Mayorkas calls migrant surge a ‘significant challenge’ when pressed to admit crisis

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, recently refused to refer to the high number of illegal migrants crossing the Mexican border as a “crisis.” Instead, he chose to describe it as “a significant challenge,” claiming that he has “tremendous faith in the people of the Department of Homeland Security.” While the United States-Mexico border saw 1.7 million migrant encounters in the fiscal year 2021, the number rose to over 2.3 million in FY 2022, according to Fox News.

Mayorkas made this statement in an interview with 60 Minutes, which will air soon. According to him, using the word “crisis” would imply a withdrawal from the Department of Homeland Security’s mission. Mayorkas believes that the solution is to exert more force and energy into resolving the issue.

However, Mayorkas’s handling of the southern border has come under heavy criticism from Republicans. Many GOP members are now calling for his resignation or impeachment. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz also testified at Congressional hearings last month that agents did not have “operational control” of the border. “In five of those nine southwest border sectors, we have seen an increase in flow, and that has caused a considerable strain on our resources and really has forced the Border Patrol to move to some of the areas with fewer problems,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz notably referred to the situation along the border as a “crisis.” When Mayorkas was asked if he agreed with Ortiz, he claimed that “we face a very serious challenge in parts of the border.”

Recently, Mayorkas had a heated exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) about the migrant surge at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Cruz accused the DHS chief of doing a “disgraceful” job addressing the situation. Mayorkas responded by calling Cruz’s words “revolting” before declining to address the senator’s comments.

Overall, Mayorkas recognizes that the migrant surge is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed immediately. However, he prefers to describe the situation as a “significant challenge” rather than a “crisis.”