On Wednesday, President Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas was grilled by Republican members of the House Homeland Security committee over the administration’s mishandling of the rapidly worsening crisis on the US/Mexico border, with one member even calling on him to resign.
While NBC Nightly News managed to report on the richly deserved grilling on Capitol Hill, both ABC’s World News Tonight and CBS Evening News acted like the hearing never happened. Instead of covering the hearing and the ongoing Biden border crisis, both ABC and CBS gushed over the first black woman to go into outer space.
Chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker kicked off the segment by reporting that “with fears, an already record migrant surge could soon rise, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas grilled on Capitol Hill.” She then played a soundbite of Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) who urged Mayorkas to resign:
HIGGINS: We're losing our country down there, we need you to resign.
MAYORKAS: Congressman, I couldn't disagree with you more when you state that our nation’s sovereignty is disintegrating.
Welker noted how it’s not just Republicans who are angry at the way Biden and Mayorkas have handled the flood of illegal immigrants rushing across the southern border, in fact, the Biden administration is “facing bipartisan criticism over its decision to end a COVID border restriction called Title 42.”
“U.S. officials tell NBC News 170,000 migrants are waiting in Mexico, planning to cross the border when Title 42 is scheduled to be lifted May 23,” Welker added.
The criticism isn’t unwarranted, since last year an “all-time record of 1.7 million” illegal immigrants crossed the southern border, and “just last month, 221,000 migrants crossed into the U.S.” which is “the highest monthly total ever recorded.”
ABC’s World News Tonight & CBS Evening News’s omission of a Biden administration official receiving criticism for the border crisis was made possible by Verizon on ABC, and CarFax on CBS.
To read the transcript of the NBC segment click “expand”:
NBC Nightly News
4/27/2022
7:06:56 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: Just in tonight, a federal court has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from lifting that pandemic restriction on migrants at the southern border. This comes as the Homeland Security Secretary faced harsh questioning on immigration today in Congress. Kristen Welker has late details.
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, with fears, an already record migrant surge could soon rise, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas grilled on Capitol Hill.
REP. CLAY HIGGINS: We're losing our country down there, we need you to resign.
SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: Congressman, I couldn't disagree with you more when you state that our nation’s sovereignty is disintegrating.
WELKER: The Biden administration facing bipartisan criticism over its decision to end a COVID border restriction called Title 42. U.S. officials tell NBC News 170,000 migrants are waiting in Mexico, planning to cross the border when Title 42 is scheduled to be lifted May, 23. Mayorkas today acknowledging the surge.
MAYORKAS: With the Title 42 public health order set to be lifted, we expect migration levels to increase.
WELKER: Earlier this week, a federal judge put a pause on lifting Title 42 before the 23rd. Mayorkas saying, in preparation to lift it, the administration will send additional medical supplies and personnel to the border, speed up case processing, and crackdown on cartels.
MAYORKAS: We have effectively managed an unprecedented number of noncitizens seeking to enter the United States.
WELKER: But tonight, Republicans blaming President Biden's border policies. Last year there was an all-time record of 1.7 million illegal border crossings. And just last month, 221,000 migrants crossed into the U.S., the highest monthly total ever recorded.
REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL: I've never seen the border more broken. It is not under operational control. It is out of control.
WELKER: Democrats remain deeply divided over the issue. Meanwhile, late tonight, that federal judge just ruled the administration cannot lift Title 42 for the next 14 days. Lester?
