U.S. Border Patrol chief Raúl Ortiz said Wednesday the agency does not have complete operational control of the southern border, a comment that was quickly seized upon by lawmakers at a Texas-based committee hearing attended only by Republicans.
The question was posed by House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) holding up a definition of operational control crafted in 2006 that requires “the prevention of all unlawful entries.”
“Based upon the definition you have, sir, up there, no,” Ortiz responded.