First appearance on Fox: House Republican leadership on the Natural Resources Committee is pursuing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) role in placing immigrants on federal land in New York state.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas), and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), chairman of the committee's oversight subcommittee, on Monday. ), he cited interviews with federal officials that confirmed the following: DHS was involved in the decision to house the migrants at Floyd Bennett Field at Gateway National Recreation Area, which is managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
According to the letter, DHS intervened to ensure that Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York, was leased to local governments as immigrant housing, but the land is managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NPS. There is. In an interview, a senior DOI official told Congressional investigators that “we did what DHS asked us to do” when moving forward with the plan last year.
“The Committee is deeply concerned that the Biden administration is leasing NPS land for use as migrant encampments. This use not only violates the National Park Service Organic Act; , has been publicly recognized as legally dangerous by the DOI,” Westerman and Gosar wrote in the letter. Mayorkas.
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House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (left) and Rep. Paul Gosar, the top Republican member of the committee's oversight subcommittee. (Getty Images)
“Additionally, the Committee is concerned about the role that DHS played in that process, particularly as you stated in your letter to Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, and as DOI and NPS officials explained to Committee staff. “We are,” the Republican continued.
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In August, Mayorkas sent a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, hitting back at officials over their handling of New York City's migrant surge, Politico reported at the time. He also pointed to “structural problems” with New York City's crisis response and implored the city and state to accept a lease sent by the DOI for the temporary use of Floyd Bennett Field as immigrant housing. did.
According to Politico, Mayorkas sent a letter to Hochul and Adams stating that “DOI will work to complete the lease as soon as it is ready.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas holds a press conference on January 8 at the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
A few weeks later, on September 15, DOI and local officials signed an agreement to lease a portion of the Floyd Bennett Field property. Authorities then built temporary housing on land along the shores of Jamaica Bay.
But Republican leaders point out that before the decision to lease the property, Hochul said the DOI itself had argued that such an action would likely violate federal law. The governor, who is seeking federal aid to deal with the influx of migrants into the state, said a month earlier that officials had told his office that “we do not authorize the use of shelters on the premises.” He said that he had told him.
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Republicans are also pursuing how the White House Council on Environmental Quality allowed the DOI to bypass the normal environmental review process required by the National Environmental Policy Act. A 1969 law requires federal agencies to review the environmental impacts of projects and proposals on federal lands before approval.
The Biden administration has leased federal land at Floyd Bennett Field at Gateway National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service, to local governments. The property is being used to temporarily house immigrants. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the housing facility being built at Floyd Bennett Field has been heavily criticized by immigrants, calling it inhumane and “like hell,” according to a Venezuelan mother of three interviewed by The City. There is. Thousands of migrants in the camps were evacuated earlier this month and sent to New York City high schools, forcing schools to cancel in-person classes.
Natural Resources Commission's ongoing investigation is ongoing as immigration Flooding continues on the southern border With record numbers, Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to make structural reforms to secure the border.
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During December, Over 302,000 migrants encountered The number of people attempting to cross the US southern border is the highest in a single month ever recorded. Additionally, this number brings the number of encounters in the first quarter of 2024 to 785,000, a record high.
DHS did not respond to requests for comment.
