In a highly anticipated hearing on Capitol Hill, GOP senators went full force against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the ongoing border crisis. Throughout the hearing were many moments of tense exchanges that left Mayorkas without a leg to stand on.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) did not hold back in his criticism of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for the mess the United States-Mexico border has become under his leadership.
First, Mayorkas refused to give a straight answer when pressed if the “crisis at the southern border made Americans less safe.”
Senator @tedcruz SLAMS Biden DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for dodging questions: "You're…a politician misleading the American people" pic.twitter.com/l5NlVbQTcT
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 28, 2023
Mayorkas also revealed, during the course of Cruz’s line of questioning, that he wasn’t familiar with the bracelets human smugglers use to track who has paid and who is set to be taken illegally into the country.
Sen. @tedcruz and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas CLASH in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about oversight of DHS.
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 28, 2023
READ: https://t.co/erLX8nl8ul pic.twitter.com/F6ZayXyPRl
When faced with facts about those coming across the border from Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, Mayorkas pleaded that his team is “focused” on enforcing the laws to “achieve security” at the border. However, Senator Kennedy was not buying it.
Under Pres. Biden, America’s southern border has seen the most
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) March 28, 2023
• Fentanyl coming into our country
• “Gotaways”
• Illegal migrant encounters (4.8 MILLION)
• Asylum seekers not deported after their claims were rejected
. . . in the HISTORY of EVER. pic.twitter.com/GlC4vvElaI
Kennedy then tore into Mayorkas, asking him if he had just “parachuted in from another planet” because he’s “the only person in the Milky Way who believes that we’re not having massive, massive illegal immigration into America.”
Sen. John Kennedy to Sec. Mayorkas: “Did you just parachute in from another planet, Mr. Secretary? Because you’re the only person in the Milky Way who believes that we’re not having massive, massive illegal immigration into America.”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 28, 2023
pic.twitter.com/o1cHRwgep3
Senator Kennedy continued his criticism of Mayorkas during a FOX interview after the hearing, telling host Neil Cavuto, “Either Secretary Mayorkas believes in completely open borders, or he is not qualified to manage a Chuck E. Cheese.”
Sen. John Kennedy: "Either Secretary Mayorkas believes in completely open borders, or he is not qualified to manage a Chuck E. Cheese." pic.twitter.com/z8lWFMbR0m
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 28, 2023
Despite Mayorkas’ assurances that the administration is working to address the crisis, it was clear that the GOP senators were not satisfied with his responses. They challenged him on many issues, including the administration’s overall failure to secure the border and provide proper care for unaccompanied minors who have been smuggled into the US. Mayorkas could not offer any concrete plans to ease the crisis, which has been ongoing for several months. The hearing was yet another indication of the growing frustration within the GOP over the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis. It is clear that Republicans will not ease up on this issue anytime soon, and the Biden administration will have to work harder to assuage their concerns. As the situation at the border continues to worsen, it remains to be seen how the administration will address the issue long-term. However, one thing is clear – GOP senators will not let this issue go unnoticed.
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