Jordan says they have sought the documents for months
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FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday subpoenaed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for case files of illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes including murder and terrorism.
In a cover letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Chairman Jim Jordan says that the committee has been seeking the alien files (A-files) of 14 illegal immigrants "charged with serious crimes, such as theft, brutal assault, murder, and terrorism-related charges."
"The Committee has followed up on its requests – the vast majority of which have remained outstanding for months on end – regularly and on numerous occasions," Jordan says.
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Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
However, he says that there have only been partial summaries of two A-files produced, with only limited productions. Since then, the committee wrote to DHS in November seeking the outstanding 14 documents, but says it has not received anything.
"Your response without compulsory process has, to date, been woefully inadequate," Jordan says.
Jordan says the Supreme Court has recognized that Congress has broad power to conduct oversight and the committee has jurisdiction to conduct oversight of matters relating to federal immigration law.
12-8 Jordan to Mayorkas on subpoena by Fox News on Scribd
"These potential legislative reforms could include, among other proposals, legislation to enhance the vetting of aliens to ensure criminal aliens are not released into American communities and proposals to end mass catch-and-release. The information the Committee has requested is necessary to inform such potential reforms and to understand DHS’s current application of the immigration laws," he says.
"Accordingly, and in light of your disregard of our earlier voluntary requests, please find attached a subpoena for the requested documents and information," he says. Mayorkas is required by the subpoena to produce the documents to the committee on Jan. 8.
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U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on November 15, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The subpoena marks the latest escalation of efforts by House Republicans to investigate the ongoing crisis at the southern border, where new records have been set for migrant traffic. Republicans have hammered the administration, and specifically Mayorkas, over the crisis -- which they say has been caused by the policies of the administration.
Specifically, they point to an increase in "catch-and-release," reduced interior enforcement, the ending of border wall construction, and other rollbacks of Trump-era policies. House Republicans have introduced and passed their own legislation that would restart border wall construction and limit asylum and the use of parole.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, has said it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and is working within a "broken" system that needs additional funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress.
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The White House has requested over $14 billion in supplemental border funding, but it is currently being negotiated in Congress as Republicans are seeking limits to the use of humanitarian parole by the administration and stricter standards for initial asylum screenings. Democrats have balked at that idea, with some saying it would need to be accompanied by amnesty for some illegal immigrants already in the U.S.
President Biden this week said that he is open to "significant compromises," while Mayorkas has said that some GOP proposals were worthy of consideration while others were not.
The subpoena comes just hours after Judiciary Committee Republicans also pushed for more information on a migrant surge in Texas in Sept. 20, and the cutting of razor wire set up by the state of Texas by federal officials.
Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.
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