FIRST ON FOX: 14 Republican attorneys general are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign due to the ongoing crisis at the southern border – the latest sign of increasing GOP pressure on the DHS chief.
“It is the core function of [DHS] to ‘secure the nation from the many threats we face’ Yet, since taking office, you have purposely taken repeated actions impairing the safety and security of Americans,” the attorneys general say in a letter, led by Florida AG Ashley Moody, to Mayorkas. “As you publicly boast about your abject refusal to enforce the laws enacted by Congress to keep us safe, our southwest border is a disaster and our nation is on the verge of a national security crisis.”
46 HOUSE REPUBLICANS CALL ON MAYORKAS TO RESIGN OVER ‘COMPLETE FAILURE’ TO LEAD DHS
2.22 Attorneys General to DHS Mayorkas by Fox News on Scribd
The letter cites the increased amount of fentanyl seized coming in from Mexico in FY 2021 – which can be fatal even in small doses – at the border, claiming that authorities have seized enough to “kill every man, woman, and child in our country six times over—an increase of over 30 percent since before you took office.”
The attorneys general, who have raised the issue of a large amount of fentanyl coming in across via the southern border before, point to the estimated tens of thousands of drug overdose deaths linked to fentanyl.
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“The main cause for the extraordinary growth of both drug overdose deaths and opioid deaths is fentanyl. In each of our communities, we are even seeing teenagers taking a single pill laced with fentanyl and dying. The profound tragedy of these deaths and the grief faced by those American parents and families has caused us to conclude that your failed leadership must end,” they say.
The letter is signed by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
CBP SEES ‘SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE’ IN FENTANYL SEIZURES, CONFIRMS 153,941 MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS IN JANUARY
On illegal migration, they cite the drop in deportations under the Biden administration, with preliminary data showing just 55,590 illegal immigrants were deported in FY 2021 – even when there has been a massive spike in illegal immigration at the border, with tens of thousands of migrants being released into the interior each month. They also accuse DHS of having “refused to deport some of the most dangerous criminals, even though you are required by law to do so.”
“You were sworn in as Secretary of DHS on February 2, 2021. On that day, you solemnly swore to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” You have violated that oath every day since you took office. Americans have died because of your failure to obey the law and do your solemn duty. More Americans will unnecessarily die and suffer for as long as you remain as Secretary,” they write. “You must resign immediately.”
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The letter comes after 46 Republicans called on Mayorkas to resign, citing a “complete failure” to lead the department – pointing to recent tensions with Border Patrol and the relentless crisis at the southern border.
Meanwhile, CBP released its official numbers for January last week, confirming Fox News’ reporting that there had been 153,941 encounters in what is typically a slow month for border crossers. The number is nearly double the 78,414 migrant encounters in Jan 2021, and more than quadruple the 36,585 in Jan 2020.
