Biden's impeached DHS secretary accuses Gov. Abbott of 'trying to wreak havoc'

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lashed out Sunday at Gov. Greg Abbott, displacing blame over the illegal immigration crisis and accusing the governor of "trying to wreak havoc" across the nation.

Mayorkas is apparently rankled by Abbott's refusal and that of other Republicans to accept the president's conveniently timed excuses concerning the crisis at the southern border.

With an election around the corner and illegal immigration an increasingly pressing concern for Americans, Biden and elements of his administration have begun suggesting that the solution to the border crisis is primarily a matter for congressional lawmakers to tackle — especially now that Congress is run by Republicans.

Mayorkas, who has overseen the unlawful entry of over 7 million foreign nationals into the country since January 2021 and was impeached last month for "willfully and systemically refus[ing] to comply with the immigration laws," continued to run with the administration's preferred narrative Sunday, telling CNN's "State of the Union" that "administrative action is no substitute for an enduring solution. ... Legislation is the enduring solution."

Last month, the Biden White House was reportedly considering taking executive action on the border, including possibly restricting illegal aliens' ability to claim asylum once in the U.S. However, Mayorkas proved evasive Sunday when pressed about whether the administration would consider even a "Band-Aid" solution in the short term.

Rather, the secretary intimated that his boss, who halted the construction of border wall in his first days in office, was more or less impotent to take meaningful action.

"As a matter of fact, former President Trump tried to close the border, and it was enjoined in the courts and never saw the light of day," said Mayorkas. "The reality is that Congress needs to act, and President Biden said that Congress needs to get a spine."

Abbott told CNN's "State of the Union" the previous week that Biden's suggestion that he needed Congress to take action at the border was "completely false."

"The fact of the matter is, there are laws on the books passed by Congress of the United States right now that authorize the executive branch to deny illegal entry; if people get here illegally, to detain them; as well as to require the president and the presidential administration to build border barriers," continued Abbott. "The president is not using his executive authority to do any of those those things that Congress has already authorized."

"The president doesn't need new laws. The president needs a backbone to make sure that he enforces the immigration laws that are already on the books," added Abbott.

When presented with Abbott's comments, Mayorkas told CNN's Dana Bash, "Couldn't be more wrong, couldn't be more wrong."

"This is coming from an individual who is purposefully refusing to coordinate, communicate, collaborate with other officials and trying to wreak havoc in other cities and states across the country," said Mayorkas, echoing accusations he leveled earlier this year.

The DHS secretary appears to have been referencing Abbott's busing initiative, which presented Democrat-run sanctuary cities with a taste of what Texas and other borders states have long had to deal with.

"That is not a model of governance, and he couldn't be more wrong," added Mayorkas.

While Mayorkas accused Abbott of wreaking havoc, his department and the Biden administration have long fought to prevent Texas from securing its southern border.

For instance, it was Mayorkas' department that penned a cease-and-desist letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in January concerning Texas' efforts to preclude foreign nationals from entering the country via Shelby Park in Eagle Pass. The Biden Department of Justice also attempted to prevent Texas from maintaining a floating barrier on the Rio Grande.

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