U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden was one of several congressmen who grilled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday about his job performance.
Mayorkas appeared before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which wanted answers about terrorism suspects caught at the border and what happened to 2.1 million unlawful migrants caught during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Gooden (R-TX) asked about non-government organizations (NGOs) that provide unlawful border crossers with the means to stay in the country indefinitely, something The Dallas Express has reported on. He mentioned Jewish Family Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and Catholic Charities.
“They are actively encouraging and enticing poor illegal immigrants to cross our borders with promises of assistance,” Gooden said. “I have seen this with my own eyes. They are sending out the message that the border is open. Are you aware of who is funding them?”
Mayorkas responded that smuggling organizations are primarily responsible for encouraging unlawful immigration “exclusively for profit.”
Gooden pressed on, asking, “You don’t think opening an operation and saying, ‘If you get here, we’ll pay for wherever you want to go, we’ll put you up in a hotel, and we’ll give you debit cards.’ You don’t think that’s an enticement?”
The secretary said Gooden was mischaracterizing the work of non-profit groups.
“Is it your testimony that non-profit groups at the border do not provide financial assistance, transportation, and housing?” Gooden said.
“That is not my testimony,” Mayorkas replied.
Catholic Charities received $1.4 billion and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services received $179 million from taxpayers, Gooden said.
“Should the American people know where these people are being sent?” Gooden asked. “I have requested this information for two years. Each request has gone unanswered.
“If our taxpayer dollars are being used to fund an operation, whereby we are encouraging illegal immigration and these deadly treks across our Southern border, we should be able to get answers. I cannot even get acknowledgment from you about what is happening, and you have stated you are partners with these organizations.”
Gooden was not the only congressman frustrated with the secretary’s answers.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) called him the “most dishonest” witness he had ever seen.
When Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) chastised him for smiling through stonewalling, Mayorkas responded,
“Let me allow the record to reflect I’m not smiling, nor have I smiled,” he said, per The Washington Times.
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked how many of the caught-and-released border crossers have been deported, as the Biden administration promised.
“The reason you’re smirking about it, and the reason you won’t answer my question, is because everybody gets the joke,” Gaetz said.
Later, Mayorkas said at least 1,000 of the 2.1 million catch-and-release suspects have been deported.
“We are dealing with a completely broken immigration system,” Mayorkas said.
