Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., claims that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray skipped a public Senate hearing Thursday to avoid criticism over the verdict in the case of Laken Riley's murder.
Mayorkas and Wray were scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed after they insisted it be classified and not open to the public. Hawley told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview that he is calling on Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., to subpoena the pair's public testimony.
"Let's not forget who let him into country," Hawley said of Riley's murderer, Jose Ibarra. "Mayorkas lied about how he got into country. He said authorities didn't have information about his past crimes. False. Then he claimed he didn't remember the details. False. Now he's refusing to comment." Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on Hawley's remarks, but they did not immediately respond.
Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.
Thursday's hearing is the second time in as many days that Mayorkas and Wray have forced the postponement of their testimony before Congress by insisting on a classified setting.
The House Homeland Security Committee punted its hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, to December. A source with the committee told Fox News Digital that the hearing will be classified.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL: PROSECUTORS PLACE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT AT SCENE IN OPENING STATEMENTS
Hawley indicated that the Senate would not comply so easily, however. He said he is formally calling on Peters to issue subpoenas to force both Mayorkas and Wray to testify publicly.
Representatives for the FBI and DHS told Fox News Digital earlier on Thursday that they believe Mayorkas and Wray have already provided "extensive testimony" to the House, Senate and the American people.
LAKEN RILEY'S ALLEGED KILLER JOSE IBARRA FLEW FROM ‘GROUND ZERO’ OF MIGRANT CRISIS TO GEORGIA
Peters' office did not immediately respond when asked about potential subpoenas. The senator was heavily critical of Mayorkas and Wray in a statement on X, however, saying that their refusal to testify publicly "robs Americans of critical information."
Hawley went on to call for Wray to resign ahead of President-elect Doanld Trump's inauguration, citing his record on illegal immigration and his alleged hostility toward Catholic Americans.
"If he doesn't resign, Trump should fire him," Hawley said of Wray.
