Border chief disputes DHS has ‘operational control’ of the entire US southern border

US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz on Wednesday said the US does not have “operational control” of the southern border, contradicting a stance previously taken by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Mayorkas has previously maintained in testimony before lawmakers that the department has operational control of the border, though he’s been more ambiguous in interviews, citing the statutory definition and saying he’s trying to “achieve it.” Mayorkas has often served as the focus of Republicans’ criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of border security.

“Does DHS have operational control of our entire border?” House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, asked Ortiz on Wednesday as part of a hearing on the situation along the US-Mexico border.

“No, sir,” Ortiz responded.

Green followed up with a clip from Mayorkas maintaining that his department has control.