More than 50 Republican lawmakers are expressing outrage over the possible use of Department of Veterans Affairs medical personnel in response to a potential increase of migrants.
President Joe Biden is expected to end Title 42 – the Trump-era measure that allowed the deportation of most migrants entering the country – on May 23. That has led to some lawmakers' concern that there will be an increase in migrants at the southern border.
In an April 13 letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the Republican lawmakers said moving Veterans Affairs medical staff away from veteran’s healthcare needs to examine migrants at the southern border is a “recipe for disaster.”
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"Wait times for a veteran to see their doctor can average 22 days and reach as high as 42 days,” the letter, written by Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), said. “This is unacceptable mismanagement of federal government resources by the Biden administration."
Fox News earlier reported after it was announced earlier this month that Customs and Border Patrol was considering using VA personnel to provide medical care for the migrants.
"On March 29, 2022, a CBP report indicated a surge of border crossings was imminent due to the rescinding of this authority. The report presents a dire situation that may result in as many as 18,000 possible encounters per day. If this number proves accurate, this could result in over 540,000 encounters in a single month," the letter continues. "Currently, CBP does not have the facilities or manpower to handle the anticipated massive surge."
In a March 30 press release, DHS said it is implementing a comprehensive strategy to address a potential increase in the number of border encounters.
“The strategy includes: 1) Acquiring and deploying resources to address increased volumes; 2) Delivering a more efficient and fair immigration process; 3) Processing and removing those who do not have valid claims; and 4) Working with other countries in the Western Hemisphere to manage migration and address root causes,” states the release.
Using VA resources was never mentioned in the release and the VA is not part of Homeland Security.
The letter gave Mayorkas until April 27 to respond.
“The Biden Administration must provide the American people answers,” reads the letter. “Even the thought of abandoning our veterans' care for the needs of illegal aliens is disgraceful.”
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.