Letter to Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security - Immigration
Letter
Dear Secretary Mayorkas:
We write to you today to express our deep concern over your recent announcement to terminate
the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the "Remain in Mexico Policy." MPP
was issued in 2018 to provide an orderly process for asylum cases and curb the flow of illegal
immigrants being released into the United States. Section 235 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act gives your Department the authority to implement procedures for the inspection
of those seeking asylum, specifically detailing that the Secretary "may return the alien to that
territory pending a [removal] proceeding under § 240" of the Act. Full implementation of MPP
provides asylum-seekers the opportunity to be properly vetted while no longer blindly releasing
an individual into the country, with no accountability to ensure they return for their immigration
court hearing. Additionally, policies like MPP were successful at reducing the number of illegal
crossings during the Trump Administration.
Unfortunately, under your leadership, it appears that the Biden Administration refuses to use all
available tools, resources and policies proven to maintain control over our immigration system
and instead, has created a substantial and ongoing crisis at our Southern Border. It was reported
that your Department is preparing for an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 border crossings this
month. This would nearly double the 21-year high of crossings recorded for July this year.
However, on June 21, 2021, your Department announced its intention to end MPP. More
recently, the Department doubled down on this announcement by stating your intent to craft a
new memorandum to replace MPP entirely. The United States Court of Appeals for the 5th
Circuit ruled that the Administration must implement MPP "in good faith," and the Supreme Court denied the Administration's request for a stay. Therefore, your memorandum terminating
MPP is circumventing the courts' decisions.
If the Department abandons the tools needed to secure our border, it is a dereliction of duty and
an insult to the officials on the ground who have been on hand to implement MPP, despite
partisan leaders at the top constantly working to undermine its success.
The men and women working under the Department of Homeland Security face immense
challenges every day, and they deserve clear guidance as they enforce our immigration laws.
They should never be subjected to misguided political directives that make their jobs more
difficult. We strongly urge you to uphold the decisions of the court by implementing MPP and
performing your duty to secure our border. We look forward to a timely response.
Sincerely,
Rick W. Allen
Member of Congress
Dan Crenshaw
Member of Congress
Ann Wagner
Member of Congress
Virginia Foxx
Member of Congress
Matthew Rosendale, Sr.
Member of Congress
Elise Stefanik
Member of Congress
Carlos Gimenez
Member of Congress
Ted Budd
Member of Congress
Bill Posey
Member of Congress
Thomas P. Tiffany
Member of Congress
Garret Graves
Member of Congress
Scott DesJarlais
Member of Congress
Brian Babin, D.D.S.
Member of Congress
Glenn Grothman
Member of Congress
Jody Hice
Member of Congress
Michael Waltz
Member of Congress
Ralph Norman
Member of Congress
Bob Gibbs
Member of Congress
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress
Brett Guthrie
Member of Congress
Erie A. "Rick" Crawford
Member of Congress
Fred Keller
Member of Congress
Glen "GT" Thompson
Member of Congress
Liz Cheney
Member of Congress
Austin Scott
Member of Congress
Fred Upton
Member of Congress
Robert E. Latta
Member of Congress
Mike Bost
Member of Congress
David Kustoff
Member of Congress
Randy Feenstra
Member of Congress
Richard Hudson
Member of Congress
Andrew S. Clyde
Member of Congress
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter
Member of Congress
Barry Moore
Member of Congress
Kevin Hern
Member of Congress
Dan Bishop
Member of Congress
Stephanie Bice
Member of Congress
W. Gregory Steube
Member of Congress
Jeff Duncan
Member of Congress
Ken Calvert
Member of Congress
Randy K. Weber
Member of Congress
Pete Sessions
Member of Congress
Madison Cawthorn
Member of Congress
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