On Wednesday, as the number of migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. nears a 20-year peak at the southern border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden administration’s policy. CBS News homeland security and justice reporter Nicole Sganga joins CBSN to discuss his take on the border crisis, and how DHS is helping hard-hit communities get the coronavirus vaccine.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said ‘I see cases now where we apprehend and remove individuals that I think need to be prosecuted criminally,’ during a virtual town hall with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) employees last week where he also revealed President Biden is considering restarting construction on Donald Trump’s border wall.
‘Quite frankly, I’m going to have to understand why some of these individuals are not subject to a Title 8 USC 1326 case and I intend to work with the DOJ in that regard,’ he added.
Under Title 8 Section 1325, entering the U.S. illegally is a misdemeanour and re-entering the country after being ousted is a felony under Title 8 Section 1326.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is defending the Biden administration’s handling of the migrant crisis at the southern border. There are currently more than 13,000 unaccompanied minors in US custody.
All migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border during the pandemic were turned away, under the Trump administration. But the Biden administration changed that policy to allow in children while still turning away families and individual adults. Now the administration is scrambling to house them as more continue to cross the border.
Nicole Sganga CBS News homeland security and justice reporter was asked if how did DHS Secretary Mayorkas respond to this criticism and defend the president’s policies.
She answered, “well, we saw Secretary Mayorkas today defend the Biden administration for more than four hours, four hours and two minutes to be exact, deflecting rounds and rounds of questioning from GOP lawmakers and some Democratic lawmakers that had some really tough questions about some of the statistics you just cited there, Elaine, including the 13,000 children that are in US custody and 4,200 right now that are stuck in Custom and Border Protection custody and housing that is unfit.”
Specifically, Mayorkas is seeking to criminally prosecute more illegal immigrants and target sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mayorkas told ICE employees that DHS will also take on so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to work with the agency to turn over illegal immigrants hiding out there. He also vowed during the meeting, according to notes of the conversation reviewed by the Washington Times, that he is opposed to some more progressive immigration and border protection policies, like the push from the far left to totally abolish ICE.
‘I’m 100% opposed to the abolition of ICE,’ he said. ‘It is the opposite of what I think needs to occur. I think we need to strengthen our policies and practices and communicate more effectively what we do and why we do it.
Vice President Kamala Harris was put in charge of the White House’s response to the immigration crisis. Critics have slammed her for not yet visiting the southern border or its overflowing holding facilities in the few weeks since being designated border czar.
Since Biden made the announcement, Harris has visited New Haven, Connecticut; Oakland, California and Chicago, Illinois – all to promote the American Rescue Plan and preview more relief.
She also went home to California for Easter weekend with second gentleman Doug Emhoff and moved into the Naval Observatory after getting ‘frustrated’ with the time it was taking to complete the renovations. She has also listed her D.C. condo on the market for $1.995million.
Another notable tidbit to come from that meeting Friday was Mayorkas revealing Biden is considering restarting construction on Trump’s southern border wall in an effort to address the record numbers of illegal crossers.
He said the construction might resume in order to plug ‘gaps’ in the current barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.
The move comes as Biden made a big spectacle on Day One of his administration by issuing an executive order freezing Department of Defense funding for border wall construction. In February, he officially ended the emergency order at the border, but there were concerns about where the funds would go that were already appropriated for the border wall project.
The new hard-line stances come as Biden’s administration is facing a growing crisis at the southern border with record numbers of migrants arriving every day and facilities quickly becoming overcrowded and understaffed.
Watch it here: Yahoo News
Sources: NEWS YAHOO, WAYNE DUPREE, DAILY MAIL