Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas defended President Joe Biden’s administration’s efforts to “orderly” rebuild the nation’s immigration process, arguing that former President Donald Trump had “dismantled” the system, Newsweek reports.
The Biden administration has received mounting criticism—primarily from Republicans, but also from some Democrats—for its response to a surge in Latin American migrants coming to the southern border. Although the administration has resisted describing the situation as a “crisis,” Biden last weekend deployed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help address the growing number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border.
“We have a short-term plan, a medium-term plan, and a long-term plan, and the president and I have spoken to this repeatedly. Please remember something, that [former] President [Donald] Trump dismantled the orderly, humane and efficient way of allowing children to make their claims under United States law in their home countries,” Mayorkas said during a Sunday morning interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press.
“He dismantled the Central American Minors program, so we are rebuilding those orderly and safe processes as quickly as possible,” the Cabinet secretary further explained.
Mayorkas also pushed back against criticism of the Biden administration’s messaging to migrants.
“Our message has been straightforward and simple. And it’s true. The border is closed. We are expelling families. We are expelling single adults. And we’ve made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children,” he said.
“I think we are executing on our plans. And quite frankly, when we are finished doing so, the American public will look back on this and say we secured our border and we upheld our values and our principles as a nation.”
Be the first to comment