(CNN)Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged on Tuesday that the agency has "not seen a significant decrease" in migrants coming to the US-Mexico border despite its efforts to restrict the flow.
In an exclusive interview with CNN's Priscilla Alvarez, Mayorkas said, "We're seeing about a seven-day average of over 7,500 people, so we have not seen a significant decrease in the flows."
In April, US Border Patrol stopped border crossers 201,800 times, a 4% drop from March, according to newly released data from US Customs and Border Protection. But numbers remain at historic highs, straining resources.
The secretary, who was in Texas for a border visit, also said that his agency was working with Mexico to prepare for a potential surge of migrants at the southern border if a Trump-era pandemic restriction is lifted this month.
"We are working very closely with our partners to the south, with Mexico, in anticipation of a potential surge in a post-Title 42 environment," he said.
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Mayorkas' remarks come amid uncertainty over the future of the pandemic restriction known as Title 42. The public health authority, which allows officials to turn migrants away at the US-Mexico border, is set to end on May 23, but an ongoing lawsuit may thwart those plans. The department has been actively preparing for a potential surge in migrants when the authority lifts, Mayorkas has said.
Asked if DHS is prepared to ramp up deportations should Title 42 be lifted, Mayorkas answered, "Yes, we are," emphasizing his department's plans for "expanded use of expedited removal."
"Recent border crossers are in fact a priority for enforcement in the guidelines that I issued on September 30 of last year," Mayorkas said. "And so there will be consequences."
DHS has previously outlined plans to expand use of a fast-track deportation procedure known as "expedited removal," which allows immigration authorities to remove an individual without a hearing before an immigration judge. People subject to deportation, including expedited removal, are generally banned from entering the US for five years.
"The fact of the matter is, if one qualifies for relief, then one can remain here in the United States. That's what the law provides. If one cannot, one is removed and removed as expeditiously as possible. That is the model that we follow. That is the model that the law envisions," Mayorkas said.