Staff Reports
On the third anniversary of the January 6th Capitol incursion, the Justice Department made it clear that they are still on the hunt to prosecute more individuals involved. During a news briefing, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves emphasized that thousands of people entered the area outside of the Capitol on that day “without authorization” and are eligible to face legal repercussions. News outlets amused themselves by pointing out that the number of people who have entered the southern border without authorization since Joe Biden took office is not in the thousands, but rather in the millions.
Approximately 8 million individuals have illegally entered the U.S. since 2021, and that figure doesn’t even include the more than 1.7 million “gotaways” who were able to slip through undetected. It’s quite comical how the Biden administration appears to be more focused on prosecuting Jan. 6 protesters rather than securing the southern border. Border Patrol has managed to apprehend hundreds of individuals on the terror watch list, surpassing previous records.
As Millions Cross Border Illegally, Biden DOJ Proclaims Thousands of Jan. 6 Protesters Could Be Prosecuted for Being Outside Capitol
Biden would do well to focus on that threat at the southern border rather than nonviolent J6 protesters. https://t.co/oI4rBgUBx4
— Randy DeSoto (@RandyDeSoto) January 8, 2024
The question that needs to be asked is, how many potential terrorists were successful in evading capture? During the news briefing, Graves made a plea for the public’s assistance in identifying individuals who committed crimes on January 6th, particularly the approximately 80 still unidentified individuals who are believed to have committed acts of violence against law enforcement officers.
It’s safe to say that everyone, regardless of political affiliation, would agree that those who engaged in violence against police officers or anyone in the Capitol on that day should be prosecuted. However, it is clear that the DOJ’s level of vigor in prosecuting these individuals does not match their level of enthusiasm in prosecuting those who injured over 60 Secret Service personnel during the riotous mob that descended upon the White House following the death of George Floyd. The difference between the two incidents is the level of security and defense. There simply was not enough law enforcement to defend the Capitol and the people inside. Therefore, arresting the thousands of people who illegally entered the Capitol grounds was an impossibility.
That being said, Graves argued that all those who were on the Capitol grounds could be prosecuted. He noted that anyone who knowingly entered a restricted area without authorization had already committed a federal crime. The DOJ seems to be primarily focusing on those who entered the building or engaged in corrupt conduct on the Capitol grounds. However, anyone who remained outside the building but knowingly entered a restricted area can still be held accountable. The DOJ has prosecuted nearly 900 individuals for their involvement in the January 6th events.
Of these, 149 individuals have been convicted of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. Out of those 149, 41 individuals used dangerous weapons during the event. It is worth noting that some individuals were found to own handguns, but none of them have been prosecuted for bringing the weapons into the building or firing them on that day. It seems that there is a discrepancy between the number of people who should be prosecuted for violence during the events of January 6th and the number that the DOJ has currently prosecuted.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who is not a “MAGA Republican,” believes that the DOJ cast its net too wide when it comes to the prosecutions. Barr stated that while there were individuals involved in the events of January 6th who should be prosecuted, there are many others who simply walked into open doors and shouldn’t be persecuted. He also called the events of January 6th a “shameful episode” but stopped short of calling it an insurrection. It is crucial for the Biden administration to shift its focus to securing the southern border and move past the events of January 6th.
