House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent letters to immigration officials on Monday. He questioned whether the officials are moving aggressively enough to detain and deport immigrants that enter the United States illegally.
Jordan requested that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials appear before the judiciary committee for transcribed interviews related to their enforcement of federal immigration laws, or lack thereof.
SENATE DEMOCRATS WARN BIDEN AGAINST DETAINING MIGRANT FAMILIES
Jordan's letter, which was sent to five acting assistant directors at ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations Office and field office directors in five cities, highlights relatively low numbers of deportations in 2021 and 2022, the growing population of nondetained illegal immigrants, and unused detention space.
In fiscal 2021 and 2022, the average number of removals of illegal aliens declined by 70%, according to Jordan, and 11,000 available detention spaces have been left empty by the Biden administration during a period of skyrocketing illegal immigration.
"This decision to leave so many spaces empty raises serious questions about ICE ERO’s performance of its mission to 'protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws,'" Jordan said.
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The requests come as House Republicans examine agencies to slash funding from. It also comes shortly after House GOP leadership instructed Jordan to reschedule a meeting that was scheduled for this week, wherein eight bills the party had prioritized were supposed to be taken up in the first step toward a House floor vote.
Those eight bills will now not see any action until, at the earliest, mid-April after lawmakers return from Easter recess, according to a report by Punchbowl News on Thursday.