Mayorkas Says New Orleans Attack 'not An Issue Of The Border'

Days following the deadly attack in New Orleans, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the attack was not a border issue, disputing President-elect Donald Trump's earlier rhetoric.

The driver of the vehicle that killed 14 people was an American — "born in the United States, raised in United States, and served in our armed forces." said Mayorkas on Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

DHS has seen "a significant increase in what we term homegrown violent extremism," Mayorkas said.

Trump, soon after the attack, referred to the incident as an immigration issue. "When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true,” Trump wrote on social media following the attack.

A second incident occurred on New Year's Day as a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump's Las Vegas hotel. The man responsible for that explosion, Matthew Livelsberger, was also an American and had served in the armed forces. The FBI said it had determined there was no link between the two attacks.

Some Republicans have tied the recent attacks to the border. Congressional Republicans "have repeatedly asked the DHS under the Biden administration about the correlation — the obvious concern about terrorism and the wide-open border," Speaker Mike Johnson told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday.

Mayorkas said neither incident had anything to do with immigration.

"It is not an issue of the border. With respect to the border, our highest responsibility and one that we work to fulfill each and every day throughout the Department of Homeland Security, throughout the federal government, is the safety and security of the American people. That is what we have incredibly talented and dedicated individuals doing every year in their years," Mayorkas said.

The DHS secretary said heightened personnel, additional screening and sweeping measures, and working with local law enforcement are some of the precautionary measures that will be taken at upcoming events such as Monday's certification of the election, the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.

"It is a very difficult threat landscape, and it is why that we as a — as a community, not just the federal government, but state and local officials and residents need to be alert to it, and take the precautions necessary to avoid violence from occurring," Mayorkas said.