ON IMMIGRATION HE’S ALSO THE ONLY LATINO
CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
IN 2020 AS OF THIS MOMENT.
JULIAN CASTRO JOINS ME NOW FROM
SAN ANTONIO.
SAN ANTONIO. MR. CASTRO, GOOD TO SEE YOU,
SIR.
SIR. THANKS FOR COMING ON.
>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU, CHUCK.
>> I KNOW -- I HAVE A FEELING I
KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD THINK OF THE
PRESIDENT’S VARIOUS PROPOSALS
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS ABOUT
DEALING WITH THIS CURRENT
PROBLEM AT THE BORDER.
BUT LET ME -- BEFORE YOU GET
INTO THE RHETORIC AGAINST TRUMP,
YOUR PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW, YOU’VE
GOT TO TRIAGE THIS SITUATION
RIGHT NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO
TEMPORARILY?
TEMPORARILY? WE KNOW THAT THERE’S GOT TO BE A
LEGISLATIVE FIX.
LEGISLATIVE FIX. I’LL WELL AWARE OF YOUR PLAN
BUT WHAT DO YOU DO RIGHT NOW
>> WHAT I WOULD DO RIGHT NOW IS
REVERSE COURSE ON WHAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE.
YOU ALL WERE JUST HAVING A
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW A LOT OF
THIS RHETORIC THAT HE’S PUT OUT
THERE IN ADDITION TO HIS CRUEL
POLICIES HAVE ACTUALLY MADE THE
SITUATION WORSE, NOT BETTER.
SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS, NUMBER
ONE, AS I SAY IN MY PLAN, I
WOULD GO BACK TO TREATING THESE
VIOLATIONS, SOMEBODY THAT’S
COMING ACROSS THE BORDER, AS A
CIVIL PENALTY, NOT A CRIMINAL
ONE.
ONE. I WOULD NOT TREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE
SEEKING ASYLUM AS CRIMINALS.
I WOULD ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THEIR
ASYLUM CLAIM
ASYLUM CLAIM THAT WOULD HELP REDUCE THE
BACKLOG THAT HAS HAPPENED
BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN TREATING THIS
AS A CRIME
I WOULD ALSO BE MUCH MORE ACTIVE
IN TERMS OF INVESTING IN OUR
JUDICIARY SYSTEM SO THAT THOSE
ASYLUM CLAIMS CAN BE PROCESSED
AND INSTEAD OF SPENDING MONEY ON
USELESS THINGS LIKE A WALL,
BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
ON THAT, I WOULD SPEN ITD IT ON
THINGS LIKE THE FAMILY
MONITORING PROGRAM THAT WAS
DEVELOPED IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION SO WHEN SOMEBODY
COMES OVER ACROSS THE BORDER AND
THEY GO THROUGH THE LEGAL
PROCESS, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BE
IN THE COUNTRY BUT THEY’RE
ACTUALLY MONITORED MORE
CAREFULLY IN A COMMUNITY-BASED
WAY AND THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY
HAD A 99% SUCCESS RATE OF PEOPLE
CHECKING BACK IN AND MAKING
THEIR COURT APPEARANCES.
SO I WOULD DO THIS IN A SMARTER
WAY.
WAY. IN THE LONG TERM, AS I PUT IN MY
PEOPLE FIRST PLAN, I WOULD
HAVE -- STRIKE UP A STRONGER
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE
COUNTRIES SO PEOPLE CAN FIND
SAFETY AND OPPORTUNITY THERE,
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO COME TO THE
UNITED STATES AND SEEK
OPPORTUNITY HERE
OPPORTUNITY HERE >> ALL RIGHT
I WANT TO PEEL BACK A COUPLE OF
THESE THINGS
THESE THINGS FIFRS
FIFRS FIRST I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR
DECISION THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE
IT A CIVIL PENALTY AS OPPOSED TO
A CRIMINAL PENALTY
OPPONENTS TO THAT WILL SAY THAT
YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY OPENING THE
DOOR TO OPEN BORDERS
PEEP WILL COME IN, YOU’LL NEVER
SEE THEM AGAIN BECAUSE THERE’S
NO PENALTY
NO PENALTY WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE POWER
OF DEPORTATION, FOR INSTANCE
>> YEAH, THIS WHOLE TALK ABOUT
OPEN BORDERS IS -- THE ONLY
THING THAT IS IS A REPUBLICAN
TALKING POINT.
TALKING POINT. WE STILL HAVE 654 MILES OF
FENCING.
FENCING. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PERSONNEL.
>> WOULD YOU KEEP ALL THAT
FENCING?
FENCING? >> WHAT WAS THE QUESTION
>> WOULD YOU KEEP ALL THAT
FENCING, BY THE WAY, THAT’S
STILL THERE?
STILL THERE? WOULD YOU KEEP IT ALL?
>> I DON’T KNOW THAT I WOULD
KEEP EVERY SINGLE INCH OF THAT
FENCING.
FENCING. TO THE EXTENT THAT SOME OF THAT
FENCING GOES OVER
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS,
I WOULD BE OPEN TO REVIEWING
THAT
THAT MOST OF THAT FENCING IS THERE,
IT’S GOING TO STAY THERE
BUT LET ME FINISH ANSWERING THE
QUESTION
QUESTION YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT OPEN
BORDERS, THAT’S SICHLMPLY A TALK
POINT.
POINT. WHAT IT WOULD DO IS TREAT PEOPLE
WITH COMPASSION AND RESPECT.
THEY WOULD STILL BE IN A
JUDICIAL PROCESS
JUDICIAL PROCESS I WOULD ALSO SAY, CHUCK, AS A
LOT OF YOUR VIEWERS KNOW, THIS
IS HOW WE TREATED THESE TYPES OF
VIOLATIONS ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL
2004
2004 THEY WERE TREATED FROM THE LATE
1920s UNTIL 2004 WHEN WE HAD
SOMETHING CALLED SECTION 1325 OF
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY
ACT IN PLACE WHERE THIS COULD BE
TREATED AS A CRIME BUT IT
WASN’T
WASN’T IT WAS TREATED AS A CIVIL
VIOLATION.
VIOLATION. I BELIEVE THAT’S THE BETTER
ROUTE TO GO.
THAT WOULD NOT BEAN OPEN
BORDERS, IT WOULD JUST REDUCE
THE BACKLOG AND TREAT PEOPLE
HUGH
HUGH HUMANELY AND ENSURE, AS I SAID,
THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THE
FAMILY MONITORING PROGRAM THAT
THEY SHOW UP BACK IN COURT
SO THERE’S A SMARTER WAY TO DO
THIS THAT WOULD NOT CREATE THE
CHAOS THAT THIS PRESIDENT HAS.
I MEAN IT HAS BEEN A TOTAL
FAILURE.
FAILURE. IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT
CAN LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPE
TRUMP HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A
SUCCESS?
SUCCESS? NO
NO HE’S ACTUALLY MADE IT WORSE.
>> YOU KNOW, IRONICALLY THE IDEA
OF THE MONITORING PROGRAM, I
REMEMBER THAT DURING THE 2008
REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES
REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES MIKE HUCKABEE WAS A BIG ADVOCATE
SAYING IF FEDEX CAN TRACK
PACKAGES, WE CAN TRACK PEOPLE IN
THE COUNTRY, THERE ARE WAYS TO
DO THIS.
DO THIS. I DON’T KNOW IF HE STILL SHARES
THAT VIEW NOW, BUT BACK THEN HE
DID.
DID. BY THE WAY, HOW WOULD THAT WORK,
A GPS DEVICE, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT
THAT >> ACTUALLY IN THIS PROGRAM,
THIS PARTICULAR ONE THEY DID NOT
DO THAT.
DO THAT. THEY HAD ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE WHO
WOULD CHECK IN WITH THEM
THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GO AND
MEET WITH ESSENTIALLY A
CASEWORKER THAT CONTINUES TO
MONITOR WHERE THEY’RE AT, KEEP
IN TOUCH WITH THE FAMILY, MAYBE
SURE THAT THEY SHOW UP TO THEIR
COURT APPOINTMENT.
COURT APPOINTMENT. IT TURNED OUT TO BE VERY
SUCCESSFUL
SUCCESSFUL HAD A 99% SUCCESS RATE
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN
BUILD ON AND SCALE UP INSTEAD OF
WASTING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON A
WALL THAT IS NOT GOING TO WORK
ON TOP OF THAT, AND I HOPE THIS
PART DOESN’T GET LOST IN THE
SHUFFLE, WE NEED TO TAKE A
LONG-TERM VIEW
LONG-TERM VIEW WE NEED THE EQUIVALENT OF A 21st
CENTURY MARSHALL PLAN FOR
CENTRAL AMERICA, SO PEOPLE CAN
FIND SAFETY AND OPPORTUNITY AT
HOME INSTEAD OF HAVING TO MAKE
THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY AND KNOCK
ON THE DOOR OF THE UNITED
STATES
STATES >> I’M CURIOUS IF YOU COULDN’T
GET YOUR PLAN THROUGH BUT
REPUBLICANS SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT,
WE’LL TAKE THE 2013 COMPROMISE
PLAN THAT THE SO-CALLED GANG OF
EIGHT BUILT THAT THE SENATE
PASSED AND THE HOUSE NEVER TOOK
UP, COULD YOU LIVE WITH THAT
PIECE OF LEGISLATION
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT
I PROPOSED IS A BETTER PLAN.
I’M ALWAYS WILLING TO LISTEN
AND OF COURSE IN ANY LEGISLATIVE
PROCESS THERE’S GOING TO BE
NEGOTIATION.
NEGOTIATION. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE PLAN THAT
I’VE SET FORTH IS A BETTER PLAN.
I THINK IT SPENDS MONEY MORE
WISELY, THAT IT TREATS PEOPLE
WITH COMPASSION AND NOT WITH
CRUELTY, AND THAT IN THE LONG
RUN IT’S GOING TO MEAN NOT ONLY
THAT THIS CHALLENGE IS GOING TO
BE ADDRESSED IN A BETTER WAY AND
MORE HUMANELY BUT IN THE LONG
RUN WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS
MANY PEOPLE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO
THREATEN THESE SO-CALLED
SANCTUARY CITIES, AND I SAY
SO-CALLED BECAUSE THERE REALLY
ISN’T A DEFINITION TO ALL OF
THIS THAT IS FULLY OUT THERE
BUT IS THERE ACTUALLY A NEED TO
FIND A WAY TO KEEP -- I MEAN
SHOULD -- IF WE WERE LIVING IN A
RATIONAL MOMENT HERE ON THIS, WE
WOULD -- FOR INSTANCE, I GREW UP
IN MIAMI AND THERE WERE TIMES
THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ASKED OTHER CITIES AND STATES
WHO CAN HELP OUT ON REFUGEES
WHO CAN HELP OUT ON PLACING
FOLKS, BECAUSE AT THE TIME MIAMI
WAS GETTING OVERLOADED AT THE
TIME AND YOU SAW OTHER CITIES
AND STATES STEP UP
I MEAN THERE IS -- THERE IS SOME
PRECEDENT TO DOING THIS WHEN
EVERYBODY IS SINGING FROM THE
SAME SONG SHEET.
>> NO DOUBT.
IN FACT THE WAY THAT IT USED TO
BE DONE, AS YOU SAID, AND EVEN
MOST RECENTLY IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION IS THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD WORK
WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES,
INCLUDING WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS,
WHETHER IT’S CATHOLIC CHARITIES
OR A NUMBER OF OTHER NONPROFITS
THAT HELP SUPPORT MIGRANTS WHO
ARE RELEASED HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES TO SEE WHAT THE CAPACITY
WAS FOR THEM TO TAKE ON THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING
TO BE RELEASED
BUT WHAT THEY WOULDN’T DO IS
WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
SUGGESTING, IS ESSENTIALLY TO
USE THESE MIEGGRANTS AS POLITICA
PAWNS TO GO AND IN THE VIEW OF
THE PRESIDENT PUNISH HIS
POLITICAL OPPONENTS BY, QUOTE
UNQUOTE, DUMPING MIGRANTS OR
FLOODING THEM INTO THOSE
COMMUNITIES WITHOUT THE SUPPORT
SERVICES THEY NEED, WITHOUT THE
COMMUNITY BEING AWARE THAT THIS
IS HAPPENING
IS HAPPENING THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
IT’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW
CRUEL AND HOW IRRATIONAL THIS
PRESIDENT IS WHEN IT COMES TO
THIS ISSUE
THIS ISSUE YOU KNOW, WHAT’S BECOME CLEARER
AND CLEARER IS THAT HE BELIEVES
THAT THIS ISSUE, AND THIS ISSUE
MORE THAN ANY OTHER ISSUE OUT
THERE, IS THE WAY THAT HE THINKS
HE’S GOING TO GET RE-ELECTED
WITH A VERY NARROW ELECTORAL
COLLEGE VICTORY IN CERTAIN
STATES
STATES AND WHAT I’VE SAID IS THAT WE
CAN’T BE AFRAID OF THAT AS
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. I PUT MY PLAN OUT THERE WITH A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VISION FROM
THIS PRESIDENT BECAUSE I’M NOT
AFRAID OF THAT AND I’M GOING TO
MAKE THE ARGUMENT FOR THE
OPPOSITE CASE THAT HE’S MADE.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE, IF
YOUR BROTHER CAME TO YOU, HE’S
SERVING IN CONGRESS, AND SAID
MITCH McCONNELL WANTS TO TRY TO
HAVE A BIPARTISAN -- WANTS TO
TRY TO HAVE SOME BIPARTISAN
TALKS BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC
HOUSE, REPUBLICAN SENATE, SEE IF
THEY CAN GET SOMETHING TOGETHER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE McCONNELL ALMOST
WANTS TO IGNORE THE WHITE HOUSE
FOR A WHILE.
WOULD YOU ADVISE HOUSE
DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING YOUR
BROTHER, YOU KNOW WHAT, SIT DOWN
WITH McCONNELL, NOT A BAD IDEA
RIGHT NOW?
RIGHT NOW? >> I WOULD ALWAYS ADVISE PEOPLE
TO LISTEN, SEE WHAT’S POSSIBLE
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T GET ANYWHERE
IF YOU DON’T AT LEAST SIT DOWN
AND TALK
AND TALK I DON’T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH
THAT
THAT HOWEVER, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE
DETAILS.
DETAILS. LIKE ANY OTHER PIECE OF
LEGISLATION.
LEGISLATION. SO YEAH, I THINK IT’S WORTH
TALKING.
TALKING. I WISH THE PRESIDENT WERE MORE
AMENABLE TO REACHING OUT TO THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO GET
THINGS DONE.
THINGS DONE. I HAVE MY DOUBTS ABOUT MITCH
McCONNELL TOO, HONESTLY, BUT ON
THIS ISSUE I DO THINK THAT IT IS
WORTH TALKING, SURE.
>> LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
IS THERE A POINT WHERE THERE’S
SO MANY CANDIDATES IT’S HARD TO
STAND OUT?
STAND OUT? >> WHAT ARE WE UP TO NOW, ABOUT
19 OR 20 CANDIDATES?
>> THAT DOESN’T COUNT BIDEN,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? HE HASN’T ANNOUNCED YET.
YEAH, WE’RE GETTING CLOSE TO TWO
DOZEN.
DOZEN. >> THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT IT’S
CROWDED.
CROWDED. YOU KNOW, I’M GOING TO LET OTHER
PEOPLE DEAL WITH THEIR
CAMPAIGNS.
CAMPAIGNS. FOR ME, I’VE BEEN OUT THERE.
I’VE BEEN DELIVERING A
COMPELLING STRONG VISION FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY, TALKING
ABOUT HOW WE CAN BECOME THE
SMARTEST, HEALTHIEST, FAIREST
AND MOST PROSPEROUS NATION IN
THE 21st CENTURY
POINTING OUT THAT I’M ONE OF THE
FEW CANDIDATES THAT HAS
EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE AND A TRACK
RECORD OF GETTING THINGS DONE,
AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SERVED AS A
CABINET MEMBER AND AS THE MAYOR
OF THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY.
AND ALSO THAT I REPRESENT A NEW
GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP, SO
THAT’S WHAT ALL THE CANDIDATES
ARE GOING TO DO AND I’M GOING TO
DO IS GO OUT THERE AND WORK
HARD, DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT
YOU NEED TO DO
KNOCK ON DOORS IN IOWA AND GET
OUT TO THESE TOWN HALLS.
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
DEBATES BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE
WILL GET A CHANCE TO COMPARE
CANDIDATES NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
I’M CONFIDENT AT LEAST FOR
MYSELF THAT ONCE THAT STARTS,
YOU KNOW, I’M GOING TO MAKE SOME
TRACTION
TRACTION >> VERY QUICKLY ON HEALTH CARE,
THERE’S A LOT OF DISCUSSION
ABOUT SINGLE PAYER VERSUS
OBAMACARE AND EXPANDING THAT
WHICH CATEGORY ARE YOU IN?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE
SYSTEM SCRATCHED AND START OVER,
GO WITH THE SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM,
SOMETHING SIMILAR TO BERNIE
SANDERS’ APPROACH IS OR TAKE
OBAMACARE, MAKE IT WORK AND HAVE
A PUBLIC OPTION?
>> I GREW UP WITH A GRAND MOTHER
THAT HAD TYPE 2 DIABETES SO
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP I SAW THE IMPACT
DIABETES HAD ON HER AND THE
PROCEDURES THAT SHE HAD TO GO
THROUGH.
THROUGH. SHE HAD TO HAVE ONE OF HER FEET
AMPUTATED RIGHT BEFORE SHE
PASSED AWAY IN 1996.
BUT THANKFULLY SHE HAD MEDICARE
THAT WHOLE TIME.
I WANT TO STRENGTHEN MEDICARE
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT AND
THEN MAKE SURE THAT MEDICARE IS
THERE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WANTS
IT
IT AT THE SAME TIME, I’M NOT
AGAINST SOMEBODY HAVING THEIR
OWN PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE
PLAN IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT
BUT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN BE ON
MEDICARE AND A STRONG MEDICARE
SYSTEM IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT
>> SO YOU’D LIKE TO SEE A
VOLUNTARY MEDICARE FOR ALL IT
SOUNDS LIKE OF SOME FORM
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ENROLLED IN
MEDICARE
MEDICARE BUT IF THEY HAVE A PRIVATE
HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN THAT THEY
WANT TO STICK TO, THEN I BELIEVE
THAT’S OKAY TOO.
WHAT I DON’T BELIEVE IS THAT THE
PROFIT MOTIVE SHOULD EVER
DETERMINE WHETHER A HUMAN BEING
IN THIS COUNTRY GETS HEALTH CARE
AND MEDICATION THAT THEY NEED.
I DISAGREE WITH THAT
WE NEED A SYSTEM WHERE EVERYBODY
CAN GET CARE, NOT JUST
INSURANCE, BUT ACTUAL CARE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. >> ALL RIGHT
JULIAN CASTRO, MUCH APPRECIATE
YOU COMING ON.
I KNOW WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON