In a congressional hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urged "sanctuary cities" to work with federal immigration officials in order to deport criminals who are in the United States illegally. Mayorkas also acknowledged the ongoing migrant surge at the US-Mexico border as a "crisis."

During the hearing, Mayorkas highlighted the "287(g) Program," which allows ICE to collaborate with state and local law enforcement to identify and deport incarcerated criminal noncitizens. He expressed his belief that jurisdictions should cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to swiftly remove individuals who pose a threat to public safety or national security.

Mayorkas sidestepped a question about expanding the program, but he emphasized the importance of executing it properly as a force multiplier for enforcement efforts. Former Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson had previously praised the 287(g) Program as highly effective in augmenting law enforcement operations.

According to the ICE website, at least two dozen states currently have agreements with ICE under the 287(g) Program, including New York's Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office.

Some Republican lawmakers expressed surprise at Mayorkas' admission that the border situation should be classified as a crisis. Mayorkas responded by stating that he had used that terminology before and emphasized the need for bipartisan legislation to address the broken immigration system.

Earlier this year, a bipartisan border reform package was proposed, but it did not gain traction in both chambers of Congress. Mayorkas urged lawmakers to revisit the legislation, expressing that it is the most comprehensive and tough proposal he has seen during his tenure at DHS.

During the hearing, Mayorkas faced criticism from Republicans regarding the DHS budget request for fiscal year 2025, which includes $62.2 billion in discretionary funding. Representative Ashley Hinson questioned the decrease in the number of detention beds suggested in the budget, compared to the previous year's appropriations.

Mayorkas explained that the budget request was developed before the previous year's appropriations were completed, and he assured the committee that efforts would be made to sustain the current 41,500-bed capacity for the year ahead. He also noted that the bipartisan Senate border deal would have facilitated an increase to 50,000 detention beds but emphasized the need for additional personnel to support the expanded capacity.

The DHS chief is scheduled to face further scrutiny over the budget request before the House Committee on Homeland Security next week. Mayorkas is also facing impeachment articles alleging his refusal to enforce border laws and his alleged lying to Congress about border security, including failure to comply with document requests.

There are concerns among some Republican senators that the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer may attempt to table the trial once the impeachment articles are sent over to the Senate for further examination. The impeachment trial is expected to take place next week.

As the conversation surrounding immigration and border security continues, Mayorkas' call for collaboration between "sanctuary cities" and federal authorities underscores the need for comprehensive reforms to address the challenges faced at the US-Mexico border.