Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas in El Paso for border briefing

Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas visited El Paso Thursday, the second leg of a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border amid a sharp increase in unauthorized crossings.

Migrant encounters climbed in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 to more than 518,000, more than doubling from about 218,000 in the October-December period a year ago, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Encounters rose 71% in El Paso over the same period to more than 49,000.

Mayorkas attributed the increase in unauthorized border crossings in part to the lasting effects of the pandemic in migrants’ home countries.

“The coronavirus has been impacting the countries of origin quite significantly,” he told the El Paso Times. “That causes adverse economic consequences and puts stress on the lives of the people who don’t necessarily want to leave their home. The variant and underlying pandemic have a significant impact on people's decision to migrate irregularly.”

In a social media post, Mayorkas said he heard Border Patrol agents "loud and clear" after an early morning intelligence meeting in Clint, Texas, part of the agency's El Paso Sector. 

"Action is needed, mission requires it, you deserve it, we will deliver," Mayorkas said on Twitter.

Mayorkas followed Border Patrol agents in the Arizona and West Texas Borderland during the first two days of his tour, according to Homeland Security social media accounts. 

Mayorkas said he requested “candor” from the agents he met with.

“I heard from them the need for additional resources,” he said. “They need the technological advances that really are force multipliers, whether they be surveillance towers or automation and equipment and vehicles so they can do their job.”

He is scheduled to also meet with "key stakeholders" in the border communities.

More:Border Patrol: Migrant encounters climb 71% in El Paso region in first quarter of FY2022

Mayorkas' visit comes as the Biden administration is facing criticism from immigrant advocates and border agents alike over the ongoing reliance on Title 42 at the U.S. border.

Under the Trump-era policy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prohibit holding migrants in congregant settings. CBP quickly returns migrants to Mexico or their country of origin without prosecution, which has stoked repeat crossings and inflated the number of encounters.

About 68% of encounters in El Paso Sector in the first quarter of 2022 were processed under Title 42, according to CBP statistics.

Mayorkas heads the department responsible for border security and customs, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and FEMA, among others. 

He visited Yuma, Arizona, on Wednesday and is scheduled to visit the Rio Grande Valley on Friday.

Lauren Villagran can be reached at lvillagran@elpasotimes.com.