In an ongoing effort to scrutinize the Harris campaign’s involvement in the border crisis, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed both the vice president and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to learn more about reports of “unaccompanied alien children.”
Kamala Harris and the HHS were subjected to the most recent probe from the committee, which seeks to understand why the Biden administration—which had charged Harris with border security issues early on—had “lost contact” with more than 145,000 migrant children traveling without adult supervision.
The subpoena letter was posted on the House Judiciary GOP X account. The social media post described Harris as the “Border Czar,” a common nickname used by Republicans in reference to her poor track record on safety and security with immigration. It added that Harris and the HHS fell out of communication with thousands of children “after placing them with sponsors,” some of whom were “illegal aliens.”
Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, who leads the committee, issued the subpoena, which is addressed to Xavier Becerra, secretary of the HHS. It highlights the committee’s intention to pursue oversight and accountability regarding immigration law and regulations imposed by the Biden administration.
The letter noted that such surveillance includes looking into the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is a branch of the HHS. This program is specifically responsible for “the care and placement” of immigrant minors who are “unaccompanied” when they are “encountered at the border.”
Additionally, the letter says that the HHS has “repeatedly” been asked for information about the precise number of illegal migrants who have been out of contact with the government. According to Jordan’s team, the agency’s response “has been woefully inadequate.”
Rather than specifically targeting Harris, the subpoena represents a recent trend of paying closer attention to the Democrat’s border record ahead of the highly anticipated presidential election in November, for which border security is a top issue for voters.
The House Judiciary Committee has also scheduled two “Biden-Harris border crisis” hearings to take place in California—where the vice president is from—and Washington, D.C. next week.
