Texas Republican calls for Biden administration to end ‘catch and release’ policy

Rep. Patrick Fallon (R-TX.) sent out a press release urging Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to end the Biden administration’s “catch and release” immigration policy. 

In an email sent Tuesday, Fallon said that Mayorkas should end the “disastrous” policy after the Department of Homeland Security instructed the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department to release migrants who were suspected of numerous crimes onto the streets of Fallon’s district. 

“I cannot sit idly by while people in the Department of Homeland Security jeopardize the safety of my constituents,” Fallon said in his email statement. “I urge Secretary Mayorkas to immediately revise the policies of catch and release that are threatening our communities. If there is need for a legislative fix, I stand ready to work with anyone who is willing to close the floodgates and put the lives and safety of American citizens first.”

Fallon added that the administration’s “silence” on the issue is “troubling” and “will only get worse” if the current policies remain in place.

“The Administration’s silence on these issues makes them culpable in human trafficking, drug smuggling, and the violence associated with such crimes. I have no doubt that this situation will only get worse as the administration continues these policies,” he wrote. “I urge you in the strongest way possible to end these practices immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter and I eagerly await your response.”