Spying probe finds comms equipment on Chinese cranes at US ports
Chinese-made cargo cranes at U.S. ports have sparked concern following a congressional investigation that unveiled potential national security risks, according to The Wall Street Journal. The probe revealed communication equipment on these cranes that doesn’t align with standard operations, prompting worries about possible clandestine data collection. Some of these components include cellular modems capable of remote access.
Though it’s typical for cranes to feature modems for remote monitoring, it appears that certain U.S. ports utilizing cranes manufactured by China-based ZPMC hadn’t requested this capability. Investigators found over a dozen modems on crane components and another inside a port’s server room.
ZPMC, a state-owned Chinese company, declined to comment on the matter.
Worries regarding ZPMC’s cranes have escalated in recent years, prompting the Biden administration to invest in replacing them with U.S.-manufactured alternatives. This decision comes amid concerns of potential disruption and espionage.
The investigation is focusing on ZPMC and potential threats associated with Chinese-manufactured equipment at U.S. ports.
White House probes Chinese smart cars, cites national security concerns
The White House announced on Thursday, Feb. 29, that the U.S. is launching an investigation into whether Chinese “smart cars” are a national security risk, according to Reuters. The probe could also lead to restrictions due to concern over “connected” car technology, according to the Biden administration.
The U.S. Commerce Department will be handling the investigation. U.S. officials are concerned because vehicles “collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers.” In addition, the White House said that the vehicles use “cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure.”
The Commerce Department warns that Chinese-made vehicles have the potential to be “piloted or disabled remotely.” The probe will also look into self-driving vehicles, according to Reuters.
The investigation comes as the world sees a surge in the popularity of high-tech vehicles from Chinese automakers like BYD. However, President Joe Biden said it’s too early to declare what actions might be taken, according to a White House statement.
China isn’t saying much about the probe by the White House. However, Chinese officials reportedly said that it’s unfair to target a specific country.
China is also reportedly dominating the EV battery supply chain. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the U.S. is trying to find a way to build a China-free supply of EV batteries.
This is not the first time U.S. officials have sounded alarm bells over Chinese-manufactured cars. In November, a bipartisan group of lawmakers raised concerns over Chinese companies testing autonomous vehicles in the U.S., potentially gathering sensitive data.
Now, Biden has joined the chorus of those concerned over security.
“Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?” Biden said.
The Commerce Department said there will be a 60-day window for public comment, after which it will consider any new rules that need to be made. U.S. companies are not immune to the rules, according to the department. U.S. automakers must submit details on their assembled fleet within the country and will be asked to disclose where they license their software.
The investigation into smart cars comes a week after the Biden administration announced plans to replace Chinese-manufactured cranes at national ports. The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration is investing billions of dollars into the project in hopes of preventing China from hacking into the cranes systems.
President Biden meets with Alexei Navalny’s family ahead of major sanctions on Russia: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 23, 2024
President Biden meets with the family of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as the U.S. prepares to impose hundreds of sanctions on Russia. And AT&T reveals what was behind the massive outage that left thousands without phone service. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
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President Biden meets with Alexei Navalny’s family ahead of major sanctions on Russia
On Friday, Feb. 23, the United States is expected to announce more than 500 sanctions against Russia, just a day shy of the second anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The sanctions are also in response to the Kremlin’s role in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. On Thursday, Feb. 22, President Joe Biden met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and the couple’s daughter in California.
Aleksey Navalny was a fearless advocate for his beliefs who died unbroken by the tyranny he opposed. He fought corruption, inspired millions and never wavered in his insistence on free expression, the rule of law, and a Russia that is accountable to the people and not a dictator.…
“This morning, I had the honor of meeting with Alexei Navalny’s wife and daughter,” Biden told reporters after the meeting. “As to state the obvious, he was a man of incredible courage. And it’s amazing how his wife and daughter are emulating that. We’re going to be announcing the sanctions against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, who was responsible for his death.”
U.S. officials said some of the sanctions will target those directly involved in Navalny’s death. Reports say many of the sanctions will be aimed at Russia’s defense sector.
4 charged in connection to raid of boat where 2 Navy SEALs died
Four foreign nationals have been charged in connection to a U.S. raid last month that resulted in two Navy SEALs losing their lives. According to the Justice Department, the four men, all with Pakistani identification on them, were allegedly transporting Iranian-made weapons on Jan. 11 when the Navy intercepted their small, unflagged vessel in the Arabian Sea near the coast of Somalia.
U.S. officials said one of the SEALs slipped into the water while boarding the vessel, and the other jumped in to try to save him. Both were declared dead ten days later after an extensive search. In a press release announcing the charges, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the flow of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen threatens Americans and partners in the region.
CENTCOM Status Update on Missing U.S. Navy Seals
We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased. The search and rescue operation for the two Navy SEALs reported… pic.twitter.com/OAMbn1mwK8
“Two Navy SEALs tragically lost their lives in the operation that thwarted the defendants charged today from allegedly smuggling Iranian-made weapons that the Houthis could have used to target American forces and threaten freedom of navigation and a vital artery for commerce,” Monaco said.
Prosecutors have dismissed Trump’s immunity claim as “frivolous,” stating the alleged conduct occurred after he left the White House. They also accuse him of actively obstructing government efforts to recover the documents. In June, Trump pleaded not guilty to 40 criminal counts. His trial is set to start in May.
Thousands of AT&T customers affected by major cellular outage Thursday
Calls, texts, and even 911 calls were not going through for AT&T customers in a major cellular outage that swept across cities, including San Francisco, on Thursday, Feb. 22. During the confusion, emergency services in some cities reported being overrun with calls of people testing whether they had service or not.
We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911).
We are actively engaged and monitoring this.
The San Francisco 911 center is still operational.
“Please do not do this. If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work,” Massachusetts State Police said in a post on X.
The cellular company reported some customer outages mid-morning; by noon, some turned into 58,000 incidents being reported, according to a CNBC report. AT&T said it restored service to all affected customers on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 22.
Many 911 centers in the state are getting flooded w/ calls from people trying to see if 911 works from their cell phone. Please do not do this. If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work. #outage
But with the increasing threats of cyberattacks, everyone is wondering what happened. In a statement on the company’s website, AT&T said not to worry; the outage was not the result of a cyberattack; instead, it was caused by “the application and execution of an incorrect process used,” as the company said it was trying to expand its network.
Vice cutting hundreds of jobs, no longer publishing content to website
The changes came less than a year after Vice filed for bankruptcy and was then sold for $350 million to a group of lenders. Vice’s CEO said the digital outlet will now look to partner with established companies to distribute its content while emphasizing its social channels.
Odysseus becomes first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years
“All stations, this is mission director on IM-1,” Mission Director Tim Crain said. “We’re evaluating how we can refine that signal and dial in the pointing for Odysseus. What we can confirm without a doubt is our equipment is on the surface of the moon, and we are transmitting. So congratulations IM team. We’ll see how much more we can get from that.”
Today, for the first time in half a century, America has returned to the Moon 🇺🇸.
On the eighth day of a quarter-million-mile voyage, @Int_Machines aced the landing of a lifetime.
The spacecraft Odysseus became the first moonlander launched by a private company to make the 239-thousand-mile trip successfully.
“What an outstanding effort,” Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus said. “I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface, and we are transmitting. And welcome to the moon.”
Though, as expected, mission control initially lost contact with the spacecraft as it descended, Intuitive Machines was then able to detect a faint signal later confirming Odysseus was upright and starting to send back data. The team is now working to receive the first images from the moon.
NASA, which paid the company $118 million to deliver several experiments, hailed the landing a major achievement as it looks once again to send astronauts to the moon later in the 2020s.
Government shutdown just over a week away if Congress fails to act
A government shutdown could be just over a week away from Feb. 21. However, there isn’t much work being done to avoid a shutdown on Capitol Hill because neither chamber of Congress is in Washington. The Senate is out until Feb. 26 and the House is out until Feb. 28.
There will be a partial shutdown if Congress fails to approve funding for certain departments by March 1. The departments that would be impacted include:
Agriculture.
Energy-Water.
Military Construction-Veterans Affairs.
Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.
If members don’t pass any funding by March 8, there will be a total shutdown when all remaining departments run out of money.
“Two weeks. What are they thinking? My god, this is bizarre,” President Biden said. “And it’s just reinforcing all the concern, and almost, I won’t say panic, but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally.”
Negotiators will still speak over the phone and hold a few in-person meetings, but the recess drags out the process.
“People are predicting a shutdown even if it’s just for a few days,” one Republican lawmaker said, according to Axios.
Government funding can come in two forms: a formal budget bill that officially sets spending levels for 2024, or a continuing resolution, which is an agreement to maintain funding at the same levels as in 2023 until a final deal is reached.
The Pentagon is raising concerns about the negative impacts of a shutdown.
“This brinkmanship creates uncertainty, increased costs, and delays missions, and most importantly, it’s a distraction for the force,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.
Singh said continuing resolutions also harm national security.
“If you add up the total time spent under a CR going back to 2011, we’ve spent nearly five years under CRs,” Singh said. “That puts our national security at risk and prevents the department from modernizing as we continue to be constrained to existing funding levels and prevented from launching new programs.”
Due to a previous agreement between House Republicans and the White House, if no formal budget deal is finalized by April 30 there will be an automatic 1% spending cut across the board.
According to Punchbowl, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., recently met with both conservative members who are demanding spending cuts and moderates on the Appropriations Committee who are willing to compromise.
Punchbowl reported conservative hardliners proposed that Republicans should either force a government shutdown or pass a full-year continuing resolution to ensure a 1% cut in government spending. Meanwhile, lawmakers referred to as “Appropriations Committee cardinals” countered, calling a government shutdown “idiotic” and arguing it would harm House Republicans.
Democrats and many Senate Republicans want to approve a spending deal that falls in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the law from June 2023 which will trigger an automatic 1% cut across the board. However, House conservatives don’t think the cuts included in the act go far enough, so they have blocked any spending bill that follows its guidelines.
Warning of ‘serious national security threat’ prompts alerts on Russia
More details are coming to light after a cryptic message by Congressman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who warned of a “serious national security threat.” Turner, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called on President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat but did not elaborate further.
Multiple news outlets, citing sources, said Turner was referring to Russia, specifically its attempts at developing a nuclear-capable weapon in space that could take down satellites. The sources added that it is not currently an active threat. Congressman Jim Hines, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that while the issue is serious, people should not panic.
Leaders in the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a statement that said they have the intelligence in question and have been tracking the issue. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had already scheduled a briefing for Thursday, Feb. 15, with congressional leaders and administration intelligence professionals to discuss the matter.
A Kremlin spokesperson said on Russian state-run news outlets that the claim of a national security threat is just a way to get Congress to pass more military aid for Ukraine.
“It’s obvious that Washington is trying to force Congress to vote on the aid bill by hook or by crook,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “Let’s see what ruse the White House will use.”
1 dead, 22 injured in Super Bowl parade shooting: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 15, 2024
One person is dead and more than 20 are wounded after shots are fired at a parade for the Super Bowl champions. And the lander looking to be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in five decades lifts off into space. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.
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1 dead, 22 injured in shooting at Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade
At least one person was killed and 22 others were injured, including at least eight children, after shots were fired following following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday, Feb. 14, sending fans running for cover outside Union Station. Video shows police holding down an apparent suspect.
Police confirmed three people have been detained but have not announced their identities or said if they will face charges. Authorities are looking into reports that bystanders tackled one of the three people being detained.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters she was angry over what had taken place.
“The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said. “We had over 800 law enforcement officers, Kansas City, and other agencies at the location to keep everyone safe. Because of bad actors, which were very few, this tragedy occurred.”
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the parade in downtown Kansas City to cheer on the Chiefs after their victory at Super Bowl LVIII. Police said all members of the Chiefs’ organization were safe. The NFL and several players issued statements following the shooting, including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on X, “Praying for Kansas City.”
Warning of ‘serious national security threat’ prompts alerts on Russia
More details are coming to light after a cryptic message by Congressman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who warned of a “serious national security threat.” Turner, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called on President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat but did not elaborate further.
Multiple news outlets, citing sources, said Turner was referring to Russia, specifically its attempts at developing a nuclear-capable weapon in space that could take down satellites. The sources added that it is not currently an active threat. Connecticut Congressman Jim Hines, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that while the issue is serious, people should not panic.
Leaders in the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a statement saying they have the intelligence in question and have been tracking the issue. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had already scheduled a briefing for Thursday, Feb. 15, with congressional leaders and administration intelligence professionals to discuss the matter.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines hopes its lander, Odysseus, will be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in over five decades. NASA is paying the company $118 million to carry six items, including a camera to observe the dust upon landing and a radio receiver system to study charged particles on the moon’s surface.
Other items taken on the trip include insulation material from Columbia Sportswear and a sculpture from artist Jeff Koons. Odysseus is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22.
FDA approves first drug to treat severe frostbite
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat severe frostbite in adults and reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation. The drug, Aurlumyn, injects affected areas and treats frostbite by opening blood vessels and preventing clots. It is expected to be available in the spring of 2024.
Frostbite happens when the skin and tissue get damaged by cold temperatures and occurs in stages, with painkillers and antibiotics typically used to treat mild frostbite. Severe frostbite, which happens when the skin and underlying tissue freeze, stopping blood flow, sometimes requires amputations.
Lyft admits to typo in earnings report
One company just found out how important it is to check for typos. The rideshare company Lyft saw its stock soar over 60% following the release of its quarterly earnings report late Tuesday, Feb. 13. The report said Lyft was expecting one of its profit margins to expand by 500 basis points, meaning five percentage points. Still, in reality, it was only expected to expand by 50 basis points or 0.5%.
The company admitted to the error during a call with investors on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Its CEO told CNBC he hopes the missed extra zero doesn’t take away from Lyft delivering its best financial quarter in its history. And despite the error and correction, the company’s stock was still up on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
University of Pennsylvania to be first Ivy League offering AI program
The rise of artificial intelligence is bringing change to almost every aspect of our lives, which means companies are looking for engineers with AI skills. Now, students at one Ivy League university can earn a degree in AI, and it’s not a fake.
The University of Pennsylvania will become the first Ivy League school to offer an engineering degree in AI when the undergrad program starts in the fall of 2024. Penn said the program will allow students to unlock AI’s potential as they learn the ethics of AI, legal matters surrounding the technology, and other topics. Penn will be the first Ivy League to have an artificial intelligence program, but other U.S. colleges, including Carnegie Mellon and Purdue, also offer bachelor’s degrees in AI.
Security increased in Dearborn, MI, after WSJ op-ed names it US ‘Jihad capital’
Dearborn, Michigan, is home of the largest Muslim population per capita in the United States. The city was deemed as “America’s Jihad Capital” in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece and controversy has quickly followed. President Joe Biden condemned the article and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud called it bigoted and Islamophobic, upping the community’s security presence.
The author, Steven Stalinsky, stood by his article following the criticism, citing national security concerns.
The piece highlights protests in Dearborn where it claims the Muslim-majority population largely supports Hamas and Iran, putting those residents on the opposite side of official U.S. policy in the Middle East conflict.
Some residents of the Michigan city mourn over what America and Israel celebrate. Local mosques in Dearborn hold memorial services for terrorist leaders killed in Gaza. Meanwhile, what America calls the Oct. 7 terror attack, some Imams in Dearborn celebrate it as part of a holy war.
“Open support for Hamas is spreading,” Stalinsky wrote. “Since Oct. 7, similar protests have occurred in major American cities featuring pro-Jihadist imagery, chants and slogans. What’s happening in Dearborn isn’t simply a political problem for Democrats. It’s potentially a national-security issue affecting all Americans. Counterterrorism agencies at all levels should pay close attention.”
Stalinsky is being accused of spreading Islamophobic hate over his word choice. Dearborn Mayor Hammoud said he ramped up the city’s police presence at mosques over the weekend of Feb. 2 in response.
Effective immediately – Dearborn police will ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points.
This is a direct result of the inflammatory @WSJ opinion piece that has led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online…
In an interview with The Associated Press, Stalinsky said “nothing in my article was written to instigate any sort of hate. This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned.”
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic threats. Counterterrorism officials said they are on high alert and the threat of a terror attack on U.S. soil is “on a whole other level” since the conflict in the Middle East began.
China positioning malware in US critical infrastructure to prepare for conflict
The U.S. Intelligence community has assessed that China is attempting to pre-position malware on critical U.S. infrastructure to cripple vital assets and systems needed if China invades Taiwan, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray. The malware is being put in place in an attempt to limit America’s ability to aid Taiwan.
“We have observed the CCP target multiple critical infrastructure entities, attacks which could potentially jeopardize the physical safety of Americans,” Wray told the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Wray said the FBI already identified China-backed hackers who gained access to the computer network of a major U.S. transportation hub. Agents informed network operators and helped them fix the vulnerabilities.
In war, an adversary may seek to destroy bridges and dams, poison water supplies and cut power lines. According to committee Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., wiping out critical infrastructure can create societal chaos.
“Chinese hackers have put malware in water utilities, oil and gas pipelines, power grids, and other utilities in our Westernmost territories and across the American homeland,” Gallagher said. “There is no economic benefit for these actions. There is no intelligence gathering rationale. The sole purpose is to be ready to destroy American infrastructure, which will inevitably result in mass American casualties.”
Despite the threat, the military’s top general for cyber security assured the committee that America is ready.
“While cyberspace threats have increased, our force to counter these threats are stronger and more capable,” Gen. Paul Nakasone, the commander for United States Cyber Command, said. “USCYBERCOM and NSA are using our capabilities and partnerships to deny the PRC opportunities, frustrate their strategic efforts and systematically eradicate intrusions.”
FBI Director Wray said these threats are why Congress must reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires in April.
Section 702 allows U.S. intelligence officers to spy on foreign persons who are outside of the United States without a warrant.
According to Wray, in the second half of 2023, 97% of the FBI’s raw technical reporting on malicious cyber actors and 93% of the FBI’s reporting on emerging technologies, like AI, came from Section 702 collections.
The FBI has seen China-based cyber threat actors access a variety of critical infrastructure in the United States. Section 702 allows us to detect these cyber threat actors by monitoring them as they traverse the internet and determining when they access networks within the United States.
FBI Director Christopher Wray
“Section 702 has been pivotal for the FBI to detect and thwart PRC-backed cyber threat actors attempting to access U.S. critical infrastructure,” Wray said. “The FBI has seen China-based cyber threat actors access a variety of critical infrastructure in the United States. Section 702 allows us to detect these cyber threat actors by monitoring them as they traverse the internet and determining when they access networks within the United States.”
Lawmakers agree that Section 702 should be reformed and renewed. However, they have been unable to reach a compromise on how to make those reforms to prevent abuse without hindering the intelligence community’s ability to collect important national security information.
FISA abuse includes “backdoor searches.” According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, that’s when communications are collected in a way that is expected to collect an American’s information along with the main target’s, rather than collecting that citizen’s information incidentally.
According to the Brennan Center, the improper searches over the years have included elected officials, protestors and political activists groups.
Former military officials express national security concerns over Biden’s EV plans
A coalition of 17 former military officials — including multiple one, two and three-star officers — have sounded the alarm about the implications of electric vehicle (EV) adoption on U.S. national security. In a letter addressed to President Joe Biden and EPA Director Michael Regan, the veterans expressed concerns that current administration policies incentivizing EV adoption may increase the nation’s reliance on China.
The group asserts that the Biden administration’s actions related to EVs are making the U.S. more vulnerable to political interference and economic manipulations by the Chinese Communist Party.
“We would be exposing our economy and national security interests if we consciously link America’s economic and transportation stability to the enterprise of a country you yourself described as an economic ‘ticking time bomb,’” the veterans wrote to Biden.
The former armed services personnel highlighted Beijing’s dominance in the global EV landscape, being the leading exporter of both electrified vehicles and the materials used in their production. The White House committed to a goal of ensuring that half of all car purchases are electric by 2030. The veterans argued that such an objective is too ambitious and could have severe consequences given China’s influence over the industry.
“This trajectory will only position the U.S. to become more reliant on China for critical minerals and manufacturing that are necessary for the rapid expansion of EV markets this administration envisions,” the veterans wrote. “We do not believe now is the time for us to make ourselves vulnerable to such easy political pressures.”
While acknowledging the potential significance of EVs in the future of U.S. transportation, the veterans urged the Biden administration not to push the transition ahead until the necessary EV infrastructure has been built out domestically.
“There is no doubt EVs will play a significant role in diversifying America’s transportation systems,” they wrote. “Yet we believe your plans will rush our transition to EVs before the infrastructure necessary to support it is in place.”
House seeks Mayorkas’ impeachment. Does US have control of border?
The House Homeland Security Committee announced it will begin formal impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with a hearing Wednesday, January 10. The committee recently concluded a nearly yearlong investigation into Mayorkas.
The committee released a series of reports on his “dereliction of duty” and the unprecedented cartel control of the southern border.
“Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas’ decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability,” Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said in a statement.
Republicans also contend that Mayorkas has lied to them about the current state of immigration. One of the big points of disagreement is what constitutes operational control of the southern border.
The committee uses the definition in the Secure Fence Act of 2006 which states “the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband.”
Mayorkas repeatedly affirmed that the U.S. has operational control of the border in oversight hearings. However, Mayorkas told the Senate that, in his opinion, operational control means maximizing resources to deliver the most effective results.
“Under that strict definition this country has never had operational control, but obviously a layer of reasonableness must be applied here, and looking at that definition through the lens of reasonableness we dedicate now 23,000 personnel to the border,” Mayorkas told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during a subsequent hearing.
The House Homeland Security Committee released transcripts of interviews with Border Patrol chiefs for the Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley and Yuma sectors. All of those chiefs said, under the Secure Fence Act definition, the U.S. does not have operational control of the border.
However, the committee’s Republican majority said DHS does not have operational control over the border, regardless of whether the statutory definition is used or not.
More than 6.7 million immigrants have entered the United States illegally since Mayorkas took control. Additionally, there are 1.7 million known immigrants who evaded apprehension.
The committee and all House Republicans said that number is unacceptable, attributing it to the secretary’s refusal to enforce the law. But even if the House votes to impeach Mayorkas, the Democratic-controlled Senate is not likely to remove a Biden cabinet secretary from office.