World Courant
Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas was ripped by one Republican lawmaker Tuesday over particular brokers inside his division being reassigned to “make sandwiches” on the border for unlawful immigrants being held there.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., took purpose at Mayorkas primarily based on the testimony of a particular agent from Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) who stated a minimum of 600 brokers had been pulled off different circumstances and despatched to the border amid a surge in migrants crossing into the nation.
When pressed for a particular variety of brokers that had been reassigned, Mayorkas did not have a solution, however stated he’d be “very happy” to offer it. He added that the reassigned brokers had been on the border “to battle the scourge of fentanyl.”
WATCH: FBI DIRECTOR GOES SILENT WHEN ASKED IF COUNTRY ‘SAFER’ UNDER BIDEN
“That is not what the particular agent is alleging. That is not what she stated. She stated that there have been being taken off of fentanyl interdiction, taken off baby exploitation circumstances, off of their different investigations into criminals to make sandwiches. That is her quote. You are saying that it is a lie? That she’s fallacious?” Hawley stated.
Mayorkas argued there have been “plenty of regulation enforcement priorities,” to which Hawley requested, “Is making sandwiches considered one of them?”
“After all not, senator. We accomplish an amazing quantity —” he responded earlier than Hawley jumped in, asking if the agent’s testimony was fallacious.
WHITE HOUSE INDICATES PEOPLE MAKING ‘VIOLENT ANTISEMITIC THREATS’ NOT CLASSIFIED AS ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’
“Making sandwiches for unlawful immigrants? Is she fallacious? That is considered one of your brokers. Is she fallacious? She says that there are 600, a minimum of, particular brokers pulled off of different circumstances, despatched all the way down to the border to babysit unlawful immigrants. Is she fallacious?” he requested.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., (left) and Homeland Safety Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas (proper). (Getty Pictures)
Mayorkas stated DHS personnel had been used “to attain the utmost regulation enforcement goal doable. That’s what we do.”
“So you are not going to disclaim it?” Hawley requested.
WHITE HOUSE ‘COULDN’T POSSIBLY ANSWER’ WHETHER TERRORISTS HAVE ALREADY CROSSED OVER THE SOUTHERN BORDER
“I am extremely happy with what our individuals do each single day,” Mayorkas stated.
A division e-mail despatched to ICE brokers in July and obtained by Fox Information Digital stated that as a result of rise in migrant encounters on the time that HSI could be rising its Operation Expanded Influence (OEI) numbers from 60 to 200.
Asylum seekers wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol brokers after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into america on September 30, 2023, in Eagle Move, Texas. Border safety and immigration have turn into main points in ongoing negotiations to fund the U.S. authorities. A latest surge in immigrant crossings on the U.S. southern border has overwhelmed authorities. (John Moore/Getty Pictures)
Based on the e-mail, these brokers had been to deploy to key border sectors in Texas, Arizona and California.
OEI was launched final 12 months as a part of a DHS effort to focus on transnational legal organizations concerned in smuggling and human exercise.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Based on one HSI agent who spoke to Fox Information Digital on the time, the deployed brokers had been usually despatched on quick discover, and typically simply assist Border Patrol with the processing of migrants coming throughout.
“You are utilizing expert and skilled particular brokers who’re skilled in legal investigations and regulation enforcement techniques to protect individuals and handy out meals to people and assist with processing,” the agent stated.
Fox Information’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Brandon Gillespie is an affiliate editor at Fox Information. Observe him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.
