Homeland Security

The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will come to order.

Today we welcome Acting Director Tae Johnson to discuss the fiscal year 2024 budget request for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Thank you for being here today to discuss your funding needs and the critical mission of enforcing our nation's immigration laws and investigating transnational criminal activity.

Before we discuss your budget request for this upcoming fiscal year, I'd like to take a moment to thank the law enforcement and civilian personnel who play an integral role in carrying out ICE's mission.

Enforcement and Removal Officers, Homeland Security Investigators, ICE attorneys, and mission support staff work tirelessly for the American people, despite being told their agency should be abolished, and I want to express my sincere gratitude for their efforts in upholding the laws of the land and ensuring our national security.

Today's hearing will come to order.

This afternoon, we welcome the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, to testify on FEMA's fiscal year 2024 budget request.

Administrator Criswell, thank you for joining us today, and thank you for your decades of service to our country in the military, as a firefighter and first responder, and your years in emergency management.

FEMA has the simple—yet critical—mission of helping the American people before, during, and after disasters.

The fiscal year 2024 budget request for FEMA is $25.5 billion dollars. The majority of these funds—$20.1 billion dollars—are requested for the Disaster Relief Fund to support response and recovery efforts for major disaster declarations, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will come to order.

Welcome Secretary Mayorkas. I sincerely thank you for joining us today as we discuss the Department's Fiscal Year 2024 budget submission.

First, I want to recognize DHS's 20-year anniversary. The Department was forged in the wake of the horrific attacks on September 11th , 2001, and tasked with the critical mission of protecting our Nation against those who would do us harm.

On behalf of the Committee, I would like to convey my sincere appreciation for the tireless, and often thankless, work done by the men and women of DHS on a day-to-day basis.

Turning our attention to the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request, this proposal is unfortunately more disappointing than it is promising.

Thank you, Chairman Joyce.

And thank you, Mr. Secretary, for appearing before us today.

Since you last testified before this committee, the situation at the border has not improved.

And having lived in Texas, I've been there many, many times.

Last year, a record 2.7 million migrants attempted to cross the border illegally.

This year, the trend is even worse.

We have already had more than 1 million migrant encounters.

In May, Title 42 will be lifted. Title 42 was the authority that allowed migrants to be sent back home during the public health emergency. Its reversal will lead to another surge in migrants.

The cartels and traffickers are operating without fear.

Deadly drugs are affecting all our communities, not just those in the southwest.

You've said that we have operational control of the border.

If this is control, I'd hate to see the alternative.