House Judiciary Report Raises Concerns Over Recent High-Risk Release Near Capitol

An illegal immigrant armed with a machete was released twice by the Biden administration before being apprehended near the U.S. Capitol, spotlighting serious concerns over current immigration policies.

At a Glance

The House Judiciary Committee criticized the Biden administration for releasing a dangerous illegal immigrant.
Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, who entered the U.S. illegally, was apprehended near the U.S. Capitol with a machete.
Despite having detention capacity, the administration released Marquez-Marquez twice.
Marquez-Marquez is currently in ICE custody facing removal proceedings.

House Judiciary Report Criticizes Administration

The House Judiciary Committee, along with its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, released an interim report that sheds light on the troubling case of Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez, a Venezuelan national illegally in the U.S. Border Patrol first apprehended Marquez-Marquez on August 21, 2022, at the Eagle Pass International Bridge. However, due to alleged capacity issues, he was released into the U.S. despite DHS data indicating there was available capacity to detain him.

Marquez-Marquez received a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge fourteen months later and was issued an arrest warrant by ICE. The situation reached a critical point when he was arrested on U.S. Capitol grounds carrying a machete, a brick, a fraudulent visa, and a U.S. social security card on December 26, 2023. The Capitol Police charged Marquez with carrying a dangerous weapon and possessing a prohibited weapon.

An illegal immigrant released by the Biden administration brutally murdered 22-year-old Laken Riley.

Joe Biden has refused to say her name.

I’m calling on President Biden to acknowledge this tragic loss at his State of the Union. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/jFyEdXqyAn

— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) March 4, 2024

Public Safety Risks and Policy Concerns

The report strongly criticizes the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies for contributing to public safety risks and allowing the presence of criminal aliens in American neighborhoods. Given the recent arrest, the Judicial Committee underscores the urgency to re-evaluate current strategies to better manage threats and protect communities from potential harm.

“Jose Leonardo Marquez-Marquez posed a significant threat to people in and around the U.S. Capitol,” stated ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., acting field office director Patrick Divver. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Capitol Police, this threat was mitigated quickly. Fortunately, Marquez is currently in ERO custody and will face removal proceedings.”

The current surge in illegal immigration at the southern border has complicated the situation further. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. took custody of Marquez last Wednesday. He is now in ICE custody and faces removal proceedings as illegal immigration numbers reach record highs with over 2 million Border Patrol encounters in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

Call for Reform

Conservative lawmakers and immigration authorities continue to press for a reform of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. The House Judiciary Report serves as a significant reminder of the urgent need to ensure that current policies protect the homeland and effectively remove individuals who pose a risk to community safety. Ensuring that detention facilities have adequate capacity and that potentially dangerous individuals are not released into American communities is paramount to preserving public safety.

Evidently, the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration practices must undergo thorough revision. With mounting incidents like Marquez-Marquez’s apprehension, there’s no better time than now to safeguard our nation by enforcing immigration laws more stringently and ensuring that enforcement parameters are clearly established and rigorously followed.