Biden's DHS sec praises Senate border deal as he faces impeachment charges in the House

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has come out in favor of the bipartisan national security bill currently making its way through the Senate, praising the moves it would make to help solve the crisis at the southern border.

Mayorkas, who faces impeachment in the House this week, called on Congress to pass the legislation, which he said would make the border "more secure, orderly, fair, and humane."

 

"The bipartisan agreement in the Senate is tough, fair, and takes meaningful steps to address the challenges our country faces after decades of Congressional inaction," he wrote in a thread on X. "It would allow [the DHS] to remove more quickly those who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States, reducing the time from years to months. It would expedite protection and work authorization for those with legitimate claims."

The bill, he added, would also make it easier for the DHS to temporarily prevent "certain individuals" from entering the border "when encounters are extremely high," expand the workforce, and invest in technology aimed at preventing fentanyl from entering the country.

Mayorkas said the bill would ensure there are "strengthened consequences for those who cross the border unlawfully, without curtailing the development of lawful, safe, and orderly pathways for those who qualify."

"While the proposed legislation does not fix everything in our immigration system," he concluded, "these reforms are essential for making our border more secure, orderly, fair, and humane. I call on Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation, give the DHS workforce the tools and resources we need, and provide solutions that increase our border security."

Of the $118 billion in funding proposed by the bill, only $20.23 billion is for "border security," with $60.06 billion and $14.1 billion going to Ukraine and Israel, respectively.

In response to the deteriorating situation at the border, the House Homeland Security Committee narrowly voted to move forward with Mayorkas' impeachment last week, with a vote coming to the House at large on Monday.

The DHS secretary has been accused by Republicans of having "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security," resulting in millions of illegal immigrants entering the country.