DHS Sec Mayorkas: Border Crisis a “Significant Challenge,” Not a Crisis

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas does not admit that the southern border is facing a damaging crisis for the U.S. 

During an interview on “60 Minutes,” Mayorkas was asked if he considered the ongoing issue at the border to be a crisis.

In response, the Biden official refused to use the word “crisis,” admitting that it would indicate a “withdrawal from our mission.”

“I view it as a significant challenge…and a crisis speaks to me of a withdrawal from our mission. We are only putting more force and more energy into it,” Mayorkas said about the border, which saw over 1.7 million migrant encounters in FY 2021 and 2.3 million in FY 2022.

Since President Joe Biden took office, more than 5 million migrants have entered the country illegally.

When asked why he would not use the word “crisis,” Mayorkas said it was because “I have tremendous faith in the people of the Department of Homeland Security.”

During congressional testimony on Wednesday, Mayorkas was pressed by Republicans on the current state of the border, which he reluctantly refused to give straight answers to. 

Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Tx) asked the Biden official, “with a total of 6 million encounters along the southwest border, do you still maintain today that our border is secure?”

Mayorkas avoided the question and never gave a straight “yes or no” answer. Instead, he stuck to his usual response, saying, “maximizing the resources we have to deliver the most effective results.”

Mayorkas’ testimony contradicted Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, who used the word “crisis” to describe the situation at the border.

“The migration flow represents challenges and, in some areas, a crisis situation,” Ortiz said.

When asked if he agreed with Ortiz, Mayorkas said, “I think that we face a very serious challenge in parts of the border.”