Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the U.S.–Mexico border is closed, although unaccompanied children who unlawfully cross into the United States won’t be turned back.
“We are expelling families. We are expelling single adults. And we’ve made a decision that we will not expel young, vulnerable children. I think we are executing on our plans,” Mayorkas told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on March 21.Mayorkas was then asked by Chuck Todd, the host, about whether the policy encourages parents in Mexico and other countries to send their children alone to the border.
“We have a short-term plan, a medium-term plan, and a long-term plan, and the president and I have spoken to this repeatedly. Please remember something: That President [Donald] Trump dismantled the orderly, humane, and efficient way of allowing children to make their claims under United States law in their home countries,” the secretary said, without elaborating.
The Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) program has been touted as the most effective measure to deter illegal border crossings and meritless asylum claims. But Biden moved to rescind a series of Trump-era policies starting on Jan. 20, including MPP, and also indicated that he supports expanded pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
But Mayorkas said the border is not open.
“In the meantime, we will not expel into the Mexican desert, for example, three orphaned children whom I saw over the last two weeks. We just won’t do that. That’s not who we are,” he said on March 21.
Under an anti-trafficking law, unaccompanied minors from Central America and other noncontiguous countries haven’t been turned back into Mexico for decades.
In an interview last week with ABC News, Biden said the border is closed and called on people not to show up at the border.
“We are safely processing the children who do come to our border. We strongly urge, and the message is clear, not to do so now. I cannot overstate the perils of the journey that they take,” Mayorkas said.
“We established three new facilities last week. ... We are working on the system from beginning to end. We are working around the clock 24/7,” he said. “We have dealt with surges in the past, and the men and women of Department of Homeland Security will succeed.”
At the same time, members of the media have raised red flags about how the administration is handling press access. Getty Images photographer John Moore over the weekend said that the press has been provided “zero access” to the border, and photographers have been forced to shoot photos from the Mexican side of the border.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that Border Patrol officials have been muzzled by DHS officials about the situation at the border.
On March 21, The Epoch Times observed two van loads of mostly family units being dropped off by Border Patrol at a local NGO tent facility in downtown McAllen, Texas, across the road from the Greyhound bus station. It’s unclear when the individuals crossed the border.
Friends Read Free