FILE – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, speaks during a Senate Appropriations – Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Wednesday, May 4, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 9:20 AM PT – Thursday, May 26, 2022
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has warned migrants not to travel to the US southern border. In a video released Tuesday, he said single adults and families encountered at the border will continue to be expelled where appropriate under Title 42. Mayorkas also expressed concerns illegal border crossings will continue to surge amid confusion over recent court orders and as smugglers peddle misinformation.
“The United States continues to enforce its immigration laws. Individuals and families should not put their lives at risk by taking the dangerous journey only to be sent back,” stated the secretary.
His warning comes as Border Patrol agents are encountering thousands of migrants daily in an ongoing situation partly attributed to the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border. According to Customs and Border Protection data, Border Patrol agents encountered around 234,000 migrants along the southern border in April alone.
The United States continues to enforce its immigration laws, and restrictions at our Southwest border have not changed.
The bottom line is that U.S. borders are not open.
Individuals and families continue to be subject to border restrictions, including expulsion. pic.twitter.com/YYTjGSkfTE
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 24, 2022
The Biden administration has drawn heavy scrutiny over the southern border, including from GOP Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) among several Republican lawmakers. During a press conference Tuesday, Ernst expressed alarm about the situation while praising agents for their efforts to deal with the ongoing surge.
“Just over the weekend in Yuma, Arizona, they saw an unprecedented 1,250 illegal crossings within a 24-hour period,” he noted. “One day in one location and we know how hard the folks are working at the border to protect our citizens and our nation.
The Biden administrations efforts to discourage migrants come as the Justice Department plans on appealing a court ruling upholding Title 42, which around 1.9 million migrants have been promptly expelled under.