DHS Chief: Border Numbers on Track to Be Highest in 20 Years
Sally Kent
Homeland Security Chief, Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that the U.S. is set to see the highest number of migrants in 20 years because of Biden’s new policies. As the DHS chief attempted to defend the administration’s soft approach to the border Mayorkas admitted the border surge has been “difficult” however he stopped short of calling it a “crisis.”
Fox News reports:
“The situation at the southwest border is difficult,” Mayorkas said in a lengthy statement. “We are working around the clock to manage it and we will continue to do so. That is our job. We are making progress and we are executing on our plan. It will take time and we will not waver in our commitment to succeed.”
He spoke days after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it had encountered more than 100,000 migrants at the border in February, while numbers of child migrants in custody have also increased dramatically. The Biden administration has been moving to increase capacity of facilities to house migrants, and building a number of extra facilities – including looking at NASA sites and military bases.
On Saturday, Mayorkas announced he had directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support a “government-wide effort” to house child migrants.
“We are on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years,” he said, although he later added that the situation is “not new” and noted the U.S. has faced border spikes before.
On Monday, Kevin McCarthy and a group of GOP leaders, many from border states most affected by the migrant surge visited the border to see the damage firsthand. Republicans have called on Biden to reverse some of the policies that have contributed to the crisis and admit he made a mistake. However, the President has carefully avoided the press since getting to the White House so it’s doubtful he would make such a statement.