Mayorkas insists immigration order not at odds with

Homeland security head also defends timing of president’s border action as measure faces criticism from both parties

US homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended both the timing and substance of Joe Biden’s new executive order to restrict immigration at the southern border, as the president faces criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike over the measure.

The order, issued Tuesday, tells officials to shut down asylum requests once the average number of encounters between legal ports of entry reaches 2,500 or more. If the number of encounters falls to 1,500 or less for seven consecutive days, the border would re-open two weeks later.