NBC News host asks DHS Sec. Mayorkas point blank: 'Why do you deserve to keep your job?'

NBC news host Kristen Welker asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas point-blank on Sunday if he deserved to keep his job over the crisis at the southern border.

"You have now been in your position for three years and let’s talk about what’s happened during those three years. More migrants have crossed the border illegally last year than ever before. The asylum cases backlog has more than tripled since 2019. You yourself have said that more than 85% of migrants crossing the border illegally are being released into the U.S. as they await their court dates. Let’s just put impeachment aside for a minute. Why do you deserve to keep your job, Mr. Secretary?" Welker asked.

Mayorkas said the data Welker cited was a "powerful example" of why legislation was needed to fix a broken immigration system.

"Let’s take a look before the last three years. That case backlog, which is about 3 million cases has been growing year over year over year. The time between when we encounter an individual at the boarder and the time of final adjudication of an asylum case has been years. Five to seven years, for years and years. I remember when I entered the Department of Homeland Security in 2009, we were wrestling with these very same issues," he added.

MAYORKAS LASHES OUT AT ‘BASELESS’ GOP ALLEGATIONS AHEAD OF KEY IMPEACHMENT VOTE

Welker also asked about the House GOP's efforts to impeach Mayorkas, and said they were "serious allegations."

"They’re baseless allegations, Kristen, and that’s why I am not distracted by them and focused on the work of the Department of Homeland Security. I’m inspired every single day by the remarkable work that 260,000 men and women in our department perform on behalf of the American public.