Border Crisis: Alejandro Mayorkas Emphasizes Need for Resources To Address Migrant Surge

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas highlights the need for more resources as Title 42 is ending
The official's remarks come amid a surge of asylum-seekers at the southern border
Title 42 is a Trump-era policy that ordered Border Patrol to expel migrants instead of taking them into custody

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calls for Congressional support as Title 42 nears its end and a surge of migrants at the southern border.

The official's remarks come as projections show that roughly 13,000 to 18,000 people could be apprehended every day when Title 42 ends on May 11. The numbers represent a surge from 5,000 to 6,000 per day that was previously estimated.

Alejandro Mayorkas Address Border Crisis

Title 42 is a policy implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure public health safety by preventing migrants from applying at ports of entry. It ordered the Border Patrol to immediately expel asylum-seekers they encountered anywhere else along the border instead of simply taking them into custody, as the Washington Examiner stated.

The workforce of the Border Patrol was estimated to be roughly 19,000 across the United States, but Mayorkas called on Congress to deploy an additional 350 agents. In a statement, the DHS secretary said they needed more resources to address the current issue.

Mayorkas said that the current system forced them to work within significant constraints, adding that they needed people, technology, facilities, and transportation. He argued that these were all elements needed to address the large number of people who were irregularly arriving at the southern border.

The previous DHS secretary under former President Barack Obama, Jeh Johnson, said while working at the department, having 1,000 captures per day would be considered a crisis. At the time, Mayorkas served as Johnson's deputy secretary for the department.

Mayorkas noted that additional resources would help the department move quickly and efficiently. He said that this was needed to operate under what he called a "broken immigration system," according to NBC News.

Requesting Assistance From Congress

With the approaching end of Title 42, United States President Joe Biden's administration and its border officials are preparing for a massive influx of migrants. Last week, federal immigration officials noted that local authorities were already reporting a shortage of funds and space needed to handle incoming migrants.

Previously, the Border Patrol union criticized Mayorkas and called for his impeachment for his alleged failures to address the border crisis. On Sunday, the DHS secretary said that his current objective is to get support from Congress to assist agents along the border.

Mayorkas' remarks came after he testified before the House Homeland Security Committee, claiming that the US border is "secure." He said that the surge in migrants affected the southern border and the entire hemisphere.

Some US immigration offices are so overwhelmed with processing migrants for the court that some asylum-seekers who crossed the southern border may have to wait for nearly a decade before even getting scheduled to see a judge, said Fox News.