Former acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf warned the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday of the steps the Biden administration has taken to diminish the southern border’s security that have allowed the Mexican cartels to “effectively control” the border.
“The border is effectively controlled by the Mexican cartels, fentanyl is coming across the border in record amounts and is the leading cause of death of young Americans,” Wolf said during Wednesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing.
Wolf served as acting DHS secretary under President Donald Trump’s administration. From his perspective, Wolf testified that the Biden administration is the first administration to take “give to ten steps backwards” with regard to the security of the southern border.
“This is the first administration of either political party to deliberately take steps to diminish the security along our southern border,” he said.
Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott also testified during Wednesday’s hearing. Scott served as the head of Border Patrol from January 2020 to August 2021, under both the Trump and Biden administrations. He testified about the “fundamental changes” that occurred under the Biden administration.
“I worked for Secretary Wolf, we had team meetings, we were asked for our input. We were told, ‘Over your career, what works and what doesn’t work?’ On Jan. 20, 2021, that all got shut off,” he said. “Our input was no longer solicited, and when my team and I gave it unsolicited, we were basically put in a box. They did not want to know what we had to say. They made it very clear: Expedite processing and find new ways to let migrants into the U.S. That was the only agenda.”
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., held a press conference Wednesday, outlining accusations against Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and his performance. While some Republicans have voiced support for Mayorkas to be impeached, Green has explained that impeachment is not the goal of the committee’s probe.
“What we know right now is that Secretary Mayorkas has either violated or subverted at least 10 laws passed by the Congress of the United States,” he said. “He has ignored multiple court orders to cease and desist his activities. The blatant disregard for the Constitution of the United States, which states that the United States Congress passes the laws and the executive branch executes those laws, is just scratching the surface to the harm Secretary Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty has done to our country.”
