On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Your World,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to questions on how we can ensure ISIS won’t exploit the border by stating that “individuals who pose a threat to public safety or our national security are prioritized for immigration detention and removal from the United States.” And that policy changes have been made to reduce traffic at the southern border.
After listing figures about potential terrorists at the border, host Sandra Smith asked, [relevant exchange begins around 2:30] “How can we be sure that ISIS won’t find a safe harbor here?”
Mayorkas answered, “It is our highest responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the American people. And in the service of that responsibility, we screen and vet individuals, and individuals who pose a threat to public safety or our national security are prioritized for immigration detention and removal from the United States. And looking at the matter before us, the tragedy in New Orleans yesterday, we are dealing with a United States citizen born in the state of Texas who was radicalized to violence by a foreign terrorist ideology. But, let me be clear, whatever the nature of the threat, those who pose a threat to the American people are our highest priority for law enforcement action as our laws provide and we enforce and execute those laws every single day. And so many people in our department do so at risk to their own well-being and safety.”
Smith responded, “There are going to be many who are going to hear you say that and wonder why more hasn’t been done to stop people from illegally coming into the country, Mr. Secretary. I looked back at March 12. And I was reminded when Christopher Wray, heading up the FBI, said that the terror level in this country has reached a whole new level, worried about those here who will inspire acts like, by the way, the one that just happened in New Orleans. He said the terror level threat is higher than before October 7. So, one might wonder why there hasn’t been a change in policy that has led to that.”
Mayorkas responded, “Well, there has been a change in policy. Quite frankly, the number of individuals encountered at our southern border on a daily basis now is lower than it was in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, number one. Number two, Director Wray was speaking of the fact that we have a diverse set of challenges that our country is facing. And I have spoken publicly about this as well. We have the persistent threat of foreign terrorism that really gave rise to the Department of Homeland Security in the first instance after the tragic events of 9/11. We have the individuals already resident in the United States radicalized to violence by a foreign terrorist ideology, or, over the last eight years, what we have seen, anti-government sentiment, false narratives spread online, personal grievances. And the third major threat vector is adverse nation-states such as the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and Iran that we counter every single day.”
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