On Friday’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that he believes that changes in the Biden administration’s policies to turn more people away at the border under additional Title 8 authority will decrease the flow of people at the U.S.-Mexico border, help cut smuggling networks out of the process of migration, and disincentivize people from taking the dangerous journey to the border. He also stated the plan has been in the works “since September of 2021.”
Host Steve Inskeep asked, [relevant exchange begins 5:00] “[Y]ou’re adding extra authority under a different law — Title 8 — that will turn more people away. Is that correct?”
Mayorkas responded, “Steve, it is correct. And the reason is very straightforward, that we want to incentivize people to take the safe and orderly pathways and disincentivize them to take the dangerous and the treacherous path of placing their lives in the hands of smugglers. We have got to cut the smuggling organizations out of this.”
Inskeep then asked, “In about 10 seconds, should we expect to see the flow of people at the border decrease in months to come?”
Mayorkas answered, “That is certainly our plan, and we’ve been working on it since September of 2021.”
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