Marchant Demands Action on Visa Overstays

Statement

U.S. Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24) today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson demanding that the Obama Administration take meaningful action to address visa overstays in the United States. Marchant's letter comes in direct response to a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security which states that nearly 500,000 foreign nationals overstayed their visas in fiscal year 2015.

"In overstaying their visas, these half-million individuals have effectively become illegal immigrants, adding to the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the US, approximately 40% of whom may be attributed to visa overstays," wrote Marchant. "While this Administration has made clear its intent to not enforce the law with respect to certain illegal immigrants, a decision with which I fiercely disagree and which has been stayed by the courts, we should at least be able to agree on the paramount importance of national security. Unfortunately, it appears that DHS lacks either the will or ability to track the hundreds of thousands of visa overstays, among whom may be persons who wish to harm innocent Americans."

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