WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) led a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting information about where illegal immigrants are choosing to go, and what cities they are listing as part of a “current address,” once they receive a Notice To Appear (NTA). Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also joined the letter.

“Sanctuary city policies are dangerous and threaten public safety,” the senators wrote. “Sanctuary cities and jurisdictions simply release dangerous, criminal aliens instead of complying with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests. These policies prevent law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials and allow dangerous, violent criminal aliens to walk free without fear of deportation.”

The senators continued, “This issue is as important as ever given the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants arriving at our southern border. Since President Biden took office, CBP has had nearly 3.5 million encounters with illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. Meanwhile, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz recently announced that agents caught ten illegal immigrant sex offenders, four gang members, and a murderer in just three days. In those same three days, agents seized one hundred fentanyl pills and seventy-one pounds of methamphetamine.”

“We are deeply concerned that sanctuary jurisdictions are serving as a pull factor for illegal immigrants and for criminal aliens. This failure to comply with federal law creates an incentive for illegal immigrants to travel to the United States and avoid accountability by moving to sanctuary jurisdictions,” the senators concluded.

Read the full letter here.

###