DHS Secretary Visits Border, Addresses Haitian Migrants

Haitian migrants on the U.S./Mexican border are making worldwide news.  The Biden administration has been scrambling, with criticism coming from all sides.  Yesterday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, CBP Acting Commissioner Troy A. Miller, and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz delivered remarks to address the situation in Del Rio, Texas.  They also discussed the dangers of irregular migration.

Secretary Mayorkas Delivers Remarks in Del Rio, TX

Secretary Mayorkas listed steps that the U.S. government was taking in response to the Haitian migrants.  He ended his remarks with these words:

"We are very concerned that Haitians who are taking this irregular migration path are receiving false information that the border is open, or that Temporary Protected Status is available.  I want to make sure that it is known that this is not the way to come to the United States.  That is false information.  Irregular migration poses a serious security risk to the migrants themselves.  Trying to enter the United States illegally is not worth the tragedy, the money, or the effort.  As we have said consistently since we published the Federal Register Notice officially designating Haiti for Temporary Protected Status—or TPS—only Haitians living in the United States before July 29 are eligible for Temporary Protected Status. 

We have reiterated that our borders are not open, and people should not make the dangerous journey.  Individuals and families are subject to border restrictions, including expulsion.  Irregular migration poses a significant threat to the health and welfare of border communities, and to the lives of the migrants themselves, and should not be attempted.  If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned.  Your journey will not succeed, and you will be endangering your life and your family's lives.  This Administration is committed to developing safe, orderly, and humane pathways for migration, but this is not the way to do it. "

KJ