Mayorkas Deflects Border Crisis Fallout, Clings to ‘Just Following Orders’ Defense [WATCH]

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced tough questions from CNBC hosts Andrew Ross Sorkin and Joe Kernen on Friday regarding Joe Biden’s immigration policies and the challenges at the southern border.

The interview, which aired on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” focused on decisions made during Biden’s presidency that reversed or altered the immigration policies of President-elect Donald Trump.

Mayorkas acknowledged the diverse perspectives within the Biden-Harris administration on immigration policies, which Biden reshaped with 89 executive orders during his first year in office.

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These actions included halting the “Remain in Mexico” program, pausing border wall construction, relaxing deportation priorities, and rescinding public charge rules.

When asked if he would have made different decisions in hindsight, Mayorkas admitted there were differing views but avoided directly criticizing his superiors.

“You have to understand something, and this is not specific to government, but to any large organization, including a government administration,” Mayorkas explained.

“People have different views on what the correct policies should be, what the correct operational measures should be. Those disagreements, those different views are voiced. Decisions are made. And then everyone marches in unity together. That is the nature of a large organization. And the government is no different.”

Sorkin pressed Mayorkas further, asking if his personal approach differed from the policies implemented by the administration.

Mayorkas declined to provide specifics but reiterated that diverse policy perspectives are expected in a large organization.

Kernen followed up with pointed criticism, questioning whether Mayorkas disagreed with halting the “Remain in Mexico” program or pausing border wall construction.

Kernen noted the sharp increase in illegal crossings, saying, “I’d pass the buck, if I were you, because it turned into an S-show, the whole thing. I mean, it quadrupled to almost 12 million versus 3 million illegal crossings.”

Mayorkas responded, asserting, “That’s not a noble approach to service. Number one. Number two, let’s place the challenge of immigration that this country has faced in context. And that’s in a global context because what we experienced at our southern border was not exclusive to our southern border. It is a phenomenon that many countries around the world, not only in our hemisphere, experienced, because we have had the largest level of displacement in the world since World War II.”

Mayorkas pointed to global displacement trends and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as factors contributing to increased migration.

He noted that the number of border encounters had already been rising in 2018 and 2019, nearly doubling between those years.

Despite his defense of the administration’s approach, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows record-high illegal border crossings in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

Under Biden’s presidency, there have been approximately 8.5 million migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mayorkas has previously faced criticism for his remarks claiming the “border is secure.”

During a July 2022 appearance at the Aspen Security Forum, he stated, “We are making the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge.”

The House of Representatives voted to impeach Mayorkas in February 2024 over his handling of the border crisis.

However, the impeachment trial was promptly dismissed by Senate Democrats.

The ongoing challenges at the border remain a contentious issue as Mayorkas continues to defend the administration’s policies amidst increasing scrutiny and criticism.

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