Trump-era Title 42 immigration policy expires
Mayorkas fends off criticism over admin planning for Title 42 end
On Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the administration’s handling of the end of Title 42 and faulted Congress for not providing him with more resources or advancing immigration proposals for Biden over the past two years.
In an interview on NBC’s “TODAY,” Mayorkas criticized a judge’s order Thursday night temporarily blocking administration efforts to reduce overcrowding in detention centers by allowing some vetted migrants to enter states. States with no court date or way to track them.
“We consider this decision to be very detrimental,” Mayorkas said. “The procedure we were running is something other jurisdictions have done. These people are screened and vetted, then they are released and then placed in an immigration enforcement process. The Department of Justice is of course considering its options regarding the court’s decision.
The Homeland Security Secretary also defended an administration’s efforts to severely restrict asylum for migrants who have not sought or been denied protection in other countries before reaching the United States. United.
“We’ve built safe and orderly legal pathways that people can use,” Mayorkas said, adding that if asylum seekers don’t adhere to those pathways, they don’t face a ban but “have a charge. of higher proof to be respected”.
“We have a security obligation and a humanitarian obligation to weed out ruthless smugglers,” he continued. “We will impose consequences on people who do not use [lawful] ways. »
Asked by co-anchor Savannah Guthrie if Biden is responsible for the situation at the border, Mayorkas said, “The fundamental point is that we need Congress to act. On the first day, the president introduced legislative reform to Congress. Our system has been broken for over two decades. It’s time not to criticize. It’s time to act.