Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the southern border is “secure,” but Border Patrol agents say that's not true.

Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter

Pushback after DHS Secretary Mayorkas calls southern border ‘secure’

Jul 21, 2022

Ryan Robertson Anchor/Investigative Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor/Investigative Reporter)

On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the southern border is “secure.” The next day, a federal grand jury indicted two men in the deadliest migrant smuggling tragedy on record.

Back in June, 53 dead or dying migrants were found in a tractor-trailer near San Antonio. The grand jury indicted 46-year-old Homero Zamorano and 28-year-old Christian Martinez on Wednesday in connection to the case.

The men are accused of transporting and conspiring to transport migrants illegally resulting in death. They’re both in federal custody without bond awaiting trial. If convicted, they could face life in prison or even the death penalty.

The tragedy with the semi-trailer is happening in the midst of a massive increase in the number of migrant encounters at the border. There were more than 207,000 encounters in June alone. Fox News Digital reported more than 800,000 migrants have gotten past Border Patrol agents since October 2020.

Morale within the Border Patrol ranks is reportedly at an all-time low, recruiting numbers are down, and the U.S.-Mexico border crossing was just named the world’s deadliest.

Some border patrol agents took issue with Secretary Mayorkas’ view of the situation.

In an interview during the Aspen Security Forum, Mayorkas said, “The border is secure. We are working to make the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge…There is work to be done. Safe and secure are two different words. There are smugglers that operate on the Mexican side of the border and placing one’s life in their hands is not safe.”

Brandon Judd, the President of the National Border Patrol Council, said the flow of migrants and drugs into the U.S. from the south is proof the southern border is not secure.

Judd told Fox News Digital, “Mayorkas knows we have the least secure border in our history…There are easy solutions but based upon the evidence and a refusal to implement programs to secure the border it is clear this administration, including Secretary Mayorkas, clearly does not care about the American people.”

Tags: Immigration, Joe Biden

EARLIER THIS WEEK, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS SAID THE SOUTHERN BORDER IS SECURE. THE NEXT DAY, A FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTED TWO MEN IN THE DEADLIEST MIGRANT SMUGGLING TRAGEDY ON RECORD.

IN JUNE, 53 DEAD OR DYING MIGRANTS WERE FOUND IN A TRACTOR TRAILER NEAR SAN ANTONIO. A FEDERAL GRAND JURY HAS NOW INDICTED 46-YEAR-OLD HOMERO ZAMORANO AND 28-YEAR-OLD CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ IN CONNECTION TO THE CASE. THE MEN ARE ACCUSED OF TRANSPORTING AND CONSPIRING TO TRANSPORT MIGRANTS ILLEGALLY RESULTING IN DEATH.

BOTH MEN ARE IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AWAITING TRIAL. IF CONVICTED, THEY COULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON OR EVEN THE DEATH PENALTY.

THE TRAGEDY WITH THE SEMI TRAILER IS HAPPENING IN THE MIDST OF A MASSIVE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT THE BORDER. THERE WERE MORE THAN 207 THOUSAND ENCOUNTERS IN JUNE ALONE. FOX NEW DIGITAL IS REPORTING MORE THAN 800 THOUSAND IMMIGRANTS HAVE GOTTEN PAST AGENTS SINCE OCTOBER 2020.

ALL THIS WHILE MORALE WITHIN THE BORDER PATROL RANKS IS REPORTEDLY AT AN ALL-TIME LOW, RECRUITING NUMBERS ARE DOWN, AND THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER CROSSING WAS JUST NAMED THE WORLD’S DEADLIEST.

SOME BORDER PATROL AGENTS ARE TAKING ISSUE WITH SECRETARY MAYORKAS’ VIEW OF THE SITUATION.

INTERVIEWER: IS THE BORDER SAFE NOW? I WAS WATCHING A NEWS CHANNEL AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AN INVASION IS HAPPENING, AND I GOT A LITTLE CONCERNED.

MAYORKAS: LOOK, THE BORDER IS SECURE. THE BORDER, WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE THE BORDER MORE SECURE. THAT HAS BEEN A HISTORIC CHALLENGE…THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE. SAFE AND SECURE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS. THERE ARE SMUGGLERS THAT OPERATE ON THE MEXICAN SIDE OF THE BORDER AND PLACING ONE’S LIFE IN THEIR HANDS IS NOT SAFE.

BRANDON JUDD, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL BORDER PATROL COUNCIL, SAID THE FLOW OF MIGRANTS AND DRUGS INTO THE U-S IS PROOF THE SOUTHERN BORDER IS NOT SECURE.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS DIGITAL, JUDD SAID SECRETARY MAYORKAS KNOWS WE HAVE THE LEAST SECURE BORDER IN OUR HISTORY…AND THAT A REFUSAL TO ACT SHOWS MAYORKAS, AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, QUOTE CLEARLY DOES NOT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.