Greg Abbott blasts Mayorkas claim that border is not open as a ‘flat-out lie’
Ryan King
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Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) criticized the Biden administration for leaving a “welcome mat” at the border amid heightened fears of a mass influx this week.
Ahead of Title 42’s expiration, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to the border Friday and reassured the public that the border is not open, a major point of contention for Abbott.
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS DOWNPLAYS FEARS OF IMMIGRANTS SURGE AFTER TITLE 42 ENDS
“The border is not open, it has not been open, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11,” Mayorkas said while in Texas.
“Everything that you just said that Mayorkas said is just a flat-out lie or total ignorance. He says that the border is closed. Everybody in America knows that the border is not closed; it’s more open,” Abbott countered when asked about Mayorkas remarks on Fox News Sunday.
Title 42, a pandemic-era policy permitting U.S. Border Patrol to deport migrants back to their home country without having an asylum hearing, is set to be lifted on Tuesday. This has led to concerns that a mass influx of illegal immigrants will pour into the United States.
Biden administration officials such as Mayorkas have assured the public that they still have tools at their disposal to enforce immigration laws. Mayorkas specifically stressed Sunday that the administration has been working for over a “year and a half” to prepare for Title 42’s expiration.
One move President Joe Biden recently announced is that 1,500 troops have been sent to the border. However, those soldiers will directly not assist with “enforcement work,” according to Mayorkas.
“Biden is sending 1500 quote soldiers to do paperwork, and he’s not going to secure the border. We need not 1,500 soldiers; we need 15,000 or 150,000 to secure the border because of the open border policies of the bad administration,” Abbott chided. “This is a day late, and tens of thousands of soldiers too few.”
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Abbott upheld the Trump administration as a model for Biden to follow amid the brewing crisis.
“Three years ago, we had the fewest border crossings in decades because the federal government under President Trump was able to put into place very easy policies such as the Remain in Mexico policy, the Title 42 policy, end catch and release, and build a border wall,” Abbott contended.