DHS Secy. Mayorkas testifies before House Committee on growing border crisis

March 17, 2021 Amber28 US 0

FILE – In this Monday, March 1, 2021 file photo, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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UPDATED 11:26 AM PT – Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was recently grilled over the ongoing crisis at the southern border. While testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday, he said the department has continued to enforce immigration laws while “restoring fairness and efficiency.”

Here is DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 10 page opening testimony before the House Homeland Security Committeehttps://t.co/6WsJyZLfC6

— Stephanie Myers (@_StephanieMyers) March 17, 2021

This comes as the Biden administration has remained under fire for undoing President Trump’s immigration policies and putting the U.S. on pace for the highest number of apprehensions at the border in two decades.

“I’m deeply concerned that this administration has created a border crisis through predictably misguided policies and executive orders, denied the reality of the situation and dodged accountability,” stated Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), ranking member of the committee. “At the same time that American schools remain closed across the country, the United States border is open to foreign nationals.”

There is understandably a great deal of attention currently focused on the southwest border. I want to share the facts, the work that @DHSgov and our partners are doing, and our plan of action going forward: https://t.co/sfa5nIGrP3.

— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) March 16, 2021

“After taking office, President Biden wasted no time,” Katko continued. “In fact, one of his first acts was to pull out of his pen and unravel our border security and immigration enforcement posture.”

Despite the Biden administration’s claims of “fairness,” over 4,000 migrant children were reportedly in Border Patrol custody over the weekend with a majority remaining in detention over the 72-hour limit.