Democrats expressed outrage against the Biden administration after the announcement that deportations of migrants from Venezuela would resume.
“We have made a determination it is safe to return Venezuelan nationals who arrived in the United States subsequent to July 31 and do not have a legal basis to remain here,” said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in Mexico City.
“Our two countries are being challenged by an unprecedented level of migration throughout our hemisphere,” he added, referring to the U.S. and Mexico.
Venezuelans accounted for the largest single group of migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border last month, according to immigration officials. Venezuelan government officials said that they would cooperate with the U.S. in order to repatriate those deported back.
“Today’s announcement makes clear that we are committed to strictly enforcing immigration laws and quickly removing individuals who do not avail themselves of these orderly processes and choose to cross our border unlawfully,” read a statement from DHS.
Also on Thursday the administration announced that it would resume a plan from the Trump administration to sidestep environmental regulations and continue construction of the border wall.
Among those critical of the two decisions were Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, also a Democrat.
“I thought, after the Trump administration, we would stop resorting to draconian and inhumane policies to address our challenges at the border,” wrote Menendez. “Instead, the Biden administration continues to take pages from Trump’s anti-immigrant playbook. We should not repeat the mistakes of the past and provide any credibility to a boondoggle like a wall on our southern border. Walls don’t secure our borders and walls don’t reflect our values as a nation.”
He went on to criticize the decision to deport Venezuelans as well.
“The Biden administration has also decided to restart direct repatriations of Venezuelan nationals back to the brutal Maduro regime that continues to oppress its people, erode democratic norms, and circumvent the rule of law,” added Menendez. “That is simply unacceptable. I will not remain silent as Venezuelan nationals who deserve our humanitarian protection remain in limbo while we wring our hands over semantics. These are human beings who deserve refuge in the United States.”
Socialist Democrat Rep. Ocasio-Cortez of New York also excoriated Biden in a statement calling it “cruel” to resume building the border wall and accusing U.S. foreign policy officials of exacerbating the dire situation in Venezuela.
Menendez has also been indicted on federal charges of bribery, along with his wife. He has denied the allegations.
Here’s more about the Venezuelan deportations:
Biden administration is resuming deportation flights for Venezuelan migrants as arrivals growwww.youtube.com
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