GOP Questions DHS About Fraud in Migrant Parole System

Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee are pressing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for clarity regarding significant fraud detected in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) parole program for migrants. The CHNV program, which allowed nearly half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. since January 2023, was recently suspended due to allegations of widespread fraudulent activity. Representatives Mark Green, Clay Higgins, and Dan Bishop have formally requested documents from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas concerning the reported fraud. An internal investigation revealed alarming discrepancies, including 100 physical addresses listed multiple times across thousands of applications, with some addresses appearing as many as 739 times. The investigation also identified thousands of applications containing non-existent zip codes and invalid Alien file numbers. The congressmen expressed frustration over a lack of transparency from DHS officials during a briefing on August 5, where they sought answers about the suspension of the CHNV program and the criteria used to identify fraud. They noted that officials from DHS and USCIS failed to adequately address fundamental questions regarding the program's status and the measures in place to prevent further abuse. In light of these findings, the Republican lawmakers are demanding a response from Secretary Mayorkas by August 27, seeking detailed information on the decision to suspend the parole pipeline and the extent of the reported fraud that led to this action.