the Walter Cronkite school of
journalism at --
journalism.
Amna: An increase of migrants at
the U.S. Southern border is
reaching record levels and the
Biden administration is facing
questions about plans to
rollback title 42, the policy
that has kept many migrants out
of the country.
Lisa: Routine budget hearings,
but at a turbulent moment,
putting homeland security
secretary Alejandro mayorkas in
the hot seat.
>> We're dealing with a broken
immigration system that was
dismantled in its entirety in
the prior administration
Lisa: At issue, the Biden
administration's plan to end
title 42.
>> The crisis at the border
continues to dominate the
headlines in part because of the
administration's plans to repeal
title 42.
Lisa: The pandemic border powers
are due to end may 20 three.
They stem from title 42 of U.S.
Law, allowing emergency action
in a health crisis.
The trump administration first
invoked title 42 and it's been
used more than 2 million times
to expel migrants, without
chance for asylum.
This month the CDC concluded
current health conditions make
it unnecessary and that block
should end.
But there are court issues.
A federal judge said he would
temporarily force the program to
keep going.
And political issues.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi and
other house leaders are openly
unhappy with the Biden
administration's handling.
Mayorkas today replied to the
scrutiny with a plan for when
title 42 is lifted.
>> We are leading the execution
of a whole of government
strategy that stands on six
pillars.
Lisa: Dhs will send 600
additional personnel to assist
customs and border protection,
open new temporary facilities to
hold 5000 additional migrants,
and step up enforcement with
more expedited removals or
detentions.
>> This plan that was supposed
to define that for us is not a
plan at all.
It's basically how they are
going to move people into the
country faster.
Lisa: Senate Republicans,
including James Lankford,
blasted the blueprint.
>> This is not a plan to stop
illegal immigration.
This is a plan to accelerate
illegal immigration. And they
even admit it.
Lisa: Last month U.S. Border
agents encountered 221,000
migrants near the southern
border, a 20 year record.
And dhs projects that will
increase when title 42 ends.
>> The border is not secure, the
border is wide open.
This is the worst immigration
crisis that our nation has ever
seen.
Lisa: In the hearing, some
skepticism from Republicans and
some Democrats too.
>> The surge started on Jan 20
when president Biden took
office.
Why did you wait for 14 or 16
months to implement these
things?
>> My question has to do with
how you will process 18,000
migrants per day while keeping
time in custody below the 72
hours and still be able to
ensure due process without
compromising necessary vetting?
>> There is no question that if
we encounter 18,000 people in a
single day, that will seriously
strain our capabilities.
Lisa: Mayorkas said if congress
is concerned, lawmakers should
work for a more comprehensive
solution.
>> Only congress can fix this.
What we fundamentally need is
legislation to fix what everyone
agrees is a broken immigration
system.
Lisa: Today's hearing came just
a day after the Biden
administration argued at the
supreme court to be able to end
the remain in Mexico policy,
which requires that asylum
seekers stay in Mexico, until
they have a court hearing.
The court will decide the fate
of that program by the end of
June.
Amna: For more on how the
immigration debates are playing
out at the capitol, our
congressional correspondent Lisa
Desjardins joins me now.
How is the plan from the Biden
administration going over with
Democrats and Republicans?
Lisa: Talking to a lot of
lawmakers and top democratic
sources who had a problem with
title 42, there is a lot of
silence today.
That doesn't register well for
the dhs secretary, the Biden
administration, which was hoping
to say we have a comprehensive
plan.
It is a 10 page plan, not very
long.
Some lawmakers told me, I'm not
sure this is comprehensive.
This is something Democrats have
been saying.
Here is an example from senator
Joe Manchin.
>> 42 should not be done away
with until we have an
immigration policy or until the
CDC says we don't have a health
crisis.
Lisa: In the senate, there are
10 or 11 other Democrats who
have said we don't think it is
time to end title 42.
Some said we need a better plan,
we need two months, but they
think it is not time, may 23.
There are Democrats who say it
is time, including congressional
Democrats in the hispanic caucus
, who say this is a policy that
is xenophobic, implying
immigrants bring diseases.
These are difficult debates
going on.
It is confusing on capitol hill.
Amna: They have concerns, but
walk us through the substantive
concerns and what the white
house says.
Lisa: Democrats and Republicans
are worried about it.
There is a clear surge at the
border straining resources to a
dangerous level for some who are
in border control, like the
national guardsmen who died this
week trying to rescue migrants.
Care is concerned about
traffickers, smugglers, an
increase in fentanyl seizures.
There is concern about drug
trafficking and whether there is
enough control over an expected
search.
Amna: What about the court's
role?
Lisa: As we were about to start,
we did get the order from the
judge who has said there needs
to be a cause.
This judge is saying the Biden
administration for the next 14
days cannot lift this order.
There will be a hearing in
mid-march.
The judge says these states who
have a problem lifting the order
could succeed in their lawsuit
but as of yet the may 23 date
hasn't been changed but mid-may
will tell us a lot.
As if that wasn't enough, all of
this is tying up potential covid
medical funding.
Where does that stand?
Lisa: All these things are
intersecting.
Let's talk about covid money.
There has been a bipartisan
framework for a $10 billion
covid deal in the senate.
That does seem to have enough
support to potentially pass.
However, Republicans led by
Mitch Mcconnell have said we
will not vote on that covid deal
until we get a vote on title 42,
some kind of measure to keep it
in place.
Why wouldn't Schumer agree to
that boat?
Because it probably would pass.
There probably are 10 Democrats
who would vote with Republicans
to keep title 42 in place.
That would be an embarrassment
for the Biden administration,
who wants to control the
narrative.
It is a confusing time.
There are strong allies of the
Biden administration, like Tim
kaine.
He was very clear.
He said, we are simply confused.
We don't understand the messages
from the Biden administration,
don't understand their plan.
Until there is clear
communication, there will be a
problem.
This is a big picture problem
for congress in general.
Underneath this is a broken
immigration system.
Congress needs to be discussing
that, figuring out a plan.
Are they doing that?
No.
That has to deal with broken
politics as well.
Hopefully we will see some
discussion.
Amna: Two huge issues that are
inextricably linked.
Lisa covering them from both
ends.