Republican Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Wednesday for refusing to define how many illegal encounters at the southern border would make a “bad day” for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
Guest expressed concerns that illegal immigration in the United States has sharply increased under Mayorkas, and the Biden administration at large, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday. Guest noted that the former Trump administration DHS secretary could define what would make a bad or good day for CBP based on the number of illegal encounters, and asked Mayorkas if he could do the same. (RELATED: ‘I Live In A Border State, You Don’t’: GOP Rep Tells Off Democrat For Defending Mayorkas On Border Crisis)
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“We do not minimize the significance of the challenge at the southwest border and we are intensely focused on it,” Mayorkas said in response to Guest’s question.
“Is there a number?” Guest responded. “I asked for a number – that was my question. What number to you represents a bad day? Are you refusing to answer the question?”
“We do not minimize the significance of the challenge at the southwest border,” Mayorkas responded.
“That wasn’t my question, Mr. Mayorkas. I asked a simple question: give me a number. And you’re filibustering, you’re refusing to answer the question. What is the number?”
“I’ve answered your question,” Mayorkas responded.
DHS did not immediately respond to an inquiry as to how many encounters would make a “bad day” for CBP.
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