In an exit interview with NPR, outgoing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defends his tenure, arguing that the border is more secure than it was before the pandemic. He acknowledges the challenges of communicating the complexities of migration to the American public and cites the administration's efforts to address the border crisis. Mayorkas also reflects on the accomplishments of his department, including increased deportations and the implementation of policies aimed at stemming the flow of migrants.
As DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas prepares to leave office, NPR sits down for an exit interview. He tells us the border is more secure now than before the pandemic. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is talking about what went wrong, and making a case for what went right on his watch during the Biden administration. His sprawling department encompasses everything from the Coast Guard to the Secret Service—and also border protection and immigration enforcement agencies.
That put Mayorkas at the center of a ferocious immigration debate that was a major issue in the election that Democrats lost in 2024. 'In terms of the narrative, I don't think we prevailed in communicating to the American people successfully the challenges of migration at an historic level since World War II,' he told NPR. Mayorkas did not criticize administration policies, but alluded to disagreements within the Biden White House over what to do—saying there are 'differences of opinion' but that 'once a decision is made, we all move forward as one team. And that is indeed what we have done and will continue to do until this administration comes to a close.' The number of migrants and asylum seekers peaked at the U.S. southern border in December 2023. Mayorkas blamed circumstances beyond the administration's control, but Republicans blamed Mayorkas, and the House impeached him in early 2024. The Senate rejected both articles of impeachment after the House's narrow vote. President Biden later took executive actions in June making it easier to block asylum seekers. And as the administration departs, Mayorkas says fewer people are crossing these days, than during parts of the first Trump administration. 'The border right now is more secure than it was at the end of 2019, the last year before the pandemic struck,' Mayorkas said. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep after an exit interview at NPR Headquarters in Washington, DC. He added that deportations are up sharply in the past year. In short, the departing secretary suggested that he has already delivered on much of the security that President-elect Donald Trump promised.Mayorkas reflected on border enforcement, DHS staffing needs, foreign terrorism and domestic extremism
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