LANSING, Mich. — Sens. Roger Hauck and Lana Theis penned a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requesting her office to provide the Legislature and the people of Michigan with greater transparency regarding the impact on our state of the ongoing migrant crisis at our southern border.
“President Biden’s open border policies have allowed a record number of illegal immigrants to enter the United States — including known and suspected terrorists. They have also allowed an exponential flood of the dangerous drug fentanyl in communities across the country,” said Hauck, R-Mt. Pleasant. “This influx of illicit fentanyl and unvetted individuals pose a grave threat to our national security and the safety of American citizens.”
In December, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded more than 250,000 encounters with migrants at the Mexico border — a new all-time high. The new record marked the tenth time encounters have eclipsed 200,000 in a month since 2021. From October 2020 to last month, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered 331 individuals on the Terrorist Screening Dataset between ports of entry along the southern border — an increase of over 2,900%.
The total number of encounters with illegal immigrants along the southwest border during the first three years of the Biden administration exceeded 7 million.
“These numbers are staggering,” said Theis, R-Brighton. “This is a nationwide problem — local governments across the country are not only voicing their concerns about the safety of residents, but the drastic strain on resources these policies are having. So-called sanctuary cities are quickly walking back their self-imposed status as reality sets in, and the problems associated with the migrant crisis continue to compound.”
The letter requesting more information comes shortly after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer turned to residents to help house the massive influx of migrants in their own homes. The Department of Labor and Economic Development said it will offer up to $500 in rent assistance to resettle and find affordable housing for refugees and asylees in Michigan. It is unclear how many migrants are being located in Michigan through this new program.
The lawmakers say the governor has shown little to no transparency on the issue and has not adequately addressed the impact that these policies can and have had on the state of Michigan.
“I think residents have a right to know this information, especially when the dangers of open-door and sanctuary city policies have been widely exposed,” Hauck said. “It’s time we start seeing some honesty and transparency from the administration.”
Theis agreed and added that the governor continues to place the burden of her extreme partisan policies on the backs of Michigan residents.
“Once again, the governor is ignoring national security concerns and placing residents at risk as she pushes her outrageously partisan agenda,” Theis said. “She has the nerve to tell the whole state that there is a housing crisis in Michigan, yet we’re opening our doors to an unknown number of unvetted individuals. Worse yet — she is asking residents to open their own homes to help her self-inflicted problem and using taxpayer dollars as a bribe.”
###