Heitke testifying before congress, credit to cspan2
Contradicting claims of no border crisis despite rising illegal crossings, the Biden/Harris administration ordered officials to remain silent about the dire situation at the southern border. Later, in congressional testimony, the former Border Patrol Chief openly described to congress the severity of the crisis and revealed he had been instructed not to speak publicly about it.
What Happened?
After President Biden rescinded several of President Trump’s executive orders on immigration and made campaign promises to ease border restrictions, the number of illegal border crossings surged under the Biden/Harris administration. Despite the administration’s claims that the border was not in crisis, President Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris as the administration’s “Border Czar.” However, VP Harris and others have since tried to distance themselves from this title, asserting that she was never actually designated as the “Border Czar.”
What He Said
In congressional testimony, Retired Border Patrol Chief Aaron Heitke disclosed that he had been ordered to withhold the actual number of border crossings and details about the individuals crossing. Heitke also stated that as the border became more easily traversed, the number of “Special Interest Aliens” (SIAs) crossing increased significantly, as did the flow of illegal Fentanyl.
An “SIA” is “Special Interest Alien”, an SIA is a non-U.S. person who, based on an analysis of travel patterns, potentially poses a national security risk to the United States or its interests. Often such individuals or groups are employing travel patterns known or evaluated to possibly have a nexus to terrorism. This definition is taken from the Department of Homeland Security website.
The testimony by Heitke also bolsters this reports from Center for Immigration Studies who released this report in October 2023:
But new records released to the Center for Immigration Studies last week as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit reveal that the Biden administration has been authorizing thousands of SIAs for escorted entries through land ports along the border since at least May 2021, using “CBP One” online interfaces such as a mobile phone app. Using this program, the administration has authorized the paroles into the country of some 7,332 SIAs from 24 of the roughly 35-40 U.S.-designated countries, including smatterings from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, but the largest numbers coming from Muslim-majority former Soviet republics in Central Asia such as the Kyrgyz Republic, also known as Kyrgyzstan, (3,852) and Uzbekistan (1,843).1
Center for Immigration Studies
Heike’s testimony reveals that the Biden/Harris administration intentionally misled the American public about the dire situation at the southern border. Despite overwhelming video evidence, congressional investigations, and reports from across the southern border confirming a surge in illegal immigration, the administration downplayed and lied about the severity of the crisis.
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