Rutherford Questions Noem on Border Security, 287G, and Deporting Illegals

John Rutherford

Representative John Rutherford (R-FL) discussed border security with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing. They discussed 287(g) and how to get recalcitrant countries to accept illegal aliens deported from the United States.

Rep. Rutherford noted the "amazing speed with which you all turned around the southern border," saying it happened "overnight, it seems."

He then narrowed down the discussion to 287(g), which allows state and local law enforcement to aid in border enforcement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), asking, "What can [Congress] do to help you get more agencies involved? And number two, what do you need from the standpoint of technology? You just mentioned technology; what can we do to help you get those agencies trained and the technology they need to get those databases so that we can actually run these 287(g) programs?"

Noem answered, "We have today, I believe, 598 agreements out there across the country, over 6,200 different officers to work alongside us to protect our communities," adding, "I would say that we are looking for more agreements like that across the country, and we will continue to build on it."

From there, Rep. Rutherford said, "We have 1.2 million deportation orders out there that are waiting for these countries to take them back. I was shocked that under the Biden Administration, Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas claimed he could not send them home because they would not take them."

"But now I understand that you are in charge of DHS, and the State Department is working together, that there has been some change to that. Can you talk a little bit about how that is going?" The Florida Congressman asked.

"The Department of State is the entity that negotiates travel documents and the ability to repatriate people back to their home countries," Noem replied, adding, "And they have done phenomenal work in giving us the opportunity to do that. There are some countries that are still refusing to take their own citizens, and I would reiterate that every single country has a responsibility to take their citizens back, and that has always been something that has been an international commonsense agreement that has existed."