Cotton to Mayorkas: American people have a right to know who is crossing southern border

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas expressing his concern over the refusal to disclose the nationality of individuals on the FBI’s terror watchlist who illegally crossed the southern U.S. border. Senator Cotton questioned the justification of protecting the “personal privacy” of suspected illegal alien terrorists and suggested that the decision to withhold information is a politically motivated attempt to hide evidence of the Biden-Harris border crisis.  

 Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

September 5, 2024

The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas 

Secretary, Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, D.C. 20528 

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

I write about troubling reports that the Department of Homeland Security is refusing to disclose the nationalities of FBI terror watchlist suspects who illegally crossed the southern border. 

In October 2023, Fox News filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking disclosure of the nationalities of FBI terror watchlist suspects who unlawfully crossed the southern border. A letter denying Fox News’ request stated that your agency is “committed to protecting the identity of individuals” on the terror watchlist, and that the request was an “invasion of personal privacy.” Your agency asserted that the “privacy interests” of illegal-alien terrorists “far outweigh whatever public interest, if any, exists in having their information released.”

Your letter also dubiously claimed that terrorist organizations could exploit nationality information by “infer[ring] a large percentage of its operatives from a particular nationality” raise fewer terrorism red flags. Of course, if the Biden-Harris administration impartially enforced our laws and deported illegal aliens regardless of their origin, terrorists wouldn’t be able to game the system in the manner you describe.

I suspect that the real reason you’re unlawfully withholding this information about terror suspects’ nationalities isn’t due to privacy or security concerns, but rather partisan concerns that it would alarm the American people. Once again, you’re attempting to hide evidence of the Biden-Harris administration’s border crisis.

But the American people have a right to know who is crossing our border, especially when those illegal aliens have ties to terrorism. And that right, contrary to your bizarre assertion, “far outweighs” the privacy rights of illegal aliens suspected of terrorism. Honestly, I can’t believe I even have to write that sentence.

Congress has an oversight interest in this information as well. Therefore, please provide my office with the information sought in the Freedom of Information Act request made by Fox News no later than September 10.

Sincerely,

____________________

Tom Cotton

United States Senator

Gov. Sanders opposes DOD's proposal to weaken states' powers over National Guard

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

In a letter to the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the National Governors Association expressed their displeasure with the department’s proposed legislation to Congress to weaken the authority that governors have over the National Guard.

Fifty-three governors from the states and U.S territories signed onto the letter. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders was among the governors to sign onto the letter. The letter explains that this proposal would make it more difficult for governors to respond to crises. Last year, Sanders activated the Arkansas National Guard to help local officials respond to the tornado in Central Arkansas. She also deployed the National Guard to the Southern Border.

Gov. Sanders opposes DOD's proposal to weaken states' powers over National Guard

Arkansas National Guard

Governor Hutchinson Authorizes 90-Day Deployment Of Up To 40 National Guard Members to U.S. Southern Border

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson has authorized a 90-day deployment of up to 40 members of the Arkansas National Guard to Texas to assist with security at the state’s border with Mexico.

“I have authorized this mission in response to an official request from Texas on the urgent matter at our southern border,” Governor Hutchinson said. “My hope is that our 90 days of support will improve the security of our country and reduce the adverse impact of illegal immigration on Arkansas.”

The 90-day deployment will be consistent with a training mission for the National Guard.