Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Thursday that the money President Joe Biden has allocated for the southern border in his $105 billion spending request is not intended to secure the border against illegal migrants.
"Our biggest issue with the money he's wanting for the southern border is it goes for all the wrong reasons," Hern said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "It goes to buy more apartment buildings and hotels to house illegal aliens in New York and Chicago and other major cities to hide them. It doesn't do anything to disincentivize them coming across the southern border."
Two weeks ago, the White House asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund Ukraine and Israel defense, as well as border security measures. The proposal reportedly includes $13.6 billion to deal with massive numbers of Latin American immigrants continually arriving at the southern border.
Hern said there is a "big movement right now," with approximately "7,000 moving through Mexico" on their way to cross the border into the U.S.
"We need to change the policies at the southern border," he said. "This is what we've been talking about — myself and others — for over a year now with [Department of Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas and his failed policies that's been promoted and supported by the Biden administration.
"We've got to do something about this. It's not just necessarily about the money. They want to do more things to entice immigrants to come here illegally and not do the right thing in closing our southern border."
Mayorkas has frequently come under fire from congressional Republicans for failing to stem the tide of illegal immigrants seeking entry into the U.S. Some in the GOP have floated the idea of impeaching Mayorkas.
Hern told Newsmax in August that it's sad that only Republican-controlled states are sending National Guard troops to help protect the southern border in Texas. He said then he was the first to call for Mayorkas' resignation last year because of "poor" job performance and is also now calling for his impeachment.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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