EAGLE PASS, Texas — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit the border region with a quick stop in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Monday — just two days before he is slated to appear for impeachment proceedings before the House Committee on Homeland Security. Mayorkas visit will include meetings with local officials, Customs and Border Protection staff members, and Border Patrol officials from the Del Rio Sector.
The visit will not include an opportunity for the media to question Mayorkas, nor will it involve any events open to the public. A likely topic of conversation between city leadership and the Secretary will involve the recent closures of the import rail line and one of two official ports of entry connecting the city with Piedras Negras, Mexico. For more than a week, the second busiest rail line for imports within the state of Texas was closed due to the latest border surge that saw more than 22,000 migrant apprehensions during the third week of December, Breitbart Texas reported.
On Thursday, the Eagle Pass Bridge I port of entry re-opened after being closed for most of the holiday season. According to city officials, the closure resulted in the loss of crucial cross-border shopping dollars to merchants on both sides of the border. The city relies heavily on toll fees collected from both international bridges to Mexico, which fund more than 50% of the city’s annual budget.
Thus far, the city has received no compensation from the federal government for the financial losses suffered during the bridge closure. The bridge opened again on Thursday, but many worry that an increase in migrant crossings in Eagle Pass could result in future rail and bridge closures by Mayorkas’ Customs and Border Protection personnel.
As announced on Wednesday, Mayorkas will be the target of impeachment proceedings before the House Committee on Homeland Security within two short days of his return to Washington, D.C. On the same day, Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) joined Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and more than 60 other House Republican colleagues for a border tour in Eagle Pass to see firsthand the aftermath of the latest surge of migrants across the Rio Grande in recent weeks.
At a press conference after the border tour, Chairman Green told reporters, “The greatest domestic threat to the national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandra Mayorkas. He, through his policies, has defied and subverted the laws passed by the United States Congress.”
“He has defied multiple court orders. He has lied numerous times to the U.S. Congress. He has, under oath, stated things that were blatantly and obviously incorrect,” the chairman added.
Although crossings have slowed down in the Eagle Pass area in recent days, that slowdown may have come too little too late to provide any relief for Mayorkas during the hearing.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, a Customs and Border Protection source says efforts were taken to reduce crossings in Eagle Pass ahead of the Congressional visit. The number of detained migrants held in area facilities was also reduced by conducting mass migrant street releases near transportation hubs in Eagle Pass in the lead-up to the visit.
According to Chairman Green, a full committee hearing will commence on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. to “evaluate the impacts on the country of Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas’ failed leadership and his refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress.”
According to Customs and Border Protection, a record of more than 7.3 million migrants were apprehended by the Border Patrol along the southwest border with Mexico under Mayorkas tenure. Mayorkas admitted in a recent news interview that as many as 70% have been released to pursue asylum claims in the United States. According to unofficial reports reviewed by Breitbart Texas, more than 1.7 million known got-aways were also recorded during Mayorkas’ time at the helm of DHS.
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. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
