Texas Governor Challenges Mayorkas’ ‘Pathetic’ Climate Change Justification for Immigration Crisis

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference in Houston on Sept. 13, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has branded U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas “pathetic” after the latter blamed the ongoing immigration crisis at the southern border and across the world on climate change, among other things.

Mr. Abbott took to X, formerly Twitter, on Jan. 3, where he fired off the scathing criticism.

“Climate change? Mayorkas is pathetic,” the Republican wrote. “The REAL reason illegal immigration records are being set is because Biden refuses to enforce immigration laws.”

The Texas governor vowed to continue sending more buses and planes full of unvetted migrants to so-called sanctuary cities as part of efforts to decrease the burden on border towns.

He also pledged to “continue building the razor wire walls that Biden wants to tear down,” amid his ongoing legal battle with the Biden administration over a razor wire barrier installed by Texas along the U.S.-Mexico to prevent illegal border crossings.

Mr. Abbott’s comments were in response to remarks Mr. Mayorkas had made earlier on Jan. 3 during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

During the segment, the DHS Secretary noted that an increase in “displaced people” is not just an issue at the U.S.-Mexico border or the western hemisphere but across the entire globe, and linked the rise in displaced persons to issues such as climate change.

“We have the effects of climate change, poverty, increasing levels of authoritarianism,” he said. “There very many challenges are at the root cause of the displacement of people around the world.”

Mr. Mayorkas, President Joe Biden’s top border official, went on to tout the work the Biden administration has done to tackle the border crisis before singling out Mr. Abbott, who has come under fire from Democrats for his “Operation Lone Star,” initiated in 2021 to respond to the surge in illegal immigration.

“Let me identify one fundamental problem here, and that is the fact that we have one governor in the state of Texas who is refusing to cooperate with other governors and other local officials,” Mr. Mayorkas said.

“And it is a remarkable failure of governance to refuse to cooperate with one’s fellow local and state officials.”

Mr. Mayorkas also touted President Biden’s work with other city and state leaders in Chicago and New York, among others, including dispatching teams to assist officials in “managing the challenge” of an influx of unvetted migrants.

Cities, States Under Pressure

The DHS Secretary’s comments came after New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned on Jan. 2 that illegal immigrants will soon be forced to sleep on streets as the city struggles to find space to house them amid an ongoing surge in new arrivals.

In late December, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged the Biden administration to provide “significant federal support“ to the city amid the ongoing ”unsustainable” immigration crisis.

A group of more than 1,000 illegal immigrants wait in line near a U.S. Border Patrol field processing center after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 18, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

Nearly 10 million migrants have crossed illegally into the U.S. since President Biden took office in 2021, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, while more than 300,000 people attempted to cross the border in the final month of 2023, marking the highest number ever recorded.

Mr. Mayorkas’s comments come as House Republicans are moving ahead with their impeachment inquiry into the Homeland Security secretary over allegations he has been derelict in his duty of managing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Officials told The Epoch Times that lawmakers are set to start impeachment proceedings on Jan. 10.

Mr. Mayorkas, who has repeatedly blamed outside factors for the ongoing immigration crisis, has said he will cooperate with the House investigation and hearings.