Rep. Burgess to Newsmax: GOP Must Stop Cartels' 'Flow of Money' at Border
Rep. Michael Burgess (AP)
By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 19 October 2022 06:24 PM EDT
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, has some advice for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if the Republicans reclaim the House majority in the upcoming midterm elections: Clear your schedule for January.
"Secretary Mayorkas will likely find himself in front of [multiple] congressional committees" in 2023, if the GOP leadership takes back control, Burgess told Newsmax Wednesday afternoon, while appearing on "The Chris Salcedo Show."
"I hope [Mayorkas] is prepared for" Republican oversight, added Burgess.
From the Texas congressman's perspective, Mayorkas' inconsistent leadership with DHS has played an integral role in more than 5 million migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border during President Joe Biden's tenure in office.
Burgess also believes that Mayorkas' indifference to illegal immigration has empowered the cartels to seize control of the border, knowing the Biden administration and Mexican officials likely won't put up much resistance.
Control of the southern border has been "extremely lucrative" for the cartels, Burgess said, whether it involves charging migrants exorbitant fees to cross the border, conducting various sex/human trafficking operations or pushing lethal drugs, including fentanyl, across the southern border.
Next year's Republican majority will "have to stop that flow of money," said Burgess. "We have to go after the [money sources] of the cartels and coyotes. Otherwise, it's just moving pieces around on the board."
The congressman then added, "The cartels wouldn't do [all the sex/human/drug trafficking], if they weren't making money" or if they were fearing reprisal from police officials.
Burgess, who says he has visited the southern border many times in recent months, likened the temporary housing the Trump administration created to the so-called "tent cities" being pitched by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in terms of accommodating migrants.
"The irony here is significant," said Burgess, calling the 2019 images of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., crying outside the temporary southern border housing during Donald Trump's White House tenure a possible show for the media cameras.
Back then, Burgess said, the "Democrats were having prayer vigils" on-site. "But where is that same activity going outside of Mayor Adams' tent city in New York?"
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