On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” broadcast Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to reports that the Department of Homeland Security has identified more than 400 migrants brought to the US by ISIS-linked human trafficking networks, saying, “We have no evidence that these are individuals intent on harming the United States. We will screen and vet the individuals we encounter, and if we learn of compromising information, we will take enforcement action.”
co-host Mika Brzezinski asked.[T]I would like to ask you about two issues here. The first is NBC News report “First, the Department of Homeland Security has identified more than 400 migrants from Central Asia and elsewhere in the U.S. as being of concern, some of whom may be involved in human trafficking networks linked to ISIS. And second, as NBC News reports, the administration is still releasing illegal immigrants into the U.S. to live there while they apply for asylum, but officially it hasn’t worked, and many still aren’t entering the U.S. the way they should.”
Mayorkas responded: “Let me correct a couple of points. First, with regard to those from Central Asia, there is no evidence that they are seeking to harm the United States. That is inaccurate. The safety and security of the American people is [is] “This is our number one priority. We screen and vet anyone we encounter, and if we learn of compromising information, we will take enforcement action. We are acting with an abundance of caution and with the safety and security of the American people as our number one priority.”
He continued, “Second, the number of people released into immigration enforcement proceedings has dropped significantly since the president’s proclamation. But remember, our detention capacity is not enough to meet the number of people we encounter. This is not unique to our administration, it’s been historic since the ’90s when I was a federal prosecutor. So we need to release people in immigration enforcement proceedings back to the United States and provide alternatives to detention if necessary from an enforcement standpoint. So we have some steps in place to ensure the safety and security of the American people. Fundamentally, we’re operating in an immigration system that’s broken. We need Congress to fix it. Everybody agrees on that. It hasn’t been fixed since 1996.”
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