A group of House Republicans sent a letter Wednesday to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling for information over reports that the 82,000 Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. in August were not properly vetted before entering the country.
The letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, was spearheaded by Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs and signed by 16 other members of Congress. In the letter, the lawmakers mention a Republican Senate memo that claims nearly all of the almost 82,000 Afghans evacuated to the U.S. were not vetted. The Biden administration has said otherwise.
“The person in charge of our border security, Alejandro Mayorkas, must be removed from his position,” Biggs told the Daily Caller before sending the letter.
Here Are The Questions The House Republicans Asked Mayorkas:
- How many of the individuals granted parole were interviewed by a trained refugee officer prior to being granted parole?
- How many individuals were denied parole based on information discovered during their interview?
- There have been media reports of Afghan nationals who were brought to the United States committing crimes after their arrival. How many individuals have had their parole terminated? How many individuals have been removed from the country?
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“We’re asking him basic questions, who was allowed into our country and were they properly vetted? Not providing this information out of fear it will reveal the extent of DHS’s failure to vet Afghan evacuees is not an acceptable excuse. His failure to comply with the law and submit a statutorily mandated report further demonstrates the administration’s contempt for the laws passed by Congress,” Biggs added. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Yvette Herrell Calls On House Oversight Chairwoman To Subpoena DHS Secretary Mayorkas)
The other Republicans who signed the letter include Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany, Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, Florida Rep. Bill Posey, Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan, North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd, Virginia Rep. Bob Good, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, Florida Rep. Greg Steube, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, Texas Rep. Randy Weber, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Virginia Rep. Ben Cline.
Biggs and other Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter in early December to Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler demanding he schedule a hearing with Mayorkas amid the ongoing border crisis. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Judiciary Republicans Demand Nadler Schedule Hearing With DHS Secretary Mayorkas Amid Ongoing Border Crisis)
Republican New Mexico Rep. Yvette Herrell sent a letter Friday to House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney calling for her to issue a subpoena to Mayorkas.
Herrell mentioned that the Biden administration missed the legal Nov. 29 deadline to submit a report on the Afghan evacuation and questioned the vetting that has taken place or lack thereof. The letter comes after multiple reports of Afghan men on various bases involved in child trafficking, spousal abuse and rapes.