WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., this week joined 36 colleagues in demanding an explanation of how most of the thousands of Haitian migrants recently encamped at the Del Rio, Texas, port of entry were released into the interior of the United States instead of facing removal as the Biden administration previously pledged.

The Senators issued a comprehensive letter that asks Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to explain the disconnect between the administration’s removal pledge and the actual Department of Homeland Security (DHS) handling of the estimated 15,000 migrants that overwhelmed the remote Texas border crossing.

“While we applaud the Administration’s original stated intent to expel the majority of migrants under the CDC’s Title 42 order or to expeditiously remove them, we are concerned that DHS did not actually carry out this plan, deployed resources in a manner that weakened border security, and undermined the deterrent effect of any future statements that the Biden Administration will enforce our immigration laws at the border,” the Senators wrote.

“The administration’s response to the ongoing border crisis only makes it more likely that we will continue to experience surges like the one in Del Rio. In August, despite the summer heat, encounters along the southwest border stood above 200,000 for the second month in a row.  Until DHS consistently enforces our immigration laws to swiftly remove migrants with weak or nonexistent asylum claims, smuggling organizations will continue to prey on these individuals and convince them to undertake the treacherous journey to our southwest border,” the letter concluded.

Led by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), the letter seeks answers to 13 specific questions regarding the handling of the Del Rio border crisis incident.

Read the full letter here.