During the Texas Tribune Festival, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas addressed the ongoing U.S. border crisis, particularly the challenges facing Texas.
In a conversation with PBS NewsHour’s Laura Barrón-López, Mayorkas expressed his belief that deportations are not good policy, despite his department being responsible for enforcing deportation laws.
When asked why he opposed deportations, Mayorkas pointed to factors like “extreme weather events” and social dynamics in which migrants are scapegoated for problems they did not cause.
He drew a controversial comparison to Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews, saying that harmful rhetoric has led to deaths. Although he invoked the Hatch Act, which limits political commentary by government officials, Mayorkas refrained from directly linking this rhetoric to former President Donald Trump.
Barrón-López questioned Mayorkas about Trump’s proposal for mass deportations, which includes potentially using the National Guard to round up undocumented migrants in Democratic-led states.
Mayorkas explained the logistical and legal challenges of such a plan, using the example of a hypothetical Venezuelan migrant at the U.S.-Mexico border. He emphasized that under U.S. law, it is not feasible to simply deport someone to Venezuela, as intermediary nations and other complexities come into play.
Mayorkas detailed the complicated process required for handling undocumented migrants, especially those seeking asylum.
He highlighted legal requirements, such as the need for adequate detention facilities and adherence to judicial rulings, explaining that the U.S. is currently funded for about 36,000 detention beds. He questioned how mass deportations would be implemented without violating these standards.
Currently, migrants who arrive at the border are given the opportunity to apply for asylum and are often released into the U.S. while they await their court date, which can take years. During that time, many are eligible to receive work permits and certain public benefits.
When pressed further by Barrón-López, Mayorkas confirmed that he did not believe mass deportations were good policy, although he initially focused on the practical and operational challenges rather than the policy itself.
Mayorkas, appointed by President Biden in 2021, has been an advocate for expanding legal immigration opportunities.