Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee have made a startling discovery: an overwhelming 95.8 percent of immigrants who used the government’s mobile app for appointments were released into the country on parole. That’s more than 266,000 individuals who would have otherwise been denied entry out of over 278,000 who scheduled appointments. These shocking numbers expose the true nature of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ operation, which is nothing more than a cover-up for the mass release of individuals with no legitimate claim to be admitted into the country.
Chairman Rep. Mark Green, M.D. (R-Tenn.) expressed his concerns, stating, “It shouldn’t take a subpoena threat from Congress to get these answers.” He received the documents after threatening to subpoena Secretary Mayorkas if they were not produced by the deadline. The committee is particularly worried about the potential abuse of the app by drug cartels, as it allows them to manipulate the system and continue their illicit operations.
Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) speaks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the US-Afghanistan relationship following the military withdrawal, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 18, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Chair Green received the documents from which those statistics were obtained after he threatened to subpoena Sec. Mayorkas if they were not produced by Oct. 20. His committee set that deadline on Oct. 13, months after an initial deadline for document production lapsed.
“To date, the Department has neither produced nor provided a timeline to produce the documents or information requested in the Committee’s June 1, 2023 and September 14, 2023 letters, all of which will assist the Committee’s oversight of the Department’s CBP One application,” Chair Green wrote in an Oct. 13 letter to Sec. Mayorkas.
The committee statement claims the first documents responsive to their request arrived “just minutes” before that deadline, the end of the business day on a Friday.
“It shouldn’t take a subpoena threat from Congress to get these answers,” said Chair Green, who first requested the documents to lead oversight of the CBP One app on June 1 of this year. His original deadline was June 15.
The committee is worried in part about the abuse of the app by drug cartels.
“The national security implications are that the cartels are just able to manipulate everything that the secretary is doing to continue their operations,” a committee source who asked not to be named previously told The Epoch Times outlining the subpoena threat.
The CBP One app was first released in 2020 and expanded early in 2021 after President Joe Biden took office and Sec. Mayorkas was appointed to lead the DHS. The app has faced fierce criticism from a range of groups.
Grant Newman of NumbersUSA, an organization that seeks to decrease the rate of both illegal and legal immigration to the United States, told The Epoch Times that the 95.8 percent parole statistic “speaks for itself.” He said it “demonstrates precisely why DHS fought so hard to keep the data to itself.”
“Chairman Green was clearly rightfully concerned that the CBP One app was being used to cover up the Biden Administration’s shell game at the border, where illegal immigrants could now schedule their illegal entry at a port of entry rather than in-between, and be released to disappear into the interior,” he said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
The committee majority’s analysis found that 97 percent of Venezuelan nationals who used the app received parole and were permitted to enter the country. Those parole grantees numbered 55,690 during the months in question.
Parole release was granted to 98 percent of Belarusian nationals, 94 percent of Russian nationals, 96 percent of Hondurans, 94 percent of Guatemalans, 93 percent of Afghan nationals, 93 percent of Mexican nationals, 88 percent of Chinese nationals, 88 percent of Iranian nationals, and 82 percent of Uzbek nationals.
Other app users who were released came from as far afield as Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, and Egypt.
A group of Venezuelans wait to be picked up by Border Patrol after illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Del Rio, Texas, on June 3, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
“It’s a shame DHS doesn’t believe Congress or the American people deserve to know what’s really going on at the border,” Mr. Newman said.
The Epoch Times contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the committee’s Democratic minority for comment.
Why is there a need for stronger border security measures to prevent the abuse of the CBP One app by drug cartels and other criminal organizations, and what potential risks and threats does this pose
Itself.” According to Newman, this high release rate raises serious concerns about the government’s vetting process for immigrants using the app.
“It’s very concerning that such a high percentage of individuals using the app were able to enter the country on parole, especially given the potential risks and security threats involved,” Newman said. “This clearly indicates a lack of effective screening and assessment procedures, allowing individuals with no legitimate claim to enter the country freely.”
The release rate also highlights the need for stronger border security measures to prevent the abuse of the app by drug cartels and other criminal organizations. By manipulating the system and exploiting its vulnerabilities, these groups can continue their illicit operations without significant hindrance.
The committee’s concerns are not unfounded. The CBP One app has faced criticism since its inception for its potential to undermine the integrity of the immigration process. The Unitarian-Universalist Service Committee, for example, has condemned the app, arguing that it impedes the rights of asylum-seekers. This latest revelation only adds to the mounting evidence of the app’s shortcomings.
Chairman Mark Green’s threat to subpoena Secretary Mayorkas if the requested documents were not produced by the deadline reflects the committee’s frustration with the lack of transparency and accountability from the DHS. It should not take such drastic measures to obtain crucial information for oversight and to ensure the integrity of our immigration system.
The release of over 266,000 individuals with no legitimate claim to be admitted into the country underscores the need for urgent action. The government must implement more robust screening procedures and strengthen border security measures to prevent the exploitation of loopholes in the system.
Immigration has always been a complex and contentious issue. It is crucial that we strike a balance between compassion and security, ensuring that those who genuinely need refuge and asylum can access it, while also protecting the nation’s borders and citizens from potential threats. The revelations surrounding the CBP One app and the high release rate of parolees warrant a thorough review and reform of our immigration processes. Only then can we address the vulnerabilities in the system and provide a more secure and fair immigration framework for all.
The findings of the House Homeland Security Committee are a wake-up call for the Biden administration and Congress. It is incumbent upon them to take swift and decisive action to address these concerns and restore public trust in our immigration system. The American people deserve a system that prioritizes national security, upholds the rule of law, and ensures a fair and orderly immigration process.
