Jordan Demands Garland, Mayorkas Preserve All Documents
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has directed Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to safeguard all records relating to the ongoing border crisis.
The Ohio Republican emphasized the importance of preserving these documents before the Biden administration departs in January as President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, Just The News reported.
Jordan voiced concerns that these officials and their agencies might destroy or alter critical records as their tenure ends.
“This letter serves as a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and materials related to the Biden-Harris Administration’s enforcement of federal immigration law,” Jordan wrote in letters addressed to both Garland and Mayorkas.
“You should construe this preservation notice as an instruction to take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information … that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry,” the letters stated.
Federal law mandates that Cabinet members and political appointees preserve their records.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is reportedly rushing to implement new policies to ease restrictions on migrants entering the U.S. illegally. These efforts are seen as an attempt to counter President-elect Trump’s anticipated immigration enforcement measures, sources told the New York Post.
A key initiative involves launching an ICE Portal app in early December, starting in New York City. This app will allow migrants to check in with ICE remotely, bypassing the need for in-person visits to ICE offices.
However, Homeland Security sources expressed concerns about the app’s reliability and potential misuse. They warned it could inadvertently enable migrants to evade authorities, citing frequent software glitches and limited functionality.
“Even when it’s working correctly, the new app doesn’t check for past arrests or outstanding warrants — something the current system tied to in-person appointments does,” one source told the Post. Up to 100,000 migrants are expected to be enrolled in the program’s first phase.
In addition to the app, the outgoing administration is expediting other policies, including measures allowing migrants to challenge government-imposed electronic monitoring requirements while awaiting immigration hearings.
Experts caution that reversing these changes could prove complicated, involving legal and procedural hurdles. A Department of Homeland Security source explained, “A lot of lawsuits get filed, maybe frivolously, but it just kind of stalls what the administration wants to do.”
Former acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan criticized these last-minute moves, calling them “the opposite of a peaceful transition of power.”
“This is an obstructionist transition,” Morgan told the Post. “They’re throwing as many roadblocks and obstacles as they can on their way out.”
Morgan also predicted that legal challenges could delay President-elect Trump’s efforts to undo these policies, much like how lawsuits hindered parts of Trump’s immigration agenda during his first term.
New York City, where the ICE app is set to debut, is already grappling with a surge in undocumented migrants. According to a Post report, the city’s ICE field office is overwhelmed, with migrant processing appointments fully booked through October 2032 as of last year.
Despite significant issues during the app’s pilot tests in other cities, the Biden administration is moving forward with its rollout. Sources noted that the app has failed to function on Android devices and cannot collect GPS data when used on laptops, undermining its ability to track users’ locations.
As the Biden administration accelerates these policy changes, the stage is set for potential legal and administrative battles as the incoming Trump administration seeks to restore its immigration agenda.