Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has vehemently denied that there is “misinformation” circulating that the Harris-Biden administration is trying to lure immigrants into the country to vote in the election.
Nearly two-thirds of voters who intend to support former President Donald Trump believe the Harris-Biden administration is intentionally trying to allow migrants to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Of this group, about 74% believe they are there to vote. CBS News/YouGov poll found.
“What a powerful example of disinformation,” Mayorkas said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation.” “The idea that we in law enforcement are intentionally going to allow individuals to cross the border illegally for the purpose of voting is absurd.”
“Everyone, regardless of party, should condemn that rhetoric.”
Claims about the Harris-Biden administration's intentions are circulating on social media. For example, last month, Elon Musk suspect Democrats say they are promoting the nationalization of illegal immigrants as a “surefire way to win every election” in the long run.
Before Congress adjourned for recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) introduced the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to present proof of citizenship when voting. was promoting it.
The bill ultimately did nothing, and House Republicans publicly questioned why Democrats killed it.
Despite it currently being against the law, Prime Minister Boris Johnson predicted on Sunday's Face the Nation that “non-citizens will vote”.
“There [are] There are no facts underlying these claims. they are very harmful. “This is causing people to lose confidence in the integrity of our election system, and we need people in positions of authority to actually communicate accurate information to voters,” Mayorkas shot back.
Mayorkas also emphasized that border crossings under the Harris-Biden administration are at lower levels than in the first three years.
Polls regularly show that voters generally trust Trump more than Harris on the U.S.-Mexico border issue.
Under President Biden's watch, there have been well over 8 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border. According to the data From U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Vice President Kamala Harris hit back at Republican attacks on her track record on the border, pointing to the Senate border security bill that came under fire earlier this year.
She blamed former President Donald Trump for proliferating the bill. Republicans countered by arguing that Biden could partially reverse the chaos at the border through presidential action.
Biden ultimately took executive action to limit asylum access for undocumented immigrants who cross the border illegally.
Mayorkas rejected the idea that Biden's executive actions prove Congress is not needed.
“No, remember where we were. We were enforcing Title 42, which is a public health authority until last May,” Mayorkas said, giving the government the authority to expel immigrants from the border. It referred to pandemic-era policies under Title 42 that gave.
The DHS secretary argued that the Harris-Biden administration needs more funding and resources from Congress, but has been forced to make do with what it has.
“The president took action, and let's not forget that we needed to build the capacity to successfully implement the president's proclamation. In fact, that's what we've been working on month after month. That’s it,” he added.
During the interview, Mayorkas publicly appealed to Congress to devote more resources to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“FEMA has funds available to address the immediate needs of individuals affected by Hurricanes Helen and Milton,” Mayorkas explained. “But hurricane season is not over yet, and Congress must act quickly to fund FEMA, especially the Disaster Relief Fund.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would act if Parliament received concrete proposals.
“Congress will do whatever it takes to meet the needs of the people,” he told NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “Each state needs to calculate and assess its needs and present it to Congress.”
“It takes time, especially when you have a storm this widespread and affecting so many people, so we will take action as soon as these numbers are presented to Congress. ”
