Shocking Revelation: Chief Of Border Patrol Reveals That “DHS Has No Operational Control” Over The Southern U.S. Border

Credit: Fox News

The head of the United States Border Patrol said on Wednesday that the agency does not have operations control over the U.S. southern border. He also said that migration levels are at “crisis” levels in parts of the border.

Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz spoke at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in McAllen, Texas. he was asked by Chairman Mark Green about Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas’ prior claims last year that the Department of Homeland Security has operational control of the border.

“Does DHS have operational control of our entire border.”

“No sir,” Ortiz responded.

Green held up a definition of operational control in the U.S. code as “the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics and other contraband.”

He played a video of Mayorkas telling Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) last year that DHS does have operational control of the border and asked Ortiz if he thought Mayorkas was lying about that statement.

“About ten years ago, we used operational control as a measuring stick of our effectiveness along the southwest border. My new strategy is geared towards mission advantage,” Ortiz responded.

Green referred back to Mayorkas’ comments.

“You heard the secretary, he said we have operational control,” he said, before pointing to the definition. “That’s the definition.”

Ortiz responded: “Based upon the definition you have sir, up there, no.”

“We don’t have operational control?” Green asked.

“No sir,” Ortiz said. 

In Ortiz’s opening statement, he praised the Border Patrol agents working underneath him. He said that putting on the uniform “fills me with tremendous pride and it will remain my greatest honor.”

Fox News shared:

The hearing is being held “to examine the direct link between President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ reckless border policies and the unprecedented crisis at our Southwest border” and is one of a number of hearings and visits being held at the border itself after Republicans have promised to hold in-person border hearings.

Democrats had chosen not to attend the hearing, while the White House accused Republicans of playing “partisan games” with the hearing.

Meanwhile, DHS said that the hearing “highlights the vital work the Department of Homeland Security does every day to enforce our laws, secure our border, and combat cartels and smugglers” and pointed to testimony from Ortiz and other witnesses that showed ” new programs, technology, and investments are making a real impact.” 

“Despite inheriting a dismantled immigration system and facing unprecedented migration that is affecting nations throughout the Western Hemisphere, this Administration has surged resources to the border, reducing the number of encounters between ports of entry, disrupting more smuggling operations than ever before, and interdicting more drugs in the last two years than had been stopped in the five years prior,” a spokesperson said.

“The Department welcomes input from Congress, and looks forward to working with Members on legislative solutions for our broken immigration system, which Congress has not reformed for more than forty years,” they said.