the report is. Im not familiar with that report. I look forward to reading it, congressman, the weight of individual is not relevant to the profile as a threat to the United States. Its catching covid, though, apparently. Congressman, allow me to repeat myself. Individuals who pose a Public Safety threat or National Security threat are priorities for detention. That is the policy of the department of Homeland Security. Whos to blame for the floodgates being open on the southern border, mr. Mayorkas . Congressman, i look forward to working with you to fix whats clearly broken immigration system. The issue of migration, the increase in migration, is not exclusive to the United States. During world war ii, there were 60 million displaced people around the world. Now there are over 170 a report earlier today, somebody said that there is no border anywhere on the globe that is more course, if you will, then the United States border. And more secure and its on your watch, sir. With that, i will yield back, mister chairman. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, mister secretary. Just a couple things to remind you, i know you have people there sitting behind you. The work at the department, theres a number of things that respond to and ive been keeping a list throughout the things, i just want to reiterate that and then a during the hearing, let you get back to your office. We want to know the number of removals, obviously, weve asked that several times. So, if you could please give us that number, we will put this in some kind of written correspondence for you, but we just want to emphasize, we want that number, we want to know the status of the 14,000 smugglers youre referenced in your opening statement. What has happened to doj prosecuting . Whats the status of any of those individuals that have been arrested multiple times . We want to know the status of the hundred and 40 of the terrors watchlist this year, the 238 total over the last two years, what their status is, and specifically when you said the idea report was wrong and the i. D. S report said that one of these individuals and the terrors watchlist has been released in the country. We want to know specifically how you interpret it and why you said the is wrong. Then we want to know the parole categories that mr. Bishop raise in his questioning, how you can categorize someone, then categorize a whole group of individuals, then say youre still going case by case to me the law when it comes to parole, then finally, actually two less things. The Information Committee would insist it was in dhs and we want to know the activities of that group, we will have a specific question relevant in, that we want to know whos involved in that group and if its still meeting and working with social Media Companies in light of the Court Decision on july 4th so the Western District of louisiana. And then finally to the gentleman mr. Morris questioned about the situation of the young lady in alabama, we wrote you about that specific situation, mr. Mcclintock and i wrote to you on behalf of this back on may 24th, and youve not responded to that. So, we would like a response to that previous requests as well. I think that seven things that the committee, both republicans and democrats, i believe, would like answers to. We will get that to you at some kind of written letter asap, but now you know and you can be working on that, get it back to us if you could. Thank you, mister chairman. You bet. Thank you for being here today, the committee is without objection, all members will have to submit additional written questions for the witness. For additional materials for the record without objection, the hearing is adjourned. Since 1970 nine, in partnership with cable, cspan has provided coverage of the halls of congress from the house and Senate Floors to congressional hearings, party briefings, and committee meetings. Cspan it gives you a front row seat to how house issues are debated and decided with no commentary, no interruption, completely unfiltered. Your unfiltered view of government. Cspan now is a free mobile app featuring your unfiltered view of what is happening in washington live and ondemand. Keep up with the days biggest events with live streams of floor proceedings and hearings from u. S. Congress, white house, the courts, campaigns, and more from the world of politics at your fingertips. Stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal. Find scheduling information for cspans tv network and cspan radio and a variety of compelling podcasts. Cspan now is available on the apple store and google play for free today. Your frontrow seat to washington, anytime, anywhere. Cspan is your unfiltered view of government funded by these Television Companies and more including midco. Midco supports cspan as a Public Service along with these other Television Providers giving you a frontrow seat to democracy. President