Mayorkas reveals he didn't know Biden would start using 'crisis' to describe southern border situation

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Flashback: Harris, Mayorkas others repeatedly said border was secure

Biden administration officials have claimed the border is 'secure' and 'closed' over the last several years. 

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed that he didn't know President Biden would start describing the border situation as a "crisis," according to reports. 

The Washington Post reported Monday that Mayorkas said he wasn't aware Biden would refer to the situation as a "crisis," but said it didn't surprise him. 

Biden recently said he would "shut down the border" and said it was a "crisis." 

"I will tell you that I am not focused on the words one uses," Mayorkas told the media outlet. "I am focused on what we need to do. That is my focus. It is a very serious challenge. And we are focused on it every single day."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before a House Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 19, 2023.  (REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger)

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The president said in a press release in late January that he would use the authority granted to him to shut down the border, should the border security bill be signed into law.

"What’s been negotiated would — if passed into law — be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country," Biden said. "It would give me, as president, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed. And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law."

"For everyone demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it," Biden added in the press release. "If you're serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it."

Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, a member of the Progressive Caucus in Congress, took issue with Biden's recent language.

US President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Pearson Community Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.  (Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"I was not happy. That’s absolutely not language or terminology that I would use. Not today, not ever," Escobar told Politico. She added that she was a huge supporter of Biden, but that the two did not have to agree on everything. 

The Washington Post also reported that Mayorkas did not comment on whether he would serve another term if Biden is re-elected.

The House of Representatives' rules committee voted on Monday to advance an impeachment case against Mayorkas to the full chamber. 

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, May 11, 2023.  (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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A vote on the articles of impeachment in the House – which Republicans hold by a slim margin – could come as early as Tuesday.  

Mayorkas is facing two impeachment articles, one that accuses him of having "refused to comply with Federal immigration laws" and the other of having violated "public trust."