The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), has escalated its scrutiny of the Biden administration’s immigration policies by issuing a subpoena demanding information on the costs associated with housing illegal immigrants. The committee’s action highlights the growing political tension over the administration’s handling of the border crisis and the perceived prioritization of resources for undocumented individuals over American citizens and legal residents.
In a letter sent on Tuesday, Jordan demanded that HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra provide detailed answers about the administration’s “enforcement of federal immigration law and its implementation of policies that prioritize illegal aliens and refugees over U.S. citizens and other legal residents.” He underscored the committee’s months-long pursuit of information related to the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) collaboration with other agencies and non-profit organizations in providing housing assistance to undocumented individuals.
Jordan cited the committee’s multiple requests to the ORR director for documents and communications concerning the agency’s role in facilitating housing assistance and referrals for refugees, parolees, and other undocumented individuals. However, he claimed that repeated deadlines for providing this information were missed. The committee’s persistence ultimately resulted in the receipt of seven pages of documents on October 4th, which Jordan characterized as “nothing of substance” and “cannot possibly encompass all relevant documents and communications in HHS’s possession or control.”
The committee, in its letter, emphasized the crucial role of congressional oversight in scrutinizing the administration’s actions. It quoted Supreme Court rulings recognizing Congress’s “broad and indispensable” power to conduct oversight, which extends to inquiries into the administration of existing laws, studies of proposed laws, and comprehensive analyses of social, economic, and political systems.
The subpoena demands HHS to hand over all documents and communications pertaining to housing assistance for refugees, parolees, and other undocumented individuals by October 30th. These documents are to encompass communications between HHS’s ORR and the State Department, HUD, DHS, and any of their components, along with interactions with Church World Service.
The committee’s actions underscore the increasing pressure on the Biden administration to provide transparency and accountability regarding its immigration policies. The subpoena serves as a stark reminder of the congressional oversight role and its potential impact on the administration’s actions. It is likely to fuel further debate over the administration’s handling of immigration, with Republicans emphasizing the financial burden on taxpayers and the prioritization of undocumented individuals over American citizens, while Democrats may argue that the administration’s actions are necessary to address the complex humanitarian and legal challenges presented by immigration.