Matt Gaetz calls illegal immigration an 'attack' on American sovereignty

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Tuesday told Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that illegal immigration is an "attack" on American sovereignty and a "conscious decision to rewrite the rules of civilization."

The Florida Republican's letter to Mayorkas comes after Border Patrol agents reported 221,000 migrant encounters in March, the highest number seen under President Joe Biden so far.

"The situation at our southern border is untenable. Securing borders and deciding who may be permitted lawful entry is the prime directive of any sovereign nation," Gaetz wrote.

"It would take 14.5 years to deport just the aliens DHS has released under the Biden Administration, when we have near 1.9 million aliens eligible for deportation currently," he noted.

Migrant encounters are expected to increase after Biden ends Title 42, a Trump-era migration mitigation measure instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan told the "John Solomon Reports" podcast on Monday that CBP agents feel "demoralized," and that "we literally handed over operational control [of the border] to the cartels."

Gaetz said that the American people are shocked as well.

"Watching hordes of illegal migrants from all over the world flood into our country, without any vetting whatsoever, shocks the conscience of the American people," he told Mayorkas. "It is an attack on our sovereignty, and nothing less than a conscious decision to rewrite the rules of civilization, dissolve our borders, undermine our nation state, and displace our people."

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd echoed a similar sentiment earlier this month. He told "Just the News – Not Noise" that agents "feel defeated" because they know that they are "not able to do the job that is necessary to protect the American public."

Gaetz called on Secretary Mayorkas to tell him what the Biden administration is doing to "increase the rate of deportations" and if there was a "plan to remove unauthorized migrants" from the U.S.

"Where is the government sending these unauthorized migrants? Who is deciding where to send them? How is the Administration keeping track of migrants being moved within the interior?" Gaetz also asked Mayorkas.

Gaetz stressed the importance of southern border wall, and said neglecting to repair it is "actively costing the taxpayers more dollars" due to its warranty.