(The Center Square) – In his first appearance before the U.S. House after he was impeached by Republicans in February, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted under oath Wednesday there is a crisis at the border.
Mayorkas on Wednesday testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security to answer questions related to DHS’s proposed fiscal 2025 budget request of $107.9 billion.
In response to questions asked by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinsen, R-Iowa, about Mayorkas blaming Congress for the border crisis, he disagreed with her saying Congress is not fixing “what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system.”
She then said the Biden administration “has created purposefully and systematically the border crisis.” She noted that she called for Mayorkas’ resignation last year, “and I stand by my request.”
She also asked Mayorkas, “would you call it a crisis at the southern border?” He replied, “Yes I would.”
Hinsen posted a short clip of his answer on social media, saying, “Mayorkas FINALLY admits to Congress there is a border crisis. Admitting this under oath is an important step, but what he does next is even more important. Will he walk his admission back or will he start enforcing immigration policy & secure the border?”
Mayorkas made the acknowledgement after refusing to do so for nearly 40 months. Instead, he repeated the claims that “the border is secure” and his department “has operational control of the border” many times under oath at U.S. Senate and House committee hearings. He also repeatedly blamed Congress and the previous administration for the “broken immigration system” he inherited.
On Feb. 9, Mayorkas became the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached. He was impeached on two counts, including for making such claims under oath. The House Committee on Homeland Security, which led the charge to impeach him, launched a year-long investigation publishing several reports that contradicted Mayorkas’ claims, including using CBP data and Border Patrol chief testimonies. They also identified over a dozen parole programs as illegal, which continued to be challenged in courts, enabling a flood of people from more than 160 countries to illegally enter the country.
The Border Patrol chiefs testified to the record numbers of illegal border crossers, including violent criminals, coming through every month, as well as violent criminals, unprecedented amounts of fentanyl, and terrorism threats. From January 2021 through March 2024, a record more than 11 million illegal border crossers entered the United States, The Center Square reported.
The House Committee on Homeland Security has already taken issue with aspects of the DHS budget request ahead of Mayorkas testifying before it next week. April 16 will be the first time Mayorkas appears before Republican members who led the charge to impeach him.
Echoing their sentiments, Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, took issue with a $4.7 billion Southwest Border Contingency Fund, which he said “exceeds the caps established by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.”
Referring to it as a “slush fund,” he also pointed out that Mayorkas proposed a similar number last year, which “was rejected on a bipartisan basis because Republicans and Democrats alike recognized that giving this department billions of dollars with very little Congressional oversight and no incentive to change course would likely exacerbate the current migration crisis.”
Joyce also said the Biden administration’s “approach to the border is just to manage the chaos – a position all fair-minded Americans reject. Decreasing detention capacity has not worked. Abusing the parole system has not worked. Catch and release has not worked. Executive orders that impede immigration enforcement have not worked.
“Border security operators have been clear – without quick and decisive consequences, the illegal flow will continue unabated.”
The budget request of over $107.9 billion includes $62.2 billion in net discretionary funding. It states that funding will provide DHS “with resources to continue investment in critical capabilities and capacity needed to secure the homeland.”
The request comes as CBP agents at both the northern and southern border continue to apprehend great numbers of individuals on the federal terrorist watchlist, The Center Square has reported.
It also came one day after FBI Director Christopher Wray again warned about increasing terrorist threats against the United States. Wray has increasingly testified before Congress about the FBI’s concerns about terrorists, including those affiliated with ISIS, coming through the border.
Retired FBI counterterrorism experts have warned Congress that a terrorist threat is imminent and preventable, describing what has occurred under Mayorkas’ watch as a “soft invasion.”