国土安全部长亚历杭德罗·马约卡斯(Alejandro Mayorkas)周三面临议员们的直接提问，内容是拜登政府如何处理和准备最终结束疫情方面合理的边境限制，这些限制减少了边境寻求庇护者的人道主义救援选择。
周一，路易斯安那州的一名联邦法官表示，他将暂停撤销第42条——特朗普时代的政策，该政策允许根据疾病控制和预防中心的公共卫生紧急权力驱逐在南部边境寻求庇护的移民——以减轻新冠肺炎的传播。
众议院拨款委员会的民主党主席，众议员露西尔·罗伊巴尔-阿拉德直接问马约尔卡斯，他是否认为是时候结束第42条了，正如他以前所做的那样，马约尔卡斯听从了疾病预防控制中心的意见。
“我们国土安全部的责任是在我们的边境实施疾病预防控制中心的第42条授权，并根据法律有效和明智地实施。我们注意到，如果第42章结束，在我们南部边境遇到的移民流可能会增加，因为CDC已经确定它需要在5月23日前结束。因此，我们的责任是为这种可能性做好准备和计划。”
本月早些时候，疾病预防控制中心取消了这项政策，预计在联邦法官宣布他打算阻止这项决定之前，这项政策将于5月23日逐步取消。
法官罗伯特·萨默海斯说，如果司法部和亚利桑那州、密苏里州和路易斯安那州这三个起诉暂停回滚的州能够达成协议，他打算在此案中发布临时限制令。
一名高级政府官员告诉记者，政府打算遵守法官打算发布的临时限制令，但政府不同意限制令的前提。目前，政府继续为第42章的最终结束做准备。马约尔卡斯周二发布了一份备忘录，概述了DHS计划实施的目标，无论第42条何时结束。
这份由六部分组成的计划解释了政府已经开始采取的各种措施，为潜在的移民潮做准备。它包括向边境增加资源，包括医疗用品和人员，加快CBP收容中心的案件处理速度，与非政府组织合作，将移民从政府监管转移到当地社区，并加大打击人口走私组织的力度。
“我去过边境大约八次，在我最后一次访问中，我清楚地听到了我们英勇、令人难以置信的敬业的边境巡逻人员的担忧，他们需要额外的支持，以便他们能够进入现场，拦截试图逃避执法和非法越过我们边境的个人，”马约尔卡斯告诉立法者。
秘书作证说，约有300名案件处理员签订了合同，以增加容量，并通过该系统转移那些未经授权进入的人。
众议院共和党人周三借此机会对马约卡斯和他对边境安全的处理发起了一连串的攻击，甚至要求他辞职，并预示着如果共和党今年控制国会，他将被弹劾。
“[边境特工]一直反复告诉我，他们不堪重负，人手不足。边境巡逻人员还告诉我，一旦第42条授权结束，将会有更多的移民试图越过事实上，前所未有的激增，他们将失去对一些或所有西南边境概念的操作控制，你自己也承认，”共和党高级成员约翰·卡特科告诉秘书。
代表德克萨斯州的国会议员迈克尔·麦克考尔表示，边境已经“失控”，他们取消以前政策的唯一原因是因为政府“不喜欢前总统”。
“你的法律责任是保护美国，包括空中、陆地和海洋，”麦克考尔说。"当涉及到我们的陆地边界时，你在这次任务中失败了."
马约尔卡斯对边境安全崩溃的说法提出质疑，证明与特朗普政府相比，在他的监督下，更多的重罪犯被驱逐出境。然而，部长承认负责准备结束第42条的边境人员面临的挑战。
“当第42条公共卫生令被取消时，我们预计移民数量将会增加，因为走私者将试图利用弱势移民并从中获利，”马约尔卡斯在之前一份题为“DHS西南边境安全和准备计划”的备忘录中写道
DHS官员今年3月告诉记者，当第42条被取消时，他们预计每天会在南部边境看到多达18，000名移民。
马约尔卡斯强调，第42条不是一项移民政策，而是公共健康危机的产物。
“我们从前任政府那里继承了一个被刻意拆除的移民系统，因此没有准备好应对今天大量非公民抵达我们边境所带来的挑战，”一名高级政府官员周二向记者介绍说。
除了周三的两场听证会，马约卡斯周四还将出席众议院司法委员会。
上周，俄亥俄州共和党众议员吉姆·乔丹(Jim Jordan)写信给马约卡斯，期待他的证词。
“拜登政府激进的移民政策在我们的西南边境引发了人道主义和安全危机，”乔丹写道。“对于拜登政府在西南边境的无法无天行为，美国人民应该得到答案和问责。”
DHS secretary grilled on ending Title 42, preparation for immigrant influx
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced blunt questions from lawmakers on Wednesday about how the Biden administration is handling and preparing for the eventual end of pandemic-justified border restrictions that have reduced humanitarian relief options for asylum seekers at the border.
On Monday, a federal judge in Louisiana indicated he would pause the rollback of Title 42 -- the Trump-era policy that allowed migrants seeking asylum along the southern border to be expelled under the public health emergency authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The Democratic C=chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, asked Mayorkas directly if he believes it's time to end Title 42 and, as he has done before, Mayorkas deferred to the CDC.
"Our responsibility in the Department of Homeland Security is to implement the Title 42 authority of the CDC at our border and to implement it effectively and judiciously according to the law. We are mindful that the that there can be an increase in migratory flows encountered at our southern border should Title 42 come to an end, as the CDC has determined it needs to do by May 23. Our responsibility therefore, is to prepare and plan for that eventuality."
The CDC rescinded the policy earlier this month, and it was expected to be phased out by May 23 before the federal judge announced his intent to block the recision.
Judge Robert Summerhays said he intends to issue a temporary restraining order in the case if the Justice Department and Arizona, Missouri and Louisiana, the three states that sued to pause the rollback, can come to an agreement.
A senior administration official told reporters the administration intends to comply with the temporary restraining order the judge intends to issue, but the administration disagrees with the premise of the restraining order. For now, the administration continues to prepare for the eventual end of Title 42. Mayorkas issued a memo on Tuesday outlining the objectives DHS plans to carry out regardless of when Title 42 comes to an end.
The six-part plan explains a variety of steps the administration has already started taking to prepare for a potential surge in migration. It involves surging resources to the border including medical supplies and personnel, speeding up case processing at CBP holding centers, working with NGOs to transition migrants from government custody to local communities and stepping up efforts to crack down on human smuggling organizations.
"I've been to the border approximately eight times and in my last visit I heard loudly and clearly the concerns of our heroic, incredibly dedicated Border Patrol agents about their need for additional support so that they can get out into the field and interdict individuals seeking to evade law enforcement and cross our border illegally," Mayorkas told lawmakers.
The secretary testified that about 300 case processors have been contracted to increase capacity and move those who enter without authorization through the system.
House Republicans took the opportunity Wednesday to launch a barrage of attacks against Mayorkas and his handling of border security, going so far as to call for his resignation and foreshadowing his impeachment if the GOP takes control of Congress this year.
"[Border agents] have consistently and repeatedly told me, they are overwhelmed and understaffed. Border patrol agents have also told me that once Title 42 authority ends, there will be an even bigger surge of migrants attempting to cross In fact, unprecedented surges and they will lose operational control of some or all the southwest border notions that you yourself have acknowledged," GOP ranking member John Katko told the secretary.
Congressman Michael McCaul, who represents Texas said the border is "out of control" and the only reason why they rescinded the previous policies was because the administration "didn't like the former President."
"Your responsibility by law is to protect the United States, both air land and sea," McCaul said. "You have failed in this mission when it comes to our land border."
Mayorkas disputed claims that border security has fallen apart, testifying that more aggravated felons have been removed from the country under his watch compared to the Trump administration. However, the secretary has acknowledged the challenges facing border agents tasked with preparing for the end of Title 42.
"When the Title 42 public health order is lifted, we anticipate migration levels will increase, as smugglers will seek to take advantage of and profit from vulnerable migrants," Mayorkas wrote in a prior memo titled, "DHS Plan for Southwest Border Security and Preparedness."
DHS officials told reporters in March they could expect to see as many as 18,000 migrants along the southern border per day, when Title 42 gets lifted.
Mayorkas has stressed Title 42 is not an immigration policy, but rather born out of the public health crisis.
"We inherited an immigration system from the prior administration that had been studiously dismantled and so was unprepared to meet the challenges posed by the high numbers of non citizens arriving at our borders today," according to a senior Administration official who briefed reporters on Tuesday.
In addition to the two hearings on Wednesday, Mayorkas goes in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Last week, Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, wrote to Mayorkas in anticipation of his testimony.
"The Biden Administration's radical immigration policies have caused a humanitarian and security crisis along our southwest border," Jordan wrote. "The American people deserve answers and accountability for the Biden Administration's lawlessness along the southwest border."
