Bishop to Mayorkas: 'Do You Continue to Maintain That the Border Is Secure?' Mayorkas: 'Yes' (November 15, 2022)

After two years of record border encounters, a Republican congressman asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a yes-or-no question. “Secretary Mayorkas, do you continue to maintain that the border is secure?” asked Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Nov. 15, 2022, according to the official hearing record [1].

“Yes. We are working day in and day out to enhance its security, Congressman,” Mayorkas answered [1].

“I just wanted to understand that is your position still. I think it is a position that denies reality, respectfully,” Bishop said [1].

The video above shows the exchange at the “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland” hearing on Nov. 15, 2022. Quotes are from the official hearing record and the Clerk of the House [1][2].

”Larger Than 23 of the States”

Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., had laid out the numbers earlier. “Now, for the eighth straight month we have had more than 200,000 encounters along our Southwest Border,” he said [1].

“So we see that during a 2-year period the number of encounters along our Southwest Border has increased over 520 percent. Just taking 2022 and 2021 combined, those 2 years in which you have been in charge of this agency, we see a number that exceeds 4 million. To put that number in perspective, that is a number larger than 23 of the States that comprise the United States of America,” Guest said [1].

“So looking at that, you have previously stated that the border is closed, the border is secure, and that we have not lost operational control of the border. I ask you once again today, do you still stand by your statement based on those statistical figures?” he asked [1].

”In Proper Context”

Mayorkas did not say yes or no. “Congressman Guest, let me share a few thoughts, because I think it is very important to put the challenge at our Southern Border—and it is a very serious challenge—in proper context. It is a challenge that is not specific or exclusive to our Southern Border,” he said [1].

“Mr. Mayorkas, I am not trying to interrupt you. I have very limited time and so I would like to focus my question on the Southwest Border,” Guest said [1].

”They Have Failed Miserably”

“Statistics tell me that the border is only getting worse and that since this administration has taken control, that the policies that you have put in place have failed and that they have failed miserably,” Guest said [1].

“We can say these number of immigrants, we know that of these number of immigrants that we see here that have come across our border, we have statistics here that 98 people on that list—of those individuals were on the terrorist watch list,” he said [1].

“Because that is what we all want, Republicans, Democrats, we want a secure border, we clearly do not have that now,” Guest said [1].

“We know that Commissioner Magnus recently was forced to resign from office. I applaud you for removing him. I thought he did a terrible job,” Guest said of the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection [1].

Asked what he would do, Mayorkas pointed to smugglers and to Congress. “No. 1, we are taking it to the smugglers and the transnational criminal organizations at an unprecedented level,” he said. “Two things that Congress can do. No. 1 is pass our budget,” Mayorkas said, and “No. 2, once and for all, pass immigration reform, including, for example, much-needed reform to our asylum system.” [1]

“The Fact That It Is Wide Open”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, warned about the border in his remarks. “That has always been the question, whether it be through ports and airports, which is the more typical way they do this, or what worries me now is the situation at the border. The fact that it is wide open,” he said [1].

”Enough Fentanyl to Kill the Equivalent of the Entire State of Pennsylvania”

Bishop put the same question to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Director Wray, do you believe that the border is secure?” [1]

“What I would say is that we see significant criminal threats coming from south of the border, whether it is guns, drugs, money, violence,” Wray said. “You know, in Phoenix we had a takedown working with CBP, who are phenomenal partners I should add, where we seized in one vehicle interdiction enough fentanyl to kill the equivalent of the entire State of Pennsylvania.” [1]

Bishop also asked National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid, “Director Abizaid, does the NCTC asses a significant threat from the historic level of uncontrolled crossing at the Southern Border?” [1]

“Thank you. We don’t actually. Border security is really important,” Abizaid said [1].

“It makes me mindful of the 9/11 report, that chapter that said the system was blinking red,” Bishop said [1].

By the Numbers

200,000+: Southwest border encounters for eight straight months, per Guest [1].
2,378,000: encounters in fiscal 2022, per Guest [1].
520%: the increase over two years, per Guest [1].
98: people on the terrorist watch list among those crossing, per Guest [1].
214-213: the House vote impeaching Mayorkas in 2024 [2].

What Happened Next

The House impeached him. On Feb. 13, 2024, the House adopted H.Res. 863, “Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors,” 214 to 213 [2].

For Stefanik on the border crisis two weeks before that vote, see HYGO News’ page on Jan. 30, 2024. For Mayorkas blaming Congress as Title 42 ended, see the page on May 11, 2023.