Rep. Pat Fallon lashed out at Democrats on Thursday over the chaotic border, chiding them for not being willing to take migrants into their own homes.
The Texas Republican also called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “a bum” and said he “richly” deserved the impeachment the House delivered to him earlier this week.
The comments came during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on catch-and-release practices in the Biden administration. Mr. Fallon was particularly irked by Democrats’ witness, Jason Houser, a former Homeland Security official who defended Mr. Mayorkas as someone who has “demonstrated a steadfast commitment to uphold the rule of law,” and a “stalwart” advocate for his department employees.
Mr. Fallon wondered how to square that with Mr. Mayorkas’ accusations of systemic racism against Border Patrol agents after they were accused — falsely — of whipping Haitian migrants.
“Everyone that was there said that didn’t happen, and that lying SOB said it anyway and he threw his Border Patrol agents under the bus. I don’t think that fits my definition of stalwart advocate,” Mr. Fallon said. “The guy’s a bum, and I’m glad he got impeached.”
He went on to challenge Mr. Fallon’s own self-stated calls for compassion for the migrants
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“How many migrants are you housing personally in your home?” the congressman demanded.
“None sir,” Mr. Houser replied.
“Exactly,” Mr. Fallon said. “And I bet you my Democratic colleagues also have that same answer. None.”
Rep. Dan Goldman, New York Democrat, tried to snare one of the GOP’s witnesses, challenging him on Republican claims that President Biden already has the power “to shut down the border.”
Matt O’Brien, a former immigration judge and now director of research at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, said it stems from the same provision then-President Trump used for his travel ban, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in its final iteration.
Mr. O’Brien said the power allows the suspension of certain classes of migrants by presidential proclamation.
Mr. Goldman then wondered why Mr. Trump relied on Title 42 powers during the pandemic to close the border.
Mr. O’Brien said that was a more specific power for a public health emergency, but it didn’t take away from the president’s regular powers.
Mr. Houser countered that a border shutdown “puts a grave risk of death for the migrants.” He also said it would create “operational challenges” for the Border Patrol.
“That’s not a panacea that would solve the problem we’re seeing across the Western Hemisphere,” Mr. Houser said.
Mr. O’Brien, at another point in the hearing, harkened back to his days as an immigration judge, where he ruled on asylum cases and issued deportation orders to those whose cases failed.
He said he tried to find out how many of those he ordered deported actually were ousted. He said he came up empty.
“I could not substantiate that a single individual that I had entered an order of removal against had actually been removed by this administration,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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