There seems to be at least one impenetrable barrier connected to this country's southwest border. It is the one that stands between Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and an accurate assessment of what is actually happening there.

In September 2020, the last month of that fiscal year, the Border Patrol encountered 54,771 aliens trying to illegally enter the United States across the southwest border. That brought the fiscal year 2020 total to 400,651, according to the numbers published by the Border Patrol.

In September 2021, the Border Patrol encountered 185,515 aliens trying to illegally cross the southwest border -- bringing the fiscal 2021 total to 1,659,206.

That was more than four times the total for fiscal 2020.

One of the major events of fiscal 2021 took place on Jan. 20, 2021 -- when Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump as president.

On Sept. 21, 2021, Mayorkas testified in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security. In that hearing, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin asked Mayorkas a yes-no question.

"You have repeatedly stated that our borders are not open, they are closed," Johnson said. "Do you honestly believe that our borders are closed?"

"Senator, I do, and........

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