DHS monitoring over 600,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records: report

The data was presented by House National Security, Border and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Glenn Grothman during a hearing on Tuesday.

According to Grothman, of the over 6 million illegal immigrants who have been allowed into the country since Joe Biden was elected, 617,000 have either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

"The fact is that illegal aliens should not be in the country in the first place and able to commit these crimes," Grothman said, noting that an analysis conducted by the Department of Public Safety revealed that such people "are more likely to be convicted of homicide, sexual assault, and kidnapping than the average Texan."

"The solutions aren't hard," he added. "Secure the border, stop releasing illegal aliens into the country in droves, and when an illegal alien commits a crime in the community, turn them over to ICE, enforce the law, and remove them. It's just that simple."

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn also spoke at Thursday's hearing, titled, "How the Border Crisis Impacts Public Safety."

"I feel certain that every single sheriff in America is concerned with the border and its impact on their communities," the Texas law enforcement official said, before highlighting what the unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants has done to his jurisdiction.

He zeroed in on the drug crisis wreaking havoc on Texas, pointing out that cartels and other operations were making illegal substances cheaper and more readily available.

The sheriff went on to suggest that evidence pointed to a concerted effort on the part of China, Mexican cartels, and Venezuela to "weaponize" fentanyl against Americans.

According to Waybourn, 264 illegal immigrants from at least 15 different countries are currently being held in Tarrant County jails and are accused of committing violent crimes including eight murders, 38 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, five counts of sexual assault and two counts of child pornography.