DHS Sec. Mayorkas spars with GOP Rep. on illegal border crossings: Bipartisan bill would have given us more resources.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday sparred with Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) over illegal border crossings.

The Ohio congressman asked the DHS secretary about his plans to remove undocumented immigrants with no legal basis to be in the U.S.

“I will respectfully submit to you, Mr. Chairman, as I articulated in my opening statement, that the bipartisan bill that a group of senators worked on — I had the privilege of being seated with them — would have delivered a consequence regime like no other. It would have been the first time since 1996 that our broken system would have delivered the much-needed fixes that we need to fully enforce the law and to deliver a consequence regime that will indeed deter illegal migration,” Mayorkas said at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2025 budget request.

“That's a great answer, but what are you going to do about the people who are still here? Do you have a plan in place to remove those people on an orderly basis?” Joyce asked.

Mayorkas noted the Biden administration’s efforts to remove those who entered the country illegally and emphasized that the bipartisan border bill the Senate crafted last year would have given the department more resources.

“Our proposed budget seeks additional resources — not as many as the bipartisan legislation would have provided to us,” Mayorkas said.

“But you don't have that legislation, sir, so how can you justify using ICE detention space for border decompression efforts when the department has such a large volume of interior enforcement needs?” Joyce asked.

“Mr. Chairman, we use our detention capabilities to ensure that our enforcement priorities are realized,” Mayorkas replied.