Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas blasted Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) over the border crisis, claiming that the governor has not been cooperating with the federal government.
Mayorkas rebuffed Republican criticisms in an interview with George Stephanapoulos on ABC News’ This Week, laying much of the blame for the migrant crisis on Republicans themselves. Responding to criticism from Abbott, Mayorkas claimed that the Texas governor was exploiting migrants for political gain.
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“Governor Abbott is not collaborating with the federal government on an issue that requires collaboration,” he said, responding to a quote from Abbott saying that the federal government needs to dedicate more funds and resources to deal with the crisis on the border.
“We cannot have the rights and the needs of individuals who are seeking humanitarian relief in the United States be exploited for political purposes.”
Texas Gov. Abbott is “not collaborating” with administration on immigration, DHS Sec. Mayorkas says. https://t.co/wzsfBnzHVZ pic.twitter.com/4dPTWPqnGg
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 8, 2023
“We cannot have the rights and the needs of individuals who are seeing humanitarian relief in the United States be exploited for political purposes,” he continued. “We cannot have unilateral governor action that is not coordinated with the federal government to address an issue that is of national importance.”
Mayorkas also ignored Republican demands to resign over his handling of the border.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Mayorkas said in response to a quote from McCarthy threatening his impeachment if he didn’t resign. “I’m proud to do it alongside 250,000 incredibly dedicated and talented individuals in the Department of Homeland Security, and I’m going to continue to do my work.”
The Homeland Security secretary concluded his interview with an optimistic picture of President Joe Biden’s upcoming trip to the border, his first as president.
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“I want [the president] to see the extraordinary work of the men and women of the United States Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection’s field operations — how we have surged resources to address a challenge that is not unique to the southern border of the United States,” Mayorkas said. “It’s a challenge that is really gripping our entire hemisphere.”
