Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Increase Border Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act. This legislation would require the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the vetting and processing of migrants apprehended along the southern border and to ensure that all laws are being upheld.

"The responsibility for the crisis at our southern border lands squarely at the feet of the Biden Administration, whose policies have directly led to an exponential increase in border crossings and drug trafficking," said Rep. Newhouse. "This bill will hold the Biden Administration accountable and ensure that it upholds its most basic duty of enforcing our nation's laws."

This bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on November 18, 2021.

Click here to read the full text of the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act.

Background:

Specifically, this bill would require the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an investigation and submit a report to Congress with:

• Vetting procedures of those apprehended along the southern border of the United States;
• Total number of illegal migrants who were processed and released into the interior of the United States;
• Number of individuals who received parole;
• Results of the audit of parole applications;
• Total number of illegal migrants who have been placed in removal proceedings including how many have been removed and how many are eligible for immigrant benefits;
• Results of the audit of asylum applications;
• Total number of illegal migrants who have been placed in expedited removal proceedings;
• Efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to continually monitor all of the individuals who were apprehended along the southwest border of the United States and then released on parole;
• Total number of illegal migrants who were processed and released into the interior of the United States without participating in an alternative to the detention program; and
• States and counties in which the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Health and Human Services has resettled illegal migrants since January 20, 2021.

###