OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

"UNACCEPTABLE": CHAIRMEN GREEN, HIGGINS BLAST DHS SILENCE ON CARTEL WEAPONIZATION OF MAYORKAS' CBP ONE APP

Letter

Date: Sept. 16, 2023
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations Immigration

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

"The Committee on Homeland Security (Committee) is continuing its oversight of the Department of Homeland Security's (Department) expanded use of the CBP One application (CBP One). On June 1, 2023, the Committee sent a letter to the Department with a deadline of June 15, 2023 to produce documents and information related to the Department's use of CBP One at the Southwest border. The Department failed to produce any substantive response. The Department's lack of transparency is disconcerting and unacceptable. … At a recent hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, you stated that the CBP One app, "cuts out the smuggling organizations that impose such tragedy and trauma on vulnerable individuals purely for the sake of profit.' Unfortunately, your claims have simply not come true."

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

"Since our June 1, 2023, letter, reporting suggests that cartels are exploiting CBP One. Mexican officials will not let a migrant coming from Guatemala cross the Mexican border unlessthe migrant has a CBP One appointment. Through geofencing, however, CBP One only allows a person physically present in central or northern Mexico to book an appointment at a U.S. port of entry. To evade CBP One's geofencing requirements, cartels use virtual private networks (VPN), allowing them to secure appointments for migrants who are not in Mexico. Cartels charge migrants a fee to book the appointments, contradicting the Department's claims that CBP One cuts cartels' profits. CBP One exemplifies another failed Department policy that contributes to the crisis at our Southwest border."

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

"The recent revelations about cartels exploiting CBP One only heighten our concern about the Department's expanded use of the application at the Southwest border. Our June 1, 2023, letter requested that you produce documents and information by June 15, 2023. The requested documents are now 90 days overdue. In addition to the requests made in the June 1, 2023, letter, please provide the following documents and information as soon as possible."


Source
arrow_upward