House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers called for Chile to be removed from the Visa Waiver program because of the security crisis in Orange County, California, caused by Chilean gang members.

The Republican delegation explained that more and more Chilean citizens are abusing the Visa Extension Program and committing crimes in the United States. “In Laguna Hills alone, we’ve seen 84 home invasions reported in the last six months by these groups,” said California Republican Young Kim.

The Speaker of the House explained that these criminal groups carry out “sophisticated” operations. “They’re sophisticated. They don’t come and break in the front door,” he began. These criminals often enter homes from the second story and use “cell phone jamming to turn off your WiFi so your home security doesn’t work. They raid the house stealing the safe. They wear uniforms and camouflage outfits. Then they work with China, putting the money back into South America.”

McCarthy added that the Democrats’ soft policies also make it easier for criminals, so he suggested halting the visa extension program at least until a deal can be worked out to give it a “clean bill of health” by agreeing to carry out criminal background checks for Chileans seeking to enter the United States.

“We don’t need new legislation to stop this. The administration has enough power,” McCarthy said. However, he said that Congress would take over if a solution was not found by next week.

The program’s current requirements

The Visa Waiver is a program that allows citizens of certain countries to enter the United States without a visa and with just an electronic travel authorization. The requirements for Chileans to obtain this authorization are simple: hold an electronic passport, apply, and pay US$21.