In a recent interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas firmly rejected Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s assertion that President Joe Biden should exercise greater executive authority to address the southern border situation. “He couldn’t be more wrong,” Mayorkas stated, referencing the Republican governor’s remarks.
Mayorkas reminded viewers of former President Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to close the border, an action that was blocked by the courts. He emphasized that the onus is on Congress to act, echoing President Biden’s call for Congress to “get a spine.”
Abbott, a vocal critic of the Biden administration, had previously accused the president of failing to use his executive authority to implement measures already authorized by Congress. The governor’s comments came amidst a blame game between the president, Congress, and state officials over border action.
Last month, Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border bill, which was partly crafted by a GOP senator and would have enabled restrictive border measures. The bill faced strong opposition from former President Trump and top House Republicans.
Relations between Abbott and the federal government have been strained, particularly after Texas state authorities installed razor wires along the US-Mexico border to deter illegal crossings. In response, Mayorkas issued a cease-and-desist letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, labeling these actions as “unconstitutional.”
Mayorkas also criticized Abbott for his refusal to cooperate with the Biden administration on border issues and for his role in transporting migrants to large Democratic-led cities across the country. The Homeland Security Secretary avoided questions about potential executive actions from the Biden administration to address border issues, instead insisting on the need for Congress to reform the immigration system.
Mayorkas defended President Biden’s recent visit to the southern border, which had been criticized by the National Border Patrol Council. He reiterated the need for Congress to act, stating, “This system has been broken for decades, and we have a bipartisan solution that will deliver much-needed resources and much-needed changes to the broken system.”
Last month, the US House voted to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border, marking the first impeachment of a Cabinet secretary in nearly 150 years. When asked about the charges, Mayorkas chose not to comment, stating, “I’m going to let the Senate, of course, execute its responsibilities as it thinks best in the service of our country. I am going to focus on work.”