CNS News
DHS Secretary Dodges Same Question 7 Times: How Many Migrant Encounters Constitute a Threat?
By Susan Jones
(CNSNews.com) - In a remarkable exchange with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refused to give a straight answer to the simple question Hyde-Smith asked him a total of seven times.
Hyde-Smith, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, wanted to know how many encounters of illegal aliens at the southwest border constitute a threat to homeland security.
The closest Mayorkas came to an answer was this:
"Senator, it is our responsibility to ensure that a threat does not materialize. And that is why we have such a comprehensive plan to address what could be an increasing challenge at our border and working in partnership with countries to the South, not only to manage their respective borders, but to also tackle the transnational criminal organizations and the smuggling operations.
"But fundamentally, fundamentally I have heard the articulation of a problem at the border and yet no enduring solution because the enduring solution is legislation and everyone agrees that the immigration system is broken," Mayorkas finally said.
Here are the seven questions Sen. Hyde-Smith asked Mayorkas. (His evasive responses are printed in their entirety below):
-- "As Secretary of Homeland Security, would you consider the 220,000 migrant encounters in March a threat to the homeland security?"
-- "So do you think those who were encountered is a threat to our homeland security?"
-- "But the number that we are encountering, do you think it is a threat to our homeland security?"
-- "But the number of encounters whatever that number is, the number of encounters do you think that is a threat to our homeland security?"
-- "You don't think it's a threat to the homeland security is what you're saying?"
-- "And at what point in your judgment does the growing number of encounters become a threat to our homeland security?"
-- "But at what point do you see it's a threat to homeland security?"
Here is a transcript of their exchange:
Hyde-Smith: "And like many of my colleagues, I've traveled to the southwest border and seen the work the Border Patrol agents do on a daily basis, an unbelievable task. We've heard statistics of border security operations under your leadership versus previous DHS secretaries. During the month of March, there were 220,000 encounters at the Southwest border, 220,000. As Secretary of Homeland Security would you consider the 220,000 migrant encounters in March a threat to the homeland security?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, let me if I can articulate something. I'm not sure you heard me earlier this morning that the number of encounters does not equal the number of unique individuals encountered at the border. Because under Title 42, the CDC is public health authority, individuals are expelled. They are not placed in immigration enforcement proceedings. And that expulsion and the fact that they haven't been in enforcement proceedings allows for a high level of recidivism. We have a responsibility to secure our borders."
Hyde-Smith: "So do you think those who were encountered is a threat to our homeland security?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, allow me if I may, that it is our responsibility to secure our border consistent with our laws and that is precisely what we do. So if an individual is encountered at the border and makes a claim for asylum relief--"
Hyde-Smith: "I understand that."
Secretary Mayorkas: "--under our laws and the -- and their claim fails before an immigration judge, then we remove that individual."
Hyde-Smith: "I understand that. But the number that we are encountering, do you think it is a threat to our homeland security?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "I -- I believe I have answered your question that we enforce the law that Congress has passed. And the law provides that individuals who are encountered who do not make a claim for relief are promptly--"
Hyde-Smith: "But you're not answering my question, though."
Secretary Mayorkas: "I believe I am, if I may, Senator. And so those who do not make a claim for relief and do not have a basis to remain in the United States or those who do make a claim for asylum and whose claim is -- does not prevail before an immigration judge are removed from the United States."
Hyde-Smith: "But the number of encounters whatever that number is, the number of encounters do you think that is a threat to our homeland security?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, I believe that the US Customs and Border Protection, the extraordinary 23,000 individuals on our border now and more coming through our intensifying efforts ensure that there is not a threat at our border through their enforcement--"
Hyde-Smith: "So, you don't think there's a threat?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Through their enforcement of immigration law that Congress has passed. That is what I--"
Hyde-Smith: "You don't think it's a threat to the homeland security is what you're saying?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator--"
Hyde-Smith: "And at what point in your judgment does the growing number of encounters become a threat to our homeland security?"
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, what I believe is that when the encounters that -- the encounters that we are experiencing now are placing a strain on our resources, which is why we have such a comprehensive plan that we are executing to address that challenge. It has six border security pillars, six vital lines of effort that we have been executing on since September of last year.
"And if indeed we experience greater numbers, it will place a further strain on our resources. We are looking at how we could address that further strain. Some of those six pillars get to the heart of the matter, working for example with our partners to the south of our border, so that they manage their respective borders. It also--"
Hyde-Smith: "But at what point do you see it's a threat to homeland security? You're saying because you have these people in place that there is not a threat at this time. Because they're doing their job and they're in place, it's not a threat."
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, it is our responsibility to ensure that a threat does not materialize. And that is why we have such a comprehensive plan to address what could be an increasing challenge at our border and working in partnership with countries to the South, not only to manage their respective borders, but to also tackle the transnational criminal organizations and the smuggling operations.
"But fundamentally, fundamentally I have heard the articulation of a problem at the border and yet no enduring solution because the enduring solution is legislation and everyone agrees that the immigration system is broken. And so--"
Hyde-Smith: "So, closing the border would not be a solution."
Secretary Mayorkas: "Senator, we -- that would be a dramatic change in law given what -- the laws that Congress has passed."