As Senate Democrats let him off the hook for impeachment without a trial, Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was grilled during a recent Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs hearing. This scrutiny intensified after the tragic murder of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia, by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal migrant now known to have been released due to “insufficient detention capacity.”

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was unyielding in his criticism of the administration’s handling of the case. He told Mayorkas directly that he had illegally used the parole system by citing “lack of detention capacity” and then being untruthful about it. Parole should only be granted on a case-by-case basis, mandated by law for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, criteria clearly not met in Ibarra’s release.

BREAKING: Laken Riley murder suspect had been released by Biden regime — using excuse of lack of detention space – https://t.co/0b0068Zw3K – @washtimes

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) April 18, 2024

“The reason he was paroled into this country is because of lack of detention capacity, which you and I both know is not a valid reason,” Hawley told Mayorkas.

The dialogue took a stern tone as Hawley pointed out inconsistencies in Mayorkas’ statements across different testimonies. “Why did you change your story so often?” Hawley demanded.

Despite Ibarra’s criminal record and subsequent offenses, including an unprosecuted child injury case in New York, his case was handled with perplexing leniency. Stunningly, he was granted legal work authorization even after his criminal history inside the U.S. had been established 

The broader issue of detention capacity has plagued the Biden administration. Mayorkas admits to ongoing struggles in housing detainees but simultaneously requests Congress reduce available bed space. In contrast, Congressional responses have reflected a different priority, with lawmakers increasing the number of beds allocated in recent legislation.

The handling of Jose Antonio Ibarra’s parole and the broader implications for U.S. immigration policy illustrate a troubling trend in the management of detention resources. Senator Hawley’s aggressive questioning of Secretary Mayorkas underscores a significant political and operational challenge for the Biden administration as it continues to ignore the requirements of federal law to appease the radical far left and achieve its self-centered political objectives.