Homeland Security Chief Alejandro Mayorkas Tells ‘Fox News Sunday’ 12,000 Haitian Migrants Released Into US

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday today that an estimated 12,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the US. The staggering number goes well beyond previous estimates tied to the Del Rio, Texas bridge encampment.

Mayorkas also said his 12,000 estimate could go up, as 5,000 other cases are still being processed. Those numbers indicate previous reports of 15,000 people at the encampment were incorrect.

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“Approximately, I think it’s about 10,000 or so – 12,000 thousand,” Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday when questioned on the numbers. It could be even higher,” he added. “The number that are returned could be even higher. What we do is we follow the law as Congress has passed it.”

The Del Rio encampment has been cleared of migrants and the Del Rio border crossing has been reopened. But more migrants are on the way, as images on Sunday show caravans on the move from Central America.

Mayorkas said the migrations are “nothing new,” but blamed the immigration laws for the problem. “11 million people in this country without lawful presence is a compelling reason why there is unanimity about the fact that our immigration system is broken and legislative reform is needed,” Mayorkas said.

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