On Thursday, I chaired a hearing on the border crisis in my House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. We examined how catch-and-release policies have led to the overwhelming amount of people arriving at our border illegally and how it is putting a strain on Border Patrol agents and communities across the country. We also looked at the failure of the Biden Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to deport criminal illegal migrants already in our country.

On September 30, 2021, Secretary Mayorkas issued a memorandum for DHS restricting priorities for enforcement and emphasizing that criminal activity on its own is not enough to make an illegal alien a priority for removal. In Fiscal Year 2023, 84,000 cases pursuant to that memo were dismissed, on top of 91,938 cases dismissed or administratively closed in Fiscal Year 2022. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only removed 142,580 illegal aliens in Fiscal Year 2023 despite a historic 3.2 million new encounters of illegal aliens at our borders that year.

It has become overwhelmingly clear that under the current Administration, violations of our immigration laws, including illegally entering the country, will seldom be met with consequences. Even criminal history is no longer sufficient on its own to make a removable alien an enforcement priority for the Biden Administration.

Make no mistake, the magnitude of the crisis at our southern border five years ago was nowhere near what it is today. While House Republicans have already passed tough border security legislation in the Secure the Border Act, legislative action is not the sole obstacle in the way of getting a handle on border security. We already have laws on the books that are being flaunted by the Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson has done a great job in outlining 64 times the Biden Administration intentionally undermined border security. Many of the actions on this list were made on President Biden's first day in office, which was the beginning of this unprecedented period of illegal crossings we are currently in. I urge the President to watch my hearing and listen to our findings, because reinstating the Remain in Mexico Policy, finishing the border wall system, and removing criminals in our country illegally are all policies he could reimplement immediately.

February 14 was Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. In this season of reflection and preparation, let’s remember to focus on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Faith is such an important part of life. As is ensuring local communities have the resources they need to practice. That is why I attended the St. Stephens Lutheran Church Pancake Supper in Rosendale.

Thanks to the Cascade Fire Department for all your hard work and selfless service. It was great to see everyone at last weekend’s Winter Bash!

I appreciate all of the hard work done by Historical Societies around Wisconsin. Thank you to the Fox Lake Historical Society for hosting me at your annual soup dinner. It is so important to give remembrance and reverence to our rich history.

This week, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Wisconsin Realtors Association

to discuss industry issues and how we can work together to support both current and future homeowners.

As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter, be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the Sixth District, and let them know that they can subscribe by clicking here.

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