FAIR Opposes Alejandro Mayorkas to Head DHS: Wrong Person, Worst Time

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Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Jan 19, 2021, 09:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), opposing the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security:

"The nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by President-Elect Biden has highlighted valid concerns that his administration will pursue a radical immigration agenda, undermining public safety and national security. It's simple – Mayorkas has been tapped to fill the wrong job at the worst possible time.

Tapped to Fill the Wrong Job

"DHS, created after the terror attacks on 9/11, oversees our nation's immigration enforcement agencies – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These agencies are the nation's frontline of defense against illegal immigration, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and cross-border terrorism.

"Alejandro Mayorkas lacks a track record of commitment to sensible immigration enforcement. In fact, he is best known as a chief architect of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama administration's de facto amnesty – granted by executive fiat – that exempted from removal and granted work authorization to more than 700,000 illegal aliens, all in direct conflict with federal statutes.

"Mayorkas has publicly stated that he wants to expand DACA by softening eligibility requirements so that qualification would be determined by an applicant's age when they came to the U.S., not their present age. This would further balloon the illegal DACA amnesty and encourage further illegal immigration.

"Mayorkas has also indicated he will lead efforts to undo many of the last administration's policies – which include bilateral agreements to curb asylum abuse, and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – which together have all but eliminated the practice of catch and release and lead to major reductions in illegal alien apprehensions.

"Also troubling is Mayorkas' reputation for bringing his 'by any means necessary' philosophy to his former job as director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under President Obama. During his tenure heading the agency that grants immigration benefits, Mayorkas bent, or outright ignored, countless rules and laws expressly designed to exclude people who did not qualify for a variety of reasons, including fraud, according to a Congressional inquiry.

"Clearly, Mayorkas lacks the enforcement chops to oversee the nation's frontline immigration enforcement agencies.

At the Worst Possible Time

"Now is no time for lax enforcement or porous borders. Our nation remains in perhaps the worst months of the COVID-19 crisis, with more than 381,000 deaths to date and unemployment numbers in the tens of millions.

"When the country heals and the decimated job market rebounds, Americans and legal residents should be first in line to fill those jobs. Yet Mayorkas would grant amnesty and bring in more guest workers – while torpedoing policies that have helped reduce illegal immigration. This is a signature feature of the Biden administration's "America Last" approach to immigration.

"Any efforts to weaken immigration enforcement, expand DACA, increase guest worker admissions, and water down any existing immigration enforcement initiatives will not only hurt America's unemployed, but could lead to yet another spike in COVID-19 infections from those who stream into this country undetected.

"For these reasons, the Senate should oppose the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to lead DHS. FAIR and its millions of members and supporters will be monitoring the vote results."

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)