Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the effects of the Biden administration's ongoing immigrant crisis on America's national parks and federal lands. Subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

"Joe Biden has welcomed into our country over eight million lawbreakers, including hundreds of terrorists, since taking office. National parks throughout the country are now under consideration by the Biden regime to serve as future camps for thousands of illegal aliens. If implemented, our beautiful recreation areas will soon be overrun with trash, drugs and crime. Biden’s disastrous open border policies are ruining American communities and trashing our lands."

Background

Since President Joe Biden took office, there has been a 268 percent increase in monthly unlawful encounters at the border, resulting in millions of illegal crossings along the southern border of the United States. Illegal immigration has significant well-documented negative consequences across the country, including on our federal lands and national parks. 

The result of the massive surge of illegal migrants causes environmental degradation and destruction of federal lands along the southern border. Illegal immigration also impacts our federal lands and national parks through illegal marijuana grow operations causing significant health, security and environmental issues for both employees and visitors, as well as the surrounding communities.

Now, the Biden administration is seeking to further damage our national parks by building "temporary" migrant shelters at Floyd Bennett Field, in the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York City. The full committee recently held a hearing to hear directly from local officials, address this concern and condemn this action by the Biden administration. Chairman Westerman and other republican members traveled to the site and saw firsthand how access to this incredible resource will be denied to NYC residents by turning it into a migrant encampment.

Today's hearing was a chance for committee members to dive deeper into these issues, learning more about the damaging effects of the border crisis as it relates to our federal lands and national parks. They were also given the chance to ask questions of expert witnesses, which will be invaluable as the members continue holding the Biden administration accountable for these destructive policies.