U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., got into a tense exchange with the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, challenging the agency official over his thoughts on border security and amnesty.
The junior senator from Arkansas asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if securing the border should be a higher priority for the U.S. government than giving amnesty to immigrants already in the country illegally.
"You refuse to prioritize whether we should try to protect our border from people crossing it who have zero right to be here, or giving amnesty to the millions of people that are in this country illegally," Cotton said, pressing Mayorkas. A spokesman for Cotton's office said he was referring to the southern border.
"Senator, I disagree wholeheartedly with the phrasing of your question. It is an inaccurate phrasing of our missions, our responsibilities, our challenges and our actions," Mayorkas replied.
Mayorkas, who was selected for the post by President Joe Biden, characterized both issues as "very significant priorities," arguing that they are "inextricably intertwined." Passing legislation to fix the nation's immigration system would address challenges at the border, he said.
Mayorkas appeared before lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing Tuesday. The department is involved in an array of issues and includes U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Security Administration.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Mayorkas took over a department "that was really in chaos."
"Under President Trump, DHS lurched from one secretary or acting secretary to the next," he said. "Six in total, only two of whom were Senate confirmed."
During the Trump administration years, the agency at times found itself facing intense political controversy.
Durbin described Trump's policies as "often inhumane" but also argued that they did not fix the nation's immigration system or secure the border.
The department deals with key and wide-ranging responsibilities, such as addressing domestic terrorism, natural disasters and cybersecurity, he added.
During his exchange with Cotton, Mayorkas estimated that around 1.3 million to 1.4 million people have illegally come into the country this year.
Cotton, who said the figure was an upturn compared to 2020, asked Mayorkas if he was satisfied with this year's number.
"No, I'm not," Mayorkas replied. "But worse is to promulgate and operationalize a policy that defies our values as a nation."
Cotton argued that, with the current status of the border, "anyone from anywhere in the world can simply show up and cross into this country."
Mayorkas pushed back on that point. Hundreds of thousands of people, he said, have been expelled due to a public health policy from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.