Republicans in the House of Representatives are seeking transparency about the number of foreigners staying illegally in the US

(The Center Square) – A group of 17 Republicans in Congress led by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to provide information on “the total number of illegal aliens currently residing in the United States.” States.”

In a letter to Mayorkas, whom they voted to impeach in February, Republican lawmakers argue: “The American people deserve an accurate count of the number of illegal aliens in the country, especially when federal government policies have ensured that number has increased enormously. since the previous estimate.”

The estimate they refer to was published in April 2021 by the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics: “Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2015-January 2018.” It states that there were 11.4 million illegal aliens in the US between January 2018 and January 2021.

A Pew Research report estimated the total at more than 10.4 million; a Yale-MIT study estimates that number could be as high as 29 million.

More than 11 million foreigners are estimated to have entered the U.S. illegally since January 2021, The Center Square reported, including those who evaded capture, known as “escapees.”

Under Mayorkas, a record number of illegal border crossings are reported each fiscal year, each time breaking previous records. More than 1.7 million illegal border crossings were reported in the first six months of fiscal year 2024, the highest number in U.S. history for that period, The Center Square reported.

The coalition estimates that “at least 4.7 million illegal aliens have been released domestically under the Biden administration’s policies” and requested that Mayorkas immediately update the 2021 report based on the most recent data available. The number they cite does not include escapes, which are estimated to total more than 2 million as of January 2021, The Center Square reports. Officials explained to The Center Square that outings are underreported by 10% to 20%.

The coalition estimates that “at least 6.5 million illegal aliens have entered the United States since this administration took power.”

They also point to Mayorka’s policies that they say have facilitated the release of an unprecedented number of illegal aliens into the country, including limiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ ability to arrest and remove them; release them from custody rather than physically detain them until their court hearing; and extending temporary protected status and deferred forced departure for nationalities otherwise inadmissible under the law. The House Committee on Homeland Security has designated these directives as illegal in their mission to oust Mayorkas, The Center Square reported.

The coalition is requesting information, including an “updated number of aliens who have evaded capture at the southern, northern, and coastal borders;” how many people have overstayed their visas; how many were paroled and released into the country; and how many are TPS beneficiaries, enrolled in DED, and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The Republican Party representatives also requested information on how many people were released into the domestic US who had received a Notice to Appear or Notice to Report document; how many have been removed from the US; have been ordered removed by an immigration judge but are still in the U.S. illegally; were ordered removed in absentia for failing to show up for an immigration court hearing; and are considered fugitives by ICE.

The coalition includes fellow Texans Brian Babin, Michael Cloud, Morgan Luttrell, Keith Self and Randy Weber. It also includes Representatives Mary Miller of Illinois, Bob Good and Ben Cline of Virginia, Nicole Malliotakis and Anthony D’Esposito of New York, Daniel Webster and Aaron Bean of Florida, Rich McCormick of Georgia, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota and Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin.

After Republicans in the House of Representatives impeached Mayorkas, Senate Democrats rejected the indictment for the first time in Senate history. Last month, as record numbers of illegal entries continued to be reported, Mayorkas admitted that a border crisis exists but remained steadfast in carrying out his policies.