‘Why Were You Not Prepared for This?’ ABC’s Raddatz Grills DHS Sec on Biden Admin’s Response to Border Crisis

ABC’s Martha Raddatz put Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas through a tough round of questions on why the Biden administration didn’t stop the migrant situation at the U.S. southern border from escalating.

Mayorkas spoke to Raddatz on This Week in order to emphasize the administration’s message telling immigrants “do not come” to the border. While Raddatz acknowledged the messaging effort, she brought up a statement Mayorkas made last week where he said the U.S. might be about to face the biggest migrant surge it has seen in 20 years.

“Why were you not prepared for this?” Raddatz asked.

Mayorkas responded with confidence in the Biden administration’s immigration plan, though he argued that it will take time to implement, and that the processing system needs to be rebuilt after it was “dismantled” under former President Donald Trump.

“You knew this coming in,” Raddatz responded, and she pressed him even further with questions of “how did this happen.”

“It takes time,” Mayorkas answered. He defended the administration again by arguing “we did not have the ordinary, safe, and just transition from one administration to another.”

The interview continued with Raddatz grilling Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s lack of transparency over border patrol center conditions.

Watch above, via ABC.