House Speaker Kevin McCarthy held a meeting in Santa Ana on Friday with Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, local congressional representatives, and other officials. During the meeting, McCarthy expressed his intention to withhold funding for Homeland Security if the agency fails to address the issue of visa abuse by individuals from Chile who enter the United States, commit burglaries, and then flee after being apprehended.
McCarthy became aware of the problem of “burglary tourism” when Spitzer, who served as McCarthy’s whip in the state Assembly, contacted him about it.
Speaking at a press conference outside the district attorney’s office, McCarthy stated, “I am here today because we are facing a challenge in America. I am here because of an old friend and former colleague from the state Assembly.”
One of the contributing factors to this issue is an agreement between the U.S. and Chile that exempts individuals applying for a tourist passport from undergoing a criminal background check. Instead, they are simply asked if they have a criminal history, and many of them lie,” explained Rep. Young Kim, R-Mission Viejo.
McCarthy described the burglary rings as highly organized, utilizing uniforms, camouflage, and tools to disable home security systems. He further noted that the stolen goods are often laundered through Chinese banks.
According to McCarthy, new legislation is unnecessary. He emphasized that Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken already possess the authority to address visa program abuse, but they have failed to take action thus far.
Expressing his concern, McCarthy stated, “I am concerned that they have not taken any action.”
When asked whether he had been briefed on reported plans for Homeland Security to negotiate with Chile regarding visa abuse, McCarthy did not provide a direct response. Instead, he questioned why Congress had not been briefed by Mayorkas.
McCarthy acknowledged that some local congressional Democrats have also expressed support for addressing this issue with Chile. He suggested that even if the Biden administration was working on a plan, suspending Chile’s participation in the program would exert pressure on the country to tackle the abuse.
“Mayorkas shouldn’t wait until negotiations are over,” McCarthy asserted.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, who serves on the appropriations committee, pledged to push Mayorkas to take action against visa abuse.
Spitzer voiced frustration that “100 percent” of the detained and charged burglars fail to show up for court appearances after being released without bail due to the authorities’ inability to access their criminal backgrounds.
“They are released on zero bail, and unsurprisingly, 100% of the Chileans we have charged are no-shows for future court dates,” Spitzer revealed. “Quite shocking.”
During the press conference, an anonymous victim shared her experience of falling victim to these burglaries, despite having home security measures and house sitters in place when her family was away. She expressed the financial and emotional impact, stating, “We not only suffered significant financial losses but also lost our sense of security. I feel like I’m living in a nightmare.”
Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Cypress, proposed the possibility of replacing Chile with another country, such as Uruguay, in the special visa program if Chile refuses to implement reforms.
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