In a recent interview, Alejandro Mayorkas, the head of Homeland Security, admitted that he and his team could have taken more decisive action to prevent the influx of migrants at the southern border.
"We would have taken executive action more rapidly," Mayorkas confessed, expressing regret over the Republicans' rejection of his January 2024 border bill. This statement was made during a conversation with CBS News on December 22.
According to Breitbart, Ira Mehlman, a representative for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, refuted Mayorkas' claim of incompetence. "This was not incompetence," Mehlman argued, "This was a deliberate plan to remake the country through immigration [and] they were trying to create a [political] situation where they thought they could force the Republicans to capitulate and basically codify open borders."
Rosemary Jenks, the co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, echoed Mehlman's sentiments. "They opened the borders because they wanted to flood the country," she stated. However, she clarified, "I have no evidence that anyone at DHS, including Mayorkas, was [used the migration to] pressuring Republicans in the Senate to do anything until the end of 2023." Jenks speculated that the DHS saw an opportunity in the Senate at the end of 2023 and thought they could manipulate the situation to their advantage, regardless of the election outcomes.
Despite Mayorkas' strategies, the Democrats lost the White House to Donald Trump in November 2024. This defeat sparked a wave of blame-shifting among Democrats, with various pro-migration advocates attributing the loss to factors such as a Latino pollster, dissatisfaction with the economy, grassroots activists, or poor "messaging" by Democrats.
"The issue for the country is how do we undo the damage that has been done over the past four years and prevent it from happening again," Mehlman stated, shifting the focus from internal Democratic disputes to the broader national concern.
During his tenure, Mayorkas welcomed approximately 9 million inadmissible migrants, in addition to several million legal migrants and temporary workers. His admission of regret came in response to CBS host Margaret Brennan's question about why he allowed three years of mass migration before implementing tighter policies, including a border deal with Mexico's government, just before the 2024 election.
Mayorkas defended his actions by blaming the GOP for rejecting his requests for additional funds. He lamented the death of bipartisan negotiations in February 2024, which he believed could have provided a "terrific solution" if not for "irresponsible politics."
However, Mayorkas' comments also revealed that he could have taken "executive action more rapidly" but chose not to. He did not admit to using his migrant welcome policy to pressure the GOP into signing the Senate bill, even though he repeatedly portrayed his migration bill as the solution to his lenient migration policy.
Mehlman criticized Mayorkas' bill, stating, "It was the bills own deep, deep flaws that killed it." He argued that the bill was not an immigration enforcement bill but a "complete subterfuge" that would have legalized Mayorkas' actions, thus continuing to harm the American people.
Mehlman described Mayorkas as "not crazy, hes just ideologically driven." He criticized Mayorkas for implementing progressive pro-migration policies without any checks from the White House or Congress.
Evidence suggests that President Joe Biden's age-related decline made it difficult for him to control his appointees. For instance, Biden reportedly gave up fighting against Mayorkas in March 2021 when Kamala Harris accepted and then refused Bidens request that she become his border czar.
Mehlman accused Mayorkas of trying to avoid blame for the immigration policy that contributed to Harris' defeat. He argued that Mayorkas was the architect of the policy and should bear the responsibility for its consequences.
Mayorkas, a fervent pro-migration progressive, has aligned himself with like-minded investors at Mark Zuckerbergs FWD.us lobby group. He has justified his pro-migration stance by citing his sympathy for migrants, his support for "equity" between Americans and foreigners, and his belief that the "needs" of U.S. business are paramount, regardless of the cost to ordinary Americans, the impact on U.S. children, or Americans rational opposition.
Mehlman concluded by warning that history "shows an energized and committed minority often carries the day over a passive majority," a statement that underscores the need for vigilance and active participation in the democratic process.
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