Jerry Carl and Barry Moore call on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign

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Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

U.S. Reps. Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, and 44 GOP colleagues sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling on him to resign. The group blames Mayorkas for the current border situation.

According to Rep. Andy Barr (KY), under Mayorkas’ leadership, the Remain in Mexico Policy is largely ignored, despite court orders to restore the program. Additionally, border apprehensions have more than tripled over FY 2020, while deportations have dropped by 70%. FY2021 saw over 100,000 fentanyl overdose deaths, and border agents have apprehended over 11,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border in FY 2021.

During Donald Trump’s presidency, the Remain in Mexico policy required tens of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to turn back to Mexico. It was meant to discourage asylum seekers, but critics said it denied people the legal right to seek protection in the U.S.

The letter states, “In light of recent reports displaying your failure to execute the primary mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure our nation from its many threats through your inability and refusal to enforce the immigration laws, we call on you to resign as Secretary of Homeland Security.”

The letter also states that Border Patrol agents are not feeling supported by Mayorkas.

“A leaked recording from a recent meeting in Yuma, Arizona, confirmed the dwindling confidence Border Patrol agents have in the Department and its Secretary. In the recording, you acknowledged those agents are doing tasks outside of their job description and that their job is continually demonized. Additionally, they asserted that they feel no support from their Secretary. You have admitted to making border Patrol agents’ jobs more difficult, yet do nothing to ameliorate that problem. Instead, you make it exponentially harder for agents to do their job by implementing Biden administration directives that go against their Congressionally-mandated responsibilities.”

In a statement, Rep. Carl argued that Mayorkas had put the U.S. at risk. “The primary mission of Homeland Security is to keep our nation safe and secure from threats, but Secretary Mayorkas has utterly failed to execute this mission. Because of Secretary Mayorkas’ failures, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are attempting to cross our southern border every single month.

“Many of these migrants are bringing crime and illegal drugs with them, and this is making America FAR less safe. My colleagues and I are calling for Secretary Mayorkas to immediately resign and for President Biden to finally get serious about fixing the crisis at our border.”

Additional Members of the House of Representatives who signed the letter are Andy Barr (KY), Brian Babin (TX), Andy Biggs (AZ), Tom Tiffany (WI), Tom Rice (SC), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Clay Higgins (LA), Yvette Herrell (NM), Bob Good (VA), Lauren Boebert (CO), Scott Perry (PA), Ronny L. Jackson (TX), Glenn Grothman (WI), Louie Gohmert (TX), Randy Weber (TX), Mary Miller (IL), Barry Loudermilk (GA), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Chris Jacobs (NY), Dan Bishop (NC), Tim Burchett (TN), Ben Cline (VA), Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT), Victoria Spartz (IN), Diana Harshbarger (TN), Cliff Bentz (OR), Jack Bergman (MI), Debbie Lesko (AZ), Roger Williams (TX), Bob Gibbs (OH), Byron Donalds (FL), Lisa McClain (MI), Bill Posey (FL), Madison Cawthorn (NC), Greg Murphy (NC), Ralph Norman (SC), Chip Roy (TX), John Rose (TN), August Pfluger (TX), Doug Lamborn (CO), Beth Van Duyne (TX), Carlos Giménez (FL), and Russ Fulcher (ID).