Members of Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation Send Letter to President Biden Condemning Plan to Bus ICE Detainees to Volunteer State
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today,U.S. Representative John Rose sent a letter to President Joe Biden, along with Tennessee Congressional Delegation colleagues U.S. Representatives Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), and Mark Green (TN-07) condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plan to send an unspecified number of illegal immigrant detainees to Tennessee.
The letter, which can be read here, calls for the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General to immediately investigate ICE’s decision for any administrative misconduct and calls on the Biden Administration to take immediate action to secure the Southern border.
Rep. John Rose released the following statement:
“President Biden’s plan to send busloads of ICE detainees to Tennessee encourages illegal immigration and sends a clear message that our borders are open. Tennesseans believe in the rule of law and support legal immigration—and reject President Biden’s attempt to pass his self-inflicted problems onto the Volunteer State. Surely the countless so-called sanctuary cities up and down the coasts are better options for ICE to transport their detainees. But the best option is for President Biden to actually secure the border.”
The letter also highlights the Biden Administration policies that have resulted in the historic influx of migrant encounters at the Southern border. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials report more than four million migrant encounters under President Biden’s watch.
Rep. Scott DesJarlais released the following statement:
“The Tennessee congressional delegation is putting the Biden Administration on notice that we will not stand idly by and let illegal migrants flood our state. We will fight to protect the safety of our citizens. I thank Rep. Rose for his leadership on this letter.”
Rep. Mark Green released the following statement:
Tennessee should not bear responsibility for this avoidable crisis manufactured by President Biden. Instead, ICE should send illegal immigrants to self-declared sanctuary cities across the country. Tennesseans demand transparency regarding this situation—and we have yet to receive that decency from the federal government. The administration should immediately reverse this reckless plan. Tennessee won’t stand for this abuse of law and order.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmannreleased the following statement:
“The Biden Administration's plan to send an untold number of single, adult illegal immigrants to Tennessee underscores the failure of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and DHS Secretary Mayorkas to fulfill their duty to secure our border. Tennesseans should not have to worry about busloads of illegal immigrants being unloaded in their communities. It is far past time for the president and his Administration to take the crisis at our southern border seriously and work in good faith with House Republicans to re-secure the border.”
Rep. Tim Burchett released the following statement:
“This is worse than criminal negligence, this is intentional action that puts my constituents at risk and does nothing to address the real dangers the cartels are posing at our Southern Border. Tennesseans and folks across the country deserve leaders who prioritize their safety over a disastrous open-border agenda.”
Rep. Diana Harshbarger released the following statement:
President Biden’s refusal to secure our southern border has created an immigration crisis, the likes of which our nation has never seen. A nation without borders is not a nation at all. Next Congress, defending American sovereignty will be a top priority for House Republicans and law and order will be restored.
Background:
Since President Biden took office, Customs and Border Protection officials have encountered more than four million illegal immigrants. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than 379 million potentially fatal doses of illegal fentanyl in 2022, which is in part due to the supply to Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.
From Oct. 2021 to Sept. 2022, CBP officials apprehended 751 known gang members, including 312 affiliated with MS-13 and apprehended 98 people on the Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS), also known as the U.S. government’s watchlist. Despite a historic surge of encounters at the border, The Biden Administration fought to end Remain in Mexico.
The border crisis could worsen any day as the president continues to advocate to end the Title 42 policy.