Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: My Bill Will Force Biden-Harris to Share Catch-and-Release Data from Border Crisis

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data released in September revealed tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with sexual assault and homicide convictions could be loose in the U.S. right now. These violent offenders should have never been allowed entry to our country. They certainly shouldn’t still be here roaming free. I’m working with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) on the BE GONE Act to deport individuals with these convictions currently in the country and block those seeking to enter. Sadly, this is just another example of the dangers facing communities across America after three and a half years of open border policies from the Biden-Harris administration.

One of the most concerning aspects of these open border policies has been the administration’s abuse of parole. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have allowed an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants to roam the U.S. freely. Under the Obama and Trump administrations, an average of around 5,600 people per year were granted parole into this country. In 2022, under the Biden-Harris abuse of parole, that number was estimated to be close to 1.2 million people. That’s about two-thirds the entire population of Nebraska.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, parole should only be granted on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian need or significant public benefit. The law is clear. Our parole system is supposed to be for individuals with special circumstances. It’s not meant to be amnesty for those who just want to come here and work or worse, hide from their criminal past.

The federal government has a fundamental responsibility to keep the American people safe. For three and a half years, the Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly failed to fulfill that obligation. In fact, the policies they chose to enact did the opposite. At the very least, Americans deserve to know the truth about the border crisis and about this abuse of the parole program.

That’s why I originally co-sponsored the Southern Border Transparency Act. The bill, which just passed the U.S. Senate, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide accurate, timely reports on migrant encounters at the border. This would include migrant parole numbers, migrant apprehensions, parole petitions, and release information. It is shameful legislation like this is even necessary. It is the most basic level of transparency that the American public deserves access to.

The current administration’s refusal to secure our southern border will have far-reaching consequences. It’s killing young people like Nebraskan Taryn Lee Griffith as fentanyl pours into our communities. It’s risking our national security as border encounters with known terrorists soar. It’s also going to have major ramifications on our elections. Right now, illegal immigrants continue to be counted in census data that is used to determine electoral college votes and congressional representation.

I’m supporting multiple pieces of legislation that would secure our border and end the flow of drugs and illegal immigration. I’ve also called repeatedly for us to return to the successful policies of the Trump administration that brought illegal crossings to a 45-year low. Until we can accomplish these goals, at the very least, the American people deserve to know the full truth about the Biden-Harris border crisis. The Southern Border Transparency Act achieves that by giving the public the information they need to truly hold Biden and Harris accountable for the millions of illegal aliens they’ve released into our country.

My team and I are here to serve you. Contact us anytime by phone at 202-224-4224. You can also view my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact.