The DHS Secretary should be doing his best to defend this nation and secure her borders. Apparently, he’s got other things on his mind.
And now Alejandro Mayorkas is accused of dereliction of duty for this insufferable action.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas seems more focused on winning a popularity contest within his department than actually securing the border. His latest move? Handing out so much extra time off to employees that one of his agencies had to create an internal system just to track it all.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had to roll out a “leave-tracking tool” to help supervisors manage the generous leave packages and to assist employees in keeping tabs on their extra time off.
It’s no surprise that employees have started calling Mayorkas the “patron saint of administrative leave” or simply “St. Ali” for short. In 2023 alone, Mayorkas handed out nine extra vacation days to each employee, and he’s on track to give out even more this year.
The Homeland Security Department claims this extra time off is a way to reward employees for enduring tough jobs under difficult circumstances. But critics see through this facade.
Emilio Gonzalez, who led USCIS during the Bush administration, calls it out for what it is: “This is all political, and it’s all for show. It’s to address the stress, not the underlying problem.”
Last week, in yet another display of so-called generosity, Mayorkas granted employees an additional day off for Labor Day.
“In recognition of your selfless service to country, tireless devotion to duty, and extraordinary accomplishments, I am privileged to grant all personnel 8 hours of administrative leave that can be used this calendar year or next,” Mayorkas wrote in a notice to employees. But while he plays the benevolent leader, the department’s mission continues to suffer.
With over 250,000 employees under his purview, Mayorkas’s leave handouts are costing taxpayers a fortune. A conservative estimate pegs the cost of last year’s extra paid time off at $900 million and this year’s at $500 million, bringing the total cost of Mayorkas’s largesse to nearly $2.6 billion during his tenure.
House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green isn’t buying Mayorkas’s act.
“My committee has even been told by DHS sources that Secretary Mayorkas has handed out leave at a rate far beyond his predecessors, all while he simultaneously complains about a supposed ‘lack of resources’ to secure the border,” Green stated. The secretary’s mismanagement is becoming increasingly clear as the border crisis deepens.
Even federal employees on online forums are envious of DHS workers. “I heard DHS got the rest of the fiscal year off,” one user joked on Reddit’s Fednews forum. In contrast, employees at other agencies received mere hours of leave, if any at all, highlighting the absurdity of Mayorkas’s giveaways.
Some commenters see through Mayorkas’s motives, noting that he’s trying to buy forgiveness from employees for the misery he’s inflicted on them.
“If you’re referring to ‘Saint Mayorkas’ and DHS, Mayorkas is trying to buy his employees forgiveness for how miserable he has made it to work there,” one Reddit user commented.
Public-facing agencies like the IRS, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration are known for being stingy with administrative leave because it directly impacts their ability to serve the public.
Homeland Security, however, faces the same problem. According to Gonzalez, “It’s a double-whammy. You’re giving them the time off, which means work gets delayed. At the same time, you’re creating a billion-dollar hole in your budget.”
The Office of Personnel Management, responsible for overseeing agencies’ policies, has remained silent on Mayorkas’s actions.
Homeland Security, of course, continues to defend him, claiming that the leave is a reflection of respect for its employees and their sacrifices. But while Mayorkas might be winning points with his employees, the real cost is being borne by the American public — both in dollars and in a compromised border.
Under Mayorkas’s reign, the Department of Homeland Security has doled out extra hours for nearly every holiday imaginable, from Memorial Day to Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and even Public Service Recognition Week.
Instead of focusing on securing the border and managing his department effectively, Mayorkas is more concerned with playing the hero to his overworked and under-appreciated staff. But as the situation at the border continues to spiral out of control, it’s clear that his priorities are dangerously misplaced.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
