EXCLUSIVE: DHS Secretary to Visit Texas Border Region

Law enforcement sources report that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit several cities along the Texas border, including the newly opened residential detention center for unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in Carrizo Springs. The trip is slated for Saturday, March 6.

Sources report Mayorkas will be accompanied by former national security adviser and current Director of the Domestic Policy Council of the United States, Susan Rice. The visit comes as migrant apprehensions along the border continue to rise. Exacerbating the situation are more family unit and unaccompanied child arrivals.

The trip will provide the opportunity for Secretary Mayorkas to see first-hand what he describes as a “challenge” and not a “crisis.” Last week, Secretary Mayorkas told reporters when asked if there was a crisis at the border, he answered, “No … There is a challenge at the border that we are managing.”

The current apprehension average for unaccompanied children is slightly more than 400 per day. Border Patrol stations are experiencing overcrowding as they look to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to place the UACs in suitable housing.

In the Rio Grande Valley, sources report the Border Patrol’s level of UAC detention is more than 300% capacity. HHS is falling behind on the responsibility provide suitable housing for UACs even after the re-opening of the Carrizo Springs facility.

Law enforcement sources report that most of the UACs they encounter are from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Nearly 30,000 have been apprehended since the start of Fiscal Year 2021.

The “challenge” will also be noticeable when Secretary Mayorkas sees firsthand the increasing number of migrants being released along the Texas border, sources say. Local communities are reporting issues with released migrants testing positive for COVID-19 and leaving the border areas.

Sources say they have little hope that the DHS executive visit will lead to real situational changes. Many believe the recent policy pivots and amnesty legislation will only cause more migrants to make the dangerous trek to the United States.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas Sector.