Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

DCNF Reporter Who Confronted Mayorkas Says He Was ‘Not Prepared To Answer’ Tough Questions About Border Crisis

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The Daily Caller News Foundation reporter who tried to question Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said he was “not prepared” for questions about the crisis at the southern border.

DCNF Investigative Reporter Jennie Taer encountered Mayorkas Tuesday while he was out walking. Mayorkas ignored her questions about the situation on the border multiple times as she sought an on-the-spot interview.

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“There are a lot of answers that we want out of Mayorkas and of course, he was asked the uncomfortable questions in a setting that he’s not comfortable with, clearly,” Taer told “Weekly Briefing” host John Hines. “He is not around press secretaries, he’s not in a briefing room and was not prepared to answer.”

Over 1.78 million illegal immigrants have been encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2023, according to data released by CBP, following 2,378,944 encounters in fiscal year 2022 and 1,734,686 in fiscal year 2021, while Fox News reported another 600,000 migrants evaded CBP in fiscal year 2022.

CBP reported that 38,000 migrants used the CBP One app to cross at a port of entry in June, up from 35,000 in May. Taer said during a May appearance on Newsmax that word of mouth from migrants entering the United States was encouraging other illegal immigrants to come.

“Migrants are coming across, they’re getting released and they’re telling their families that are south of the border that that’s happening and that’s really the message, I think, that’s resonating with migrants,” Taer said.

Taer had a similar encounter with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, asking if he had any message for the people of East Palestine, Ohio, where a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed Feb. 3, prompting evacuations and shelter-in-place orders as authorities moved to address the release of the chemicals. Buttigieg referred Taer to previous press statements, before taking a photo of her.