Glenn Grothman Torches Biden, Accuses Him Of Creating 'Worst Border Crisis In America's History'

4/27/2024

During a House Oversight Committee hearing last week, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) spoke about Biden's border policies.

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Transcript

00:00 The subcommittee on national security of the border and foreign affairs will come to order.

00:06 Welcome everyone.

00:07 Without objection, I may declare a recess at any time.

00:10 I recognize myself for making an opening statement.

00:14 The Biden administration's open border policies have led to the worst border crisis in America's

00:19 history.

00:20 Millions of illegal aliens have entered the United States under the Biden administration,

00:25 impacting every community across the country.

00:29 This Congress, both my subcommittee and the full committee, have examined the consequences

00:34 of the Biden administration's horrendous policies.

00:37 The president has unnecessarily created a national security and humanitarian crisis

00:43 by refusing to uphold the rule of law.

00:46 Today we are examining how the border crisis affects safety in our towns, cities, and communities.

00:51 Not surprisingly, the open southwest border has attracted many illegal immigrants with

00:58 criminal histories.

00:59 But rather than simply deport those with criminal backgrounds, the Biden administration is letting

01:04 them remain in our communities, even after they are showing that they are criminals.

01:09 In fact, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement now detained docket has at least 617,000 aliens

01:17 with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

01:21 That's a non-detained docket.

01:24 One would think that being a criminal illegal alien, at a minimum, would make someone an

01:29 enforcement priority.

01:31 But it is not under the Biden administration.

01:33 In 2021, Secretary Mayorkas issued a memorandum entitled Guidelines for the Enforcement of

01:39 Civil Immigration Law, stating that criminal history doesn't automatically make an illegal

01:44 alien an enforcement priority.

01:46 Instead, immigration officers have to engage in a complex analysis of whether the criminal

01:52 illegal alien is a current "public safety threat" to be considered an enforcement priority.

01:58 What does that mean?

01:59 In 2022, the ICE principal legal advisor issued a memorandum interpreting Mayorkas' guidelines.

02:07 Her memorandum stated, "The existence of criminal history alone, regardless of severity, will

02:13 not necessarily indicate that a non-citizen presently poses a current public safety threat

02:20 pursuant to the Secretary's priorities."

02:22 I should say that again.

02:25 The existence of criminal history, regardless of seniority, they say, doesn't necessarily

02:31 mean we have a safety threat here.

02:34 According to this standard, a criminal alien could theoretically be a convicted murderer

02:38 and avoid becoming an enforcement priority for ICE.

02:42 The administration will wait to enforce our laws until the threat is deemed by them to

02:45 be a current threat.

02:47 By that time, it will be too late as we have seen too many times in recent months.

02:56 Even if the Biden administration cared to enforce our laws, sanctuary jurisdictions

03:00 work to make our country less safe by shielding those criminals from immigration consequences.

03:07 Sanctuary jurisdictions across the country refuse to cooperate with federal immigration

03:11 authorities, mainly in the case where an individual is arrested or convicted for criminal activity.

03:17 In contrast to the harm caused by sanctuary jurisdictions today, we have two sheriffs

03:23 representing communities that are not sanctuary jurisdictions.

03:26 These sheriffs are fighting at the local level to keep their constituents safe from criminal

03:31 illegal aliens, criminal illegal aliens who shouldn't be in the U.S. to commit crimes

03:35 against our citizens.

03:38 Today I imagine we will hear from the other side lots of claims about flaws, studies with

03:43 shaky evidence seeking to show that illegal immigrants are somehow less likely to commit

03:49 crimes in the U.S.

03:50 Cite those statistics all you want to the victims of crime and those committed by criminal

03:55 illegal aliens.

03:56 I doubt shaky statistical claims and platitudes will make them whole.

04:00 The fact is illegal immigrants should not be in the country in the first place and able

04:04 to commit these crimes.

04:06 Moreover, an analysis by the Texas Department of Public Safety showed that illegal aliens

04:11 are more likely to be convicted of homicide, sexual assault, and kidnapping than the average

04:17 Texan.

04:18 The solutions aren't hard.

04:20 Secure the border, stop releasing illegal aliens in the country in droves, and when

04:23 an illegal alien commits a crime in this community, turn them over to ICE, enforce the law, and

04:29 remove them.

04:31 It's just that simple.

04:35 Now before we begin the testimony, I'll ask unanimous consent that Representative Jasmine

04:42 Crockett from Texas be waived on the subcommittee for the purposes of asking questions.

04:49 Without objection, so ordered.

Glenn Grothman Torches Biden, Accuses Him Of Creating 'Worst Border Crisis In America's History'

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