Homeland Security secretary on FEMA, misinformation and election threats

WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke with Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan on FEMA funds and the extreme weather seen in the southern region of the United States.

"FEMA has the money to address the immediate needs of individuals impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but we need Congress to act swiftly to fund FEMA and specifically its Disaster Relief Fund, because hurricane season is not over, and also seasons are less and less important now, given the effects of climate change and the increasing gravity and frequency of extreme weather events. And I should say, FEMA has not been slow at all. It already has distributed more than $470 million in relief to individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene."

Alejandro Mayorkas, United States Secretary of Homeland Security

Brennan and Mayorkas also discusssed misinformation on FEMA and the upcoming presidential election. When asked if this concerns him, Mayorkas said, "Incredibly concerned. And the misinformation, I should say it's disinformation, false information deliberately spread to impact people's behavior and perceptions, it is extremely pernicious. We have individuals in need of assistance, who are entitled to assistance, who aren't seeking it because of the false information."

During the interview, Brennan and Mayorkas talked about election threats, with Brennan mentioning the prosecution of an Afghan national who planned an "election day terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS." When asked if he was radicalized before he came to the United States, Mayorkas said:

"It is an ongoing prosecution, so I won't speak of the facts. But the viewing public is getting an idea of the breadth and diversity of the missions that we in the Department of Homeland Security...Remember the individual came in through parol, an Afghan national. And when we vet and we do so intensively, when we vet an individual, it's a point in time screening and vetting process. If we obtain information subsequently that suggests the individual could be of danger, we take appropriate law enforcement action. That is exactly what we did in this case."

To watch more of Brennan's interview with Mayorkas, click here.