THE GOP BORDER SHOW: THEY’RE ALL STUNT PEOPLE NOW

House Republicans have unveiled their five-phase plan for southern border fear-mongering and if they keep it up they’ll put Hollywood stunt people out of job. Look no further than the hyper-partisan report they just released, which touts House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s photo-op at the border last year where he pledged to let House Republicans do whatever they wanted to bully Secretary Mayorkas into resigning. Republicans pose for photo-ops at the border so they can then claim they are MAGA enough, like former President Trump, and they elevate voices from a MAGA group that is reportedly informally advised by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump in their hearings and report. The report highlighted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott who have been using vulnerable migrants for political stunts. After House Judiciary Committee Republicans relied on a witness who works for a designated hate group, House Homeland Security Republicans repeatedly cited work from that same hate group and a second one in their report.

This report is just one more stunt in a long line of them. Following President Biden’s re-election campaign announcement, the Republican National Committee released a 30-second ad that used artificial intelligence technology to create fake foreboding images of migrants flooding across the U.S. border. They’ve fundraised off their fear-mongering even though their Members call to defund the Department of Homeland Security, and they use rhetoric about “open borders” that has been fact checked even though reporting showed their rhetoric could be making things harder for law enforcement.

It is clear House Republicans are more interested in political stunts designed to generate campaign talking points and fundraising hooks than they are about putting forward bipartisan solutions to reform our immigration system.

Republicans Fear-monger About Immigration So They Can Use It As A Campaign Talking Point

NATIONAL REPUBLICANS USED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE FAKE IMAGES OF MIGRANTS AT THE BORDER TO FEAR-MONDER ABOUT A SECOND BIDEN TERM

May 2023: The Republican National Committee Released A 30-Second Ad Responding To President Joe Biden’s Announcement That He Would Seek Reelection In 2024. “Now, a transformative and largely untested technology looks set to revolutionize political campaigning: artificial intelligence. But the computer-generated content, which blurs the line between fact and fiction, is raising concerns ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The Republican National Committee threw down the gauntlet last week when it released a 30-second advertisement responding to President Joe Biden’s official announcement that he would seek reelection in 2024.” [CNN, 5/2/23]

The Ad Used AI Technology To Create Fake Foreboding Images Of Migrants Flooding Across The US Border. “The ad, uploaded to YouTube, imagined a dystopian United States after the reelection of the 46th president, presenting stark images of migrants flooding across the US border, a city on lockdown with soldiers on the streets, and Chinese jets raining bombs on Taiwan. But none of the foreboding images in the video were real – they were all created using AI technology.” [CNN, 5/2/23]

House Republicans Praise Cruel Political Stunts That Take Advantage Of Vulnerable Migrants

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S BORDER REPORT HIGHLIGHTED TEXAS AND FLORIDA’S GOVERNORS FOR USING MIGRANTS IN POLITICAL STUNTS

The House Homeland Security Republicans’ Report Highlighted Governors That Used Migrants In Political Stunts. “In the wake of daily surges of illegal aliens across the border and the limited capacity to handle them, several states—led by Texas, Arizona, and Florida—have had little choice but to transport those aliens out of their states to other locales, particularly sanctuary states and cities. This costs states even more money. Thousands of illegal aliens have been bussed and flown out of these states, and costs have varied depending on the state.23” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

HEADLINE: “DeSantis Defends Martha’s Vineyard Migrant Flights After Texas Investigation Opens” [NPR, 9/20/22]
HEADLINE: “DeSantis To Continue Migrant Flights To Democratic States” [Associated Press, 10/15/22]
HEADLINE: “With Migrant Flights, DeSantis Shows Stoking Outrage Is The Point” [New York Times, 6/7/23]
HEADLINE: “Sheriff Files Criminal Charges Over Florida’s Transport Of Migrants From San Antonio To Massachusetts” [Texas Tribune, 6/5/23]
HEADLINE: “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Promises To Keep Busing Migrants To Democratic Cities” [NBC News, 5/1/23]

HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRAISED FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS AND TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT FOR USING VULNERABLE MIGRANTS IN POLITICAL STUNTS

Rep. Andy Biggs Tweeted In Support Of Migrants Being Flown To Martha’s Vineyard And The U.S. Naval Observatory. “The pictures are hard to look at. Images of bewildered looking men and women and children, even, shipped off to posh Martha’s Vineyard and dropped off outside the gates of the U.S. Naval Observatory that is home to Vice President Kamala Harris. […] The stunt was all the rage on Fox News and the subject of high fives among Republicans from sea to shining sea. Red-state governors, sticking it to those liberal elitists. ‘If they refuse to go to the border, bring the border to them,’ Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted.” [Arizona Central, 9/15/22]

Andy Biggs Tweeted “Busing” Of Migrants “Had To Happen” As Country Faces “An Invasion.” On Biggs’ Twitter he posted: “Busing illegal aliens to Barack Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard and Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington had to happen. Democrat leaders must step down from their ivory towers and get with reality. Our nation is facing an invasion and it requires acknowledgment and action.” [Twitter, Andy Biggs, 9/15/22]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Called Ron DeSantis’ Migrant Flights “Funny.” “The far-right Georgia Republican’s remarks to a local GOP group were published Thursday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. GOP Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida have been applauded by their conservative bases for relocating migrants to liberal enclaves, while critics denounced their efforts as cruel stunts carried out for political gain. Greene said she opposed the transportation of migrants across the country for other reasons, but said that the situation was still ‘funny.’” [Newsweek, 10/27/22]

Marjorie Taylor Greene Said Migrant Drop Offs Made “Great Headlines.” ‘“Now, I know it makes great headlines on Fox News, and we laugh about it and it’s funny when we see busloads get dropped off, like in Martha’s Vineyard, we’re, like, ‘Ha ha ha.’ You know?’ Greene said at the Whitfield County Republican Party headquarters in rural northwest Georgia. ‘Or we see them dropped off in front of Kamala Harris’ house, and we’re like, ‘Oh, the border czar, should she care now.’” [Newsweek, 10/27/22]

Rep. Byron Donalds Said He Was Glad Ron DeSantis Flew Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard To Show How “Simple” Democrats Are. In a Fox News Interview Donalds said, “No, hypocrisy has been happening the whole time whether it was New York or D.C. That hypocrisy has been there. I think what’s made it ten times more interesting is that Martha’s Vineyard is literally the Democrats’ elite enclave. That’s like their place. And so to see how even the people who their policies, that come into this country, that they don’t want them there, that they’re quick to ship them off, as soon as they possibly can, of course it’s a hypocrisy, Guess what? I’m glad Ron DeSantis did it because now people are starting to see that the Democrats are very very simple actually. ‘They say all the nice things. They say all the things that make you feel good. But in the back door, when the world is shut off from you, they don’t want to deal with the consequences of their policy. It’s that simple.”’ [Fox News, 9/21/22]

Rep. Chip Roy Called Flying Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard A “Good Move” After Seeing The Nation’s Reaction. “People talk about ‘Oh, Gov. Abbott and Gov. DeSantis, they’re using humans as political pawns by sending people to D.C. and New York and Martha’s Vineyard,’” the Republican told attendees at the luncheon. “And I gotta be honest, I kind of thought those things were a little gimmicky when it first occurred. But I saw the reaction to it and I was like, it’s a good move, because it woke up the country to what we’re experiencing every day in Texas,” said Roy, who faces Democrat Claudia Andreana Zapata in the Nov. 8 general in his bid for a third term.” [San Antonio Report, 10/7/22]

REP. WESLEY HUNT EVEN FUNDRAISED OFF OF THE STUNTS

In A Fundraising Email About Ron DeSantis’ Migrant Flights, Rep. Wesley Hunt Said It Was Time “Radical Democrats” Face “Consequences.” “For months, top Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbot and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have been shipping captured border crossers, many of them asylum seekers, to more liberal locations. The purpose seems to be to prove that Democrats also secretly fear immigrants and are hypocritically making Republicans deal with the problem. ‘So-called ‘Border Czar Kamala Harris had the gall to tell Texans like myself – and the nation – that the border was completely secure,” said Texas congressional candidate Wesley Hunt in a fundraising email Tuesday morning. ‘So, what did we do down here in Texas? We shipped the border up to her front door in Washington. It’s time these radical Democrats faced the consequences of their own disastrous agenda.’” [Reform Austin, 9/20/22]

House Republicans Fundraised Off The Fentanyl Crisis And Accusing Biden Of Pushing An “Open Border Agenda”

5/23/23: Rep. Chip Roy Fundraised Off The Expiration Of Title 42 And His Push To Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. According to a fundraising email sent by Chip Roy’s congressional campaign: “Since Title 42 expired, there have been over 21,000 migrants released into the United States, with 4,000 more coming every single day. Alejandro Mayorkas knew this was coming. He willfully lied to the American people when he told us he had operational control of the border. He has put our nation – and the migrants seeking to come here – in danger. He should be held accountable and impeached immediately. << Chip in to help us keep fighting for secure borders by making a quick donation to our campaign >> Secretary Mayorkas is the tip of the spear for Biden’s failed policies. He’s lied to me. He’s lied under oath. Texans are dying. Cartels are empowered. The House of Representatives should hold him and the failed Biden Administration accountable. It’s time to Impeach Mayorkas. For Liberty, Chip Roy U.S. Congressman, TX-21.” [Chip Roy for Congress, Fundraising Email, 5/23/23]

5/5/23: Rep. Russell Fry Fundraised Off The Fentanyl Crisis And Securing The Southern Border. “Two milligrams! The fraction of a penny! This is all it takes for fentanyl to kill an adult male. But because of Biden and the Democrats’ catastrophic handling of the Border Crisis, thousands of pounds are flooding into our neighborhoods, killing thousands of Americans every year. I’m urging you to sign the petition supporting the Republican plan to crack down on cartels, secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities.” [Facebook, Russell Fry, 5/5/23]

3/30/23: Jim Jordan Sent A Fundraising Email For Russell Fry And Said Fry Was “One Of The Strongest Conservatives Helping Lead The Investigations Into The Administration’s Failed Open Border Agenda.” “I’m on my way down to South Carolina before our first FEC Quarterly deadline of the election because Democrats have put a major target on Russell Fry’s back. Russell has been one of the strongest Conservatives helping lead the investigations into the administration’s failed open border agenda and the weaponization of the federal government to silence Conservatives. Leftist megadonors and special interest groups are cutting multi-million-dollar checks targeting Republicans like Russell. If he’s outraised in this first quarter, our investigations and our Republican Majority will be in serious jeopardy. The next two days are critical. I’m urging you to join me by stepping up with an End-of-Quarter contribution of $5, $25, $50, or more to help Russell fight back. Friday’s FEC deadline is our first test. We can’t give the Democrats any momentum this early in the race. I hope we can count on you to stand with Russell before our deadline expires. Thank you, Jim Jordan” [Russell Fry for Congress, Fundraising Email, 3/30/23]

5/11/23: In A Fundraising Email Endorsing Former President Trump’s Candidacy, Rep. Jim Jordan Cited Border Security As A Reason To Endorse Trump.

[Jim Jordan for Congress, Fundraising Email, 5/11/23]

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE FUNDRAISED OFF WHAT REPUBLICANS ALLEGED WAS A “BORDER CRISIS”

June 2023: The Republican National Committee Sent A Fundraising Email Invoking What Republicans Alleged Was A “Border Crisis.”

[Republican National Committee, Fundraising Email, 6/11/23]

MAGA Republicans Use The Border To Advance Their Own Political Ends

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S BORDER REPORT TOUTED HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY’S PHOTO-OP AT THE BORDER WHERE HE CALLED TO REMOVE DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS

HEADLINE: “GOP’s McCarthy Threatens To Impeach Mayorkas Over Border” [Associated Press, 11/22/22]

The House Homeland Security Republicans’ Report Highlighted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Calling On DHS Secretary Mayorkas To Resign While Doing A Photo-Op At The Border. “On. Nov. 22, 2022, then-incoming Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Mayorkas to resign over his handling of the border or face the full weight of congressional oversight. ‘If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action, and every failure to determine whether we can begin an impeachment inquiry,’ he declared at a press conference in El Paso, Texas.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

HOUSE REPUBLICAN BORDER PHOTO-OPS SHOWCASE THE MYTH THAT THEY WANT BORDER SECURITY

Washington Post’s Paul Waldman: “It’s A Myth That MAGA Republicans Want ‘Border Security’ That Is Genuinely Achievable Or See The Border As A Policy Problem To Be Solved In Any Meaningful Sense.” “The fantasy that the border is constantly in chaos has become a marker of MAGA identity. It’s a myth that MAGA Republicans want ‘border security’ that is genuinely achievable or see the border as a policy problem to be solved in any meaningful sense. The border crisis, or at least the version that Greene and her cohorts keep invoking, exists largely in the collective MAGA imagination.” [Washington Post, Paul Waldman, 5/19/23]

HEADLINE: “Some In Border Communities ‘Tired Of Photo Ops’ Ahead Of Congressional Visit” [KENS 5, 3/25/21]
HEADLINE: “House Republicans Turn Southern Border Into Second Campus” [The Hill, 2/17/23]

America’s Voice: “Instead Of Actually Legislating, The Speaker Is Doing Yet Another Border Photo Op To Send A Message To His MAGA Critics That He’s Opposed To Immigration As Much As They Are And Get Himself On Fox News.” “Douglas Rivlin, director of communications for immigration advocacy group America’s Voice, argues the GOP border visits serve largely as dog whistles to what he calls MAGA Republican extremism. ‘So instead of actually legislating, the speaker is doing yet another border photo op to send a message to his MAGA critics that he’s opposed to immigration as much as they are and get himself on Fox News,’ said Rivlin, a former Democratic congressional staffer. ‘Nativism has become the heart of MAGA Republicanism and the speaker and the Republican Party are in their grips.’” [NPR, 2/16/23]

Washington Post’s Paul Waldman: “Unlike Media Events That Bring Useful Attention To An Issue, When Politicians Prance Around At The Border It Makes Actual Reform Less Likely, Not More.” “House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s trip to the border on Tuesday was a reminder: No stage outside of Washington is more regularly ascended by costumed congressmembers than the southern border. But unlike media events that bring useful attention to an issue, when politicians prance around at the border it makes actual reform less likely, not more.” Washington Post, Paul Waldman, 11/23/22]

Washington Post’s Paul Waldman: “If A Politician Preens On The Border And No One Records It, It Makes No Sound.” “If you are a member of Congress headed to the United States’ southern border, you will need a few things. A camera crew, of course — if a politician preens on the border and no one records it, it makes no sound. Comfortable shoes are a must, since you might climb down to the shore of the Rio Grande to gaze determinedly into Mexico, and you don’t want to slip in your wingtips.” [Washington Post, Paul Waldman, 11/23/22]

WHILE THEY POSE FOR PHOTOS AT THE BORDER, REPUBLICANS’ “OPEN BORDERS” RHETORIC COULD ACTUALLY BE MAKING THINGS WORSE…

HEADLINE: “How the Right’s “Open Borders” Myth Might Be Fueling the Migration Crisis” [Vanity Fair, 3/24/23]

Human Smugglers Reportedly Frequently Promote “Open Borders” To Drive Up Business From Migrants Looking Desperately For A Way Into The United States. “Just how this misinformation is reaching migrants is not entirely clear. But it’s well known that human smugglers, who ferry migrants across the border for a fee, have widely promoted the “open borders” lie as a way of driving business, according to Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, a nonprofit that works with migrants. ‘Smugglers are constantly peddling that type of misinformation because they’re looking to feed their bottom line,’ he said, noting that traffickers falsely advertise ‘open’ crossings to migrants desperate for a way into the US.” [Vanity Fair, 3/24/23]

Executive Director Of America’s Voice, Vanessa Cardenas, Accused The GOP Of Being The Best Open Border “Propaganda Machine” And Said The Impact Of Disinformation On Migrants Provided Smugglers The Ability To Recruit And Encourage Irregular Migration. “Vanessa Cardenas, the executive director of America’s Voice, said that she, too, has heard accounts of migrants receiving misinformation about the porousness of the border from social media and smugglers. “The best ‘open border’ propaganda machine is, in fact, the GOP,” she said in an interview. “We know the impact this disinformation has on migrants, who largely get information through online platforms. And we know that smugglers take this information and use it for their own purposes––to recruit and encourage irregular migration.” [Vanity Fair, 3/24/23]

…AND THEY’VE EVEN SUGGESTED STARTING A WAR WITH MEXICO AS A SOLUTION TO THE FENTANYL CRISIS

HEADLINE: “These Republicans Want Drone Strikes on Mexico” [Daily Beast, 3/17/23]

Rep. James Comer Claimed Not Bombing Fentanyl And Crystal Meth Labs Across The Southern Border “Was A Mistake” And Did Not Understand Why The Military Didn’t Let President Trump Do It. “Pompeo claimed to have lobbied for drone strikes on America’s neighbor during the Trump administration. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, also bemoaned on Fox News last week that the Trump administration had not bombed drug labs across the border. ‘One of the things we learned post-Trump presidency is that he had ordered a bombing of a couple of fentanyl labs, crystal meth labs, in Mexico, just across the border, and for whatever reason the military didn’t do it,’ Comer said on Tuesday. ‘I think that was a mistake.’” [Daily Beast, 3/18/23]

FACT CHECKERS FOUND GOP CLAIMS THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN DISMANTLED BORDER SECURITY AND PROMOTED OPEN BORDERS WERE “FALSE”

HEADLINE: “Joe Biden Doesn’t Have An ‘Open Border’ Policy, So Why Do Republicans Say Otherwise?” [Newsweek, 1/24/22]

Politifact Rated A Republican Claim That “Biden And Democrats Have Dismantled Border Security” As “False.” “Laxalt claimed, ‘Biden and Democrats have dismantled border security.’ Immigrant encounters have drastically increased over the past two years, but not because of funding or staffing cuts. The budgets for border security under the Biden administration are comparable to those under Trump. Border Patrol staffing has remained fairly consistent despite long-term hiring and retention challenges. And border laws and policies to prevent immigrants from remaining in the U.S. continue to be enforced under Biden’s presidency. The Biden administration stopped building additional miles of barriers at the southwest border; however, Biden did not order a dismantling of the barriers built under Trump or other administrations. Biden’s administration has used previously appropriated funds to repair barriers and close gaps that have become popular areas for immigrants to cross into the U.S. We rate this claim False.” [Politifact, 11/3/22]

Politifact Found Conservative Claim That The U.S. Southern Border Was “Now Open To Anyone From Anywhere In The World” After Biden Became President As “False.” “Pirro said the southern U.S. border ‘is now open to anyone from anywhere in the world who wishes to enter our country.’ That’s wrong. Large numbers of migrants are attempting to cross the border, but it is not open to anyone who wants to enter the U.S., regardless of their background. Most of the encounters that CBP recorded at the border in February resulted in quick expulsions under the same public health-related authority that was invoked under the Trump administration. We rate this statement False.” [Politifact, 3/23/21]

The House Homeland Security GOP’s Report About The Border Repeatedly Cited Designated Hate Groups

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S REPORT ABOUT THE BORDER REPEATEDLY CITED THE CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About Southwest Border Migrants. “28 Andrew Arthur, ‘Biden’s Released at Least 2,020,522 Southwest Border Migrants,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, April 17, 2023, https://cis.org/Arthur/Bidens-Released-Least-2020522-Southwest-Border-Migrants.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About A Congressional Spending Bill. “38 Andrew Arthur, ‘Massive Spending Bill Includes $785 Million to Feed, House, and Transport Migrants,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, December 30, 2022, https://cis.org/Arthur/Massive-Spending-Bill-Includes-785-Million-Feed-House-and-Transport-Migrants.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About The Southern Border. “208 Andrew Arthur, ‘RGV Border Disaster: Demoralized Agents, Angry and Despondent Residents,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, April 13, 2022, https://cis.org/Arthur/RGV-Border-Disaster-Demoralized-Agents-Angry-and-Despondent-Residents” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About The Border. “210 Andrew Arthur, ‘Biden’s Border Fiasco Costing Local Taxpayers Billions,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, May 4, 2023, https://cis.org/Arthur/Bidens-Border-Fiasco-Costing-Local-Taxpayers-Billions.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About Border Crossings. “34 Todd Bensman, ‘Legalizing Border Crossing for All: The Next Stage of Biden’s Migration Crisis,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, November 21, 2022, https://cis.org/Bensman/Legalizing-Border-Crossing-All-Next-Stage-Bidens-Migration-Crisis.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Center For Immigration Studies About Cartels At The Southern Border. “96 Todd Bensman, ‘Overwhelmed Mexican Alien-Smuggling Cartels Use Wristband System to Bring Order to Business,’ The Center for Immigration Studies, March 2, 2021, https://cis.org/Bensman/Overwhelmed-Mexican-AlienSmuggling-Cartels-Use-Wristband-System-Bring-Order-Business. 97 Ibid.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

The Southern Poverty Law Center Has Designated The Center For Immigration Studies As A Hate Group Because Of Its Extreme Anti-Immigrant Work And Repeated Circulation Of White Nationalist Writers

Southern Poverty Law Center Designated The Center For Immigration Studies A Hate Group Because Of Its Extreme Anti-Immigrant Work And Repeated Circulation Of White Nationalist And Anti-Semitic Writers. “While CIS and its position within the Tanton network have been on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) radar for years, what precipitated listing CIS as an anti-immigrant hate group for 2016 was its repeated circulation of white nationalist and antisemitic writers in its weekly newsletter and the commissioning of a policy analyst who had previously been pushed out of the conservative Heritage Foundation for his embrace of racist pseudoscience. These developments, its historical associations and its record of publishing reports that hype the criminality of immigrants are why CIS is labeled an anti-immigrant hate group.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 4/25/22]

Southern Poverty Law Center Said The Center For Immigration Studies Had Connections To Former Trump Advisor Stephen Miller, Who In College Collaborated With White Nationalist Richard Spencer To Bring Another White Nationalist To Campus For An Immigration Debate. “More recently, CIS has been in the headlines for its connections to former Trump Administration adviser Stephen Miller, a man who in college collaborated with white nationalist Richard Spencer to bring another white nationalist, Peter Brimelow, onto campus for a debate on immigration. Miller was instrumental in pushing for anti-immigrant policies in the Trump White House, regularly drawing from CIS. In early 2017, Miller made the rounds on national media defending the Trump administration’s Muslim ban by citing the CIS.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 4/25/22]

Center For Immigration Studies Reports And Blog Posts Have Been Widely Discredited And Debunked, Including By The Conservative CATO Institute. “CIS reports and blog pieces have also been widely discredited and debunked by such groups as the Immigration Policy Center and CATO Institute, which criticized CIS in 2015 for exaggerating immigrant welfare use. But a number of publications also contain bigoted language demonizing immigrants from all walks of life and making a mockery of CIS’s ‘pro-immigrant’ tagline.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 4/25/22]

House Judiciary Republicans Previously Relied On A Witness Who Worked At The Same Designated Hate Group

4/26/23: Center For Immigration Studies Director Of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughn Testified To The House Judiciary Committee. “The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement will hold a hearing on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET. The hearing, ‘The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children,’ will examine the unprecedented surge of unaccompanied alien children at the southwest border and how open-border policies enable the exploitation of those children. WITNESSES: Tara Lee Rodas, Health and Human Services Whistleblower, Federal Inspector General Employee Sheena Rodriguez, Founder and President, Alliance for a Safe Texas Jessica Vaughn, Director of Policy Studies, Center for Immigration Studies.” [U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, Hearing, 4/26/23]

2012: Jessica Vaughan Spoke At The Social Contract Writers Workshop, Which Was Known To Attract White Nationalists. “Both Krikorian and his staff are regular attendees at the TSC Writers Workshop, which also attracts white nationalists, and their writings regularly appear in TSC. In 2016, CIS fellow John Miano spoke at the gathering, while Krikorian did the year before, and Jessica Vaughan, CIS’s director of policy studies, spoke in 2012. Krikorian has four pieces published in TSC, and Steve Camarota, the CIS director of research, is published there three times. CIS fellow Don Barnett and CIS board members Frank Morris, and William Chip as well as former member Vernon Briggs are also published in TSC.” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 4/25/22]
February 2017: Washington Post Gave “Three Pinocchios” To Research Jessica Vaughan Created That Was Cited By White House Senior Policy Advisor Steve Miller. “Back in February, The Washington Post gave three Pinocchios to a claim Vaughan made — later repeated by White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller — that 72 individuals from the countries listed in President Trump’s original travel ban had been linked to terrorist activity.” [Oregon Live, 4/11/17]

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S REPORT ABOUT THE BORDER CITED THE FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM (FAIR)

House Homeland Security Republicans Cited A Report By The Federation For American Immigration Reform (FAIR). “209 ‘The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration On United States Taxpayers 2023,’ The Federation for American Immigration Reform, https://www.fairus.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/Fiscal%20Burden%20of%20Illegal%20Immigration%20on%20American%20Taxpayers%202023%20WEB_0.pdf” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

The Southern Poverty Law Center Has Designated The Federation For American Immigration Reform (FAIR) As A Hate Group Because Its Leaders Have Ties To White Supremacist Groups And Eugenicists

Southern Poverty Law Center Designated The Federation For American Immigration Reform (FAIR) As A Hate Group Because Of Its Leaders’ Ties To White Supremacist Groups And Eugenicists And Because They Have Made Many Racist Statements. “FAIR leaders have ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists and have made many racist statements. Its advertisements have been rejected because of racist content. FAIR’s founder, the late John Tanton, has expressed his wish that America remain a majority-white population: a goal to be achieved, presumably, by limiting the number of nonwhites who enter the country. One of the group’s main goals is upending the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended a decades-long, racist quota system that limited immigration mostly to northern Europeans. FAIR President Dan Stein has called the Act a ‘mistake.’” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 6/14/23]

Southern Poverty Law Center Said FAIR Founder John Taunton Expressed That He Wanted The United States To Be A Majority-White Country By Presumably Limiting The Number Of Non-White People Who Enter The Country. “FAIR leaders have ties to white supremacist groups and eugenicists and have made many racist statements. Its advertisements have been rejected because of racist content. FAIR’s founder, the late John Tanton, has expressed his wish that America remain a majority-white population: a goal to be achieved, presumably, by limiting the number of nonwhites who enter the country. One of the group’s main goals is upending the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended a decades-long, racist quota system that limited immigration mostly to northern Europeans. FAIR President Dan Stein has called the Act a ‘mistake.’” [Southern Poverty Law Center, Accessed 6/14/23]

The House Homeland Security GOP’s Report Cited A MAGA Group

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S REPORT ON THE BORDER CITED THE AMERICA FIRST POLICY INSTITUTE

The House Homeland Security Republicans’ Report Cited A Report By The America First Policy Institute About The FY 2024 Budget And Immigration. “61 Kristen Ziccarelli, ‘Expert Insight: Biden Administration Deprioritizes Criminal Alien Deportation in FY 24 Budget,’ America First Policy Institute Center for Homeland Security and Immigration, April 11, 2023, https://americafirstpolicy.com/latest/print/expert-insight-biden-administration-deprioritizes-criminal-alien-deportation-in-fy24-budget.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

American First Policy Institute Was Created By Former Trump Advisors And Described As A Trump White House In Waiting

Former Trump Advisors Created The America First Policy Institute As A “White House In Waiting” For Trump “Who Famously Can’t Get Over The Past.” “Rollins, Kudlow and others haven’t discarded their project, though. Instead, they turned it into a blueprint for a new non-profit, the America First Policy Institute, often described as a ‘White House in waiting.’ And now, they’re taking on another task: turning that White House-in-waiting into an actual forward-looking platform for a movement, led by Trump, who famously can’t get over the past. Trump returns to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday — his first visit since leaving in disgrace after Jan. 6 — to deliver the keynote address for AFPI’s America First Agenda Summit. As the ex-president is poised to announce a 2024 run, his allies are eager for him to use the occasion to press pause of his grievances about 2020 and begin to lay out a game plan for 2024.” [Politico, 7/25/22]

Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner Were Reportedly Informal Advisors To The America First Policy Institute. “A constellation of Trump administration stars today will launch the America First Policy Institute, a 35-person nonprofit group with a first-year budget of $20 million and the mission of perpetuating former President Trump’s populist policies. Why it matters: Two top Trump alumni tell me AFPI is by far the largest pro-Trump outside group, besides Trump’s own Florida-based machine. In the coming months, the group plans to take a large office space near the U.S. Capitol as a symbol that it’ll fight to be a muscular, well-heeled center of the future of conservatism. I’m told that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are informal advisers.” [Axios, 4/13/21]
America First Policy Institute Had Held At Least Two Events With Trump, A Fundraising Event At Mar-A-Lago And Another Event At Bedminster. “The group held two events with Mr. Trump at his properties — a fund-raising gala at Mar-a-Lago in November, and an event at Bedminster in July with Ms. Bondi to promote a lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump against tech companies that barred or limited his use of their platforms — and it is planning twice-a-year policy summits around the country.” [New York Times, 1/4/22]

America First Policy Institute Supported An Election Conspiracy Group In Montana That Sued A County Elections Office Over The 2020 Election

HEADLINE: “Trump-Backed GOP Group Sues Missoula County For ’20 Election, Despite No Evidence Of Fraud” [Daily Montanan, 7/7/22]

America First Policy Institute Supported An Election Conspiracy Group That Sued The Missoula County, MT Elections Office Over The 2020 Election. “An election-conspiracy group backed by a Trump-related think-tank is suing the Missoula County elections office over the 2020 election, even after local Republicans found no evidence of fraud. A week ago, John R. Lott and the Missoula County Election Integrity Project filed a complaint in Missoula County District Court against the Missoula County Elections Office for disposing video recordings and certain documents related to the November 2020 vote count. However, in previous challenges, the Elections Office has stated it followed Montana law and the group failed to make its request before the state deadline. […] The Missoula County Election Integrity Project lawsuit is being supported by the Washington, D.C.-based think-tank, America First Policy Institute. The America First Policy Institute was started by group of 40 former Trump administration officials three months after Trump left office, according to TheHill.com. Institute attorney Joshua J. Campbell is listed on the court documents and was the Trump campaign’s legal advisor during the 2016 campaign.” [Missoula Current, 7/6/22]

Despite Fear-mongering About The Border, House Republicans Voted Against Funding For Border Patrol And Some Called To “Stop Funding” For DHS

THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY GOP’S REPORT CLAIMED THERE WAS A DECREASED LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE AT THE BORDER

The House Homeland Security Republicans’ Report Complained About An Alleged Decreased Presence Of Border Patrol Agents And Other Law Enforcement At The Border. “Law enforcement veterans, local officials, and national security experts agree that the decreased presence of Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement has yielded this control of the United States’ sovereign border to the cartels.” [U.S. Committee on Homeland Security Republicans, Report, 6/14/23]

DECEMBER 2022: REP. JAMES COMER SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO “CUT OFF ALL FUNDING” FOR BORDER SECURITY

HEADLINE: “Key GOP Rep Wants to ‘Cut Off All Funding’ for Border Security” [Daily Beast, 12/20/22]

James Comer Said He Would “Love To Cut Off All Funding For Everything” In Regards To Discussing Border Security. “‘That’s a great point. You know, everything is about more money for the Biden administration,’ Comer replied. ‘When they say the Republicans haven’t funded this—we would love to cut off all funding for everything and have a discussion about how to secure this border.’” [Daily Beast, 12/20/22]

REP. CHIP ROY CALLED TO “STOP FUNDING” THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Chip Roy Said He Would Support Cutting Funding For The Department Of Homeland Security. “Similarly, one of the chief hard-right negotiators of the speakership deal, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), on Monday pointed to another large federal agency that he argued should be in line for cuts: the Department of Homeland Security.” [Washington Post, 1/10/23]

Chip Roy Said The United States Would Have To “Stop Funding” The Department Of Homeland Security To Secure The Border Of The United States. “But Roy’s line of reasoning appears to be pretty new for a GOP lawmaker. ‘So it’s time right now for the House majority to do our job,’ Roy said, ‘and we’re going to have to stop funding a Department of Homeland Security that refuses to secure the border of the United States.’” [Washington Post, 1/10/23]

Rep. Chip Roy Was Even Willing To Hold The Debt Ceiling Hostage And Risk A Government Shutdown Over Construction Of Trump’s Border Wall

Rep. Chip Roy Said He Was Willing To Hold The Debt Ceiling Hostage And Risk A Government Shutdown Over Construction Of A Wall On The U.S. Southern Border. “Key GOP lawmakers are signaling they want border policies in the mix as congressional leadership and the White House try to negotiate a debt ceiling deal, the day after Republicans passed a sweeping border and immigration bill. It was a GOP wishlist that included restarting construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and placing new restrictions on asylum seekers. ‘We passed the bill that I think does the job. … And by the way, I think this is now a central part of any debt ceiling or spending debate for the remainder of the year,’ Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said in an interview on Friday. ‘Every day that the President continues to dilly dally, in my mind, the price goes up, not down. … You want a debt ceiling increase? You want to go fund the operations of government? Then fix the damn border, Mr. President,’ Roy added.” [Politico, 5/12/23]

HOUSE REPUBLICANS TALK TOUGH ABOUT THE BORDER, BUT VOTE AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT FUNDS BORDER SECURITY

Every Republican Member Of The House Homeland Security Committee, Who Was In Office At The Time, Voted Against Increasing Border Patrol Funding By 17 Percent For FY 2023

The FY 2023 Appropriations Bill Included A 17 Percent Increase For Border Patrol, Including Funding For 300 New Border Patrol Agents, And A 12 Percent Funding Increase For Customs And Border Protection. “Border security: Border Patrol is in line for a whopping 17% funding boost, which includes the funding for 300 new Border Patrol agents that the Biden administration had repeatedly stressed as necessary to handle the record-high numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. If Border Patrol is unable to meet the hiring goal, it can use the funds on other efforts to boost morale. Customs and Border Protection would see its regular funding increase by 12%, though it would see a separate, one-time appropriation of $1.6 billion to address the uptick at the border.” [Government Executive, 12/20/22]

Nearly Every Republican Member Of The House Homeland Security Committee, Who Was In Office At The Time, Voted Against Providing Billions To Improve Border Patrol Infrastructure

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Provided $430 Million To Help Customs And Border Protection Build And Modernize Land Ports Of Entry And For Equipment And Fixtures For Operations, As Well At $3 Billion For Investments In Border Patrol Stations And Land Ports Of Entry. “The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, delivers historic investments in the Nation’s crumbling infrastructure and, in doing so, creates millions of jobs and provides much-needed relief to disadvantaged communities across the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will receive significant funds to advance its work on behalf of the American people. The bipartisan bill delivers almost $8 billion to DHS, including: $430 million to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the construction and modernization of land ports of entry and equipment and fixtures for operations. […] In addition, the General Services Administration will receive more than $3 billion for critical investments in CBP’s Border Patrol stations and land ports of entry.” [U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Press Release, 11/15/21]

House Republican Demanded The Impeachment Of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas As A Concession For Not Letting The Economy Collapse

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREEN SAID SHE WANTED THE IMPEACHMENT OF A BIDEN OFFICIAL IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE BIPARTISAN DEBT CEILING COMPROMISE

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Said She Would Vote For The Bipartisan Compromise On The Debt Ceiling, Which She Called A “Shit Sandwich,” If She Could Get The Impeachment Of A Biden Official As Her “Beautiful Dessert.” “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday that she’s inclined to support the bipartisan debt ceiling proposal set to hit the House floor Wednesday, but she first wants to secure a commitment from GOP leaders to move several other proposals in the future, including the impeachment of President Biden or a top cabinet official. ‘If you have to eat a shit sandwich, you want to have sides, OK? It makes it much better,’ Greene told reporters just outside the Capitol office of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). ‘So what I’m looking for is, I’m looking for some sides and some desserts.’ […] Then she named her ‘beautiful dessert.’ ‘Somebody needs to be impeached,’ Greene said. She singled out Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of the Homeland Security Department, as ‘the lowest hanging fruit’ in the eyes of Republicans for his handling of the migrant crisis at the southern border.” [The Hill, 5/30/23]

5/31/23: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Voted In Favor Of Passing The Fiscal Responsibility Act. According to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene voted “aye” on passage of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. [U.S. House Floor, H.R. 3746, Vote 243, 5/31/23]

HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE FILED FOUR ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS SO FAR, MOST RECENTLY FROM REP. CLAY HIGGINS ON JUNE 7TH

House Republicans Have Filed At Least Four Articles Of Impeachment Against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas So Far. “The 55-page report, compiled by Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee, represents the latest step from the conference in a bid to remove Mayorkas from office. There are already at least four articles of impeachment filed against him in the House.” [Roll Call, 6/14/23]

6/7/23: Rep. Clay Higgins Filed Articles Of Impeachment Against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) introduced articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his failure to secure the southern border, dereliction of duty, and wanton disregard for his Constitutional oath. The two articles span fifteen pages, judiciously outlining Secretary Mayorkas’ deliberate actions to transition DHS away from actual enforcement of law, disintegrate the operational control of our southern border and cede U.S. sovereignty to criminal cartels. Further, the articles clearly document Secretary Mayorkas’ abuse of Title 8 authority, which resulted in the unlawful release of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the United States interior.” [Congressman Clay Higgins, Press Release, 6/7/23]