The Republican delegation of the House Judiciary Committee demanded that the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas, hand over files of 14 illegal immigrants "accused of serious crimes, such as robbery, brutal assault, murder and charges related to the terrorism." These required documents are called the A files. They contain all the official information related to a person's immigration history.
Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Mayorkas in which he said that this is not the first time this request has been made and that, so far, they have only obtained two brief summaries of two of the requested files.
🚨 #BREAKING: @Jim_Jordan Subpoenas Secretary Mayorkas for Information on Violent Criminal Aliens Allowed Entry by DHS pic.twitter.com/WQChe01Xhe
— House Judiciary GOP 🎄 (@JudiciaryGOP) December 8, 2023
"The Committee has followed up on its requests – the vast majority of which have remained outstanding for months on end – regularly and on numerous occasions…Your response without compulsory process has, to date, been woefully inadequate," Jordan wrote in the letter.
As stated by the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the goal is "to ensure criminal aliens are not released into American communities," explaining that the required documents are necessary to correctly apply the law and adapt future reforms of the code.
Jordan also referenced the committee's support from the Supreme Court, which recognizes its ability to oversee investigations and legislate.
DHS defends itself
DHS alleged that the files had not yet been handed over for two reasons, a department spokesperson told Fox News. The first is because the process is slow, due to the number of pages each one contains, and it takes time to write. The second is because they include sensitive material that could jeopardize investigations.
Even so, the spokesperson claimed that DHS has been providing information and material to the Judiciary Committee as it is able to provide it:
DHS has worked hard to accommodate the Committee’s request, including providing briefings and responsive materials. The Department also communicated to the Committee that we will provide additional files as they become available. Instead of working with us, they have escalated to a subpoena, yet again. DHS will continue cooperating with Congress on its oversight requests, while working to protect our nation from terrorism and targeted violence, secure our borders, respond to natural disasters, defend against cyberattacks, and more.
