Sen. Cornyn: ‘Do you agree with me that the decision by Secretary Mayorkas to no longer detain or deport people who enter the country illegally is a pull factor… Is that one of them?’
Nominee Magnus: ‘It is certainly one part of it, yes, sir.’
WASHINGTON –Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) questioned Tucson, Ariz. Police Chief Chris Magnus, nominee to be the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Excerpts from Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
SEN. CORNYN: “Are you familiar with the concept of pull and push factors when it comes to illegal immigration? For example, the push factors of poverty, violence, just people wanting to come to the United States for a better life, but also the pull factors, which include a perception that there will be no consequences associated with illegal immigration. Do you agree with me that the decision by Secretary Mayorkas to no longer detain or deport people who enter the country illegally is a pull factor, which encourages more people to make that long, dangerous trip?”
MAGNUS: “Senator, as I think we discussed, I think there are both strong push and pull factors out there.”
SEN. CORNYN: “I’m just asking about the pull factors. Now, would you agree with me that a policy of non-enforcement is a pull factor, which is encouraging more illegal immigration?”
MAGNUS: “Senator, thank you for the question. I think that there are many factors that contribute to this.”
SEN. CORNYN: “Is that one of them?”
MAGNUS: “It is certainly one part of it, yes, sir.”