Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that he does not know the status of 42 individuals apprehended at the southwest border who were flagged for being on the federal government’s terror watch or no-fly lists.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio raised the issue when Mayorkas appeared before the committee on Thursday.
“Have any of the 42 illegal migrants on the terrorist watch list or no-fly list encountered on our southwest border been released into the United States?” Jordan asked.
“I will provide that data to you with respect to the disposition of each one. I do not know the answer to your question,” Mayorkas responded.
WATCH: @SecMayorkas just admitted he does not know whether any of the 42 known or suspected terrorists apprehended at our border have been released into the country.
Props to @Jim_Jordan for not letting this question go: pic.twitter.com/8rvvM0X3dU
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) April 28, 2022
“The secretary of Homeland Security does not know the answer to the status of 42 individuals who came to our southern border illegally [who] are on the no-fly list and the terrorist watch list,” Jordan said.
“You do not know whether they have been released or not into the country. That’s your testimony?”
Mayorkas reiterated that he would get the data to the congressman.
“That’s amazing,” Jordan replied.
42 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross our border, but Mayorkas was unable to give a direct answer of whether they are in our country to Rep. @Jim_Jordan. pic.twitter.com/cIPYsltpBX
— MRCTV (@mrctv) April 28, 2022
During his opening remarks, the lawmaker argued that the current border crisis involving the greatest influx of illegal immigrants on record is “intentional.”
“It has to be,” Jordan said. “The chaos on our southern border is not an accident. It’s deliberate. It’s on purpose. It’s by design.
“President Biden on Day 1 said there’d be a moratorium on deportations,” Jordan continued. “He ended ‘Remain in Mexico,’ he terminated agreements with Northern Triangle countries and he stopped building the wall.”
The ranking member noted that over 2.4 million migrants have illegally crossed the border since Biden took office in January 2021, as well as an unknown but large number of “got-aways” who avoided apprehension.
“Do you think that maybe — just maybe — your actions and your policies are encouraging migrants to come to the border?” Jordan asked, again pointing to changes made under the Biden administration and the upcoming end of the Title 42 health rule next month, which has allowed rapid deportations during the pandemic.
“The increase at the border is the result of a number of factors, and it’s a regional phenomenon,” Mayorkas answered before Jordan interjected.
“I’m asking about those specific factors, your actions, your policies,” he said.
Mayorkas answered, “I do not.”
Story cited here.