>>> THIS SUNDAY, WITH THOUSANDS
OF MIGRANTS CROSSING THE
U.S./MEXICO BORDER EVERY DAY,
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS
STRUGGLING TO HOUSE
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES THAT OFFICIALS SAY THEY
DON’T WANT TO TURN AWAY.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY MORE THAN
5,000 CHILDREN IN BORDER PATROL
CUSTODY.
ON SATURDAY, THE ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCED IT WILL OPEN ANOTHER
500-BED TEMPORARY FACILITY FOR
CHILDREN IN TEXAS.
FOR MIGRANTS OF ALL AGES AT THE
BORDER, THE STAGGERING NUMBERS
LAY BARE THE SCOPE OF THE
PROBLEM.
IN ONE TEXAS TENT FACILITY, MORE
THAN 3,300 MIGRANTS WERE BEING
HELD IN A SPACE MEANT FOR JUST
250 PEOPLE.
THIS MORNING, DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS IS MAKING THE
ROUNDS TO EXPLAIN PRESIDENT
BIDEN’S PLANS TO DEAL WITH THE
BURGEONING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH
SECRETARY MAYORKAS JUST A FEW
MOMENTS AGO.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS, THANKS FOR
COMING TO "THE SUNDAY SHOW."
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME, JONATHAN.
>> SO MR. SECRETARY, THE
ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO BE SORT
OF HAGGLING OVER LANGUAGE.
IT’S NOT A CRISIS.
SOME HAVE CALLED IT A CHALLENGE.
WHY NOT JUST SAY FLAT OUT WHAT’S
HAPPENING ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER
IS A CRISIS?
>> JONATHAN, WE’RE NOT HAGGLING
OVER LANGUAGE.
WE’RE FOCUSED ON MISSION.
AND THAT IS SECURING THE BORDER,
AND THE BORDER IS SECURE.
THE BORDER IS CLOSED AND THAT’S
WHAT WE’RE FOCUSED ON.
AND I WILL NOT USE LANGUAGE THAT
IS NOT APPLICABLE.
WE HAVE DEALT WITH SURGES IN
MIGRATION AT THE BORDER BEFORE.
WE HAVE A PLAN.
WE ARE EXECUTING OUR PLAN.
WE WILL SUCCEED.
WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.
WE ARE DOING IT.
AND THAT IS THE FACT OF THE
MATTER.
>> MR. SECRETARY, WHAT IS
DRIVING THE SURGE AT THE BORDER?
I MEAN, I KNOW THESE SURGES HAVE
BEEN HAPPENING, THEY HAPPENED
UNDER PRESINT TRUMP, THEY
HAPPENED UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA.
THEY ARE NOW HAPPENING UNDER
PRESIDENT BIDEN.
WHY ARE THEY HAPPENING, AND
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR
PLANS FOR STEMMING THIS TIDE?
>> THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE
MIGRATION, JONATHAN, IS THE
POVERTY OF VIOLENCE, THE
PERSECUTION OF PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRIES PRIMARILY OF THE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA AND
HONDURAS.
AND WHY WE ARE SEEING THE SURGE
NOW IS IN PART BECAUSE THE FUNDS
THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THOSE
THREE COUNTRIES, TO ADDRESS THE
ROOT CAUSES WAS DISCONTINUED
UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
WHY THE CHALLENGE AT THE BORDER
IS AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS NOW,
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE TACKLING IT
AND WILL TACKLE IT SUCCESSFULLY
IS BECAUSE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS
DISMANTLED BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND WE ARE IN THE
MIDST OF A PANDEMIC.
SO IT MAKES THE CHALLENGE MORE
DIFFICULT.
BUT WE KNOW HOW TO MEET THAT
CHALLENGE.
THE PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY WILL AND
ARE MEETING THAT CHALLENGE.
AND WE WILL EXECUTE THIS
SUCCESSFULLY.
>> MR. SECRETARY, ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES IS ALSO MESSAGING.
I WANT TO HAVE THE AUDIENCE HAVE
A LISTEN TO YOU AND TO ALSO
PRESIDENT BIDEN ON THE MESSAGE
BEING SENT TO MIGRANTS COMING
NORTH.
HAVE A LISTEN.
>> DO NOT COME NOW.
GIVE US THE TIME TO REBUILD THE
SYSTEM THAT WAS ENTIRELY
DISMANTLED IN THE PRIOR
ADMINISTRATION.
>> I CAN SAY QUITE CLEARLY,
DON’T COME.
WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING
SET UP, AND IT’S NOT GOING TO
TAKE A WHOLE LONG TIME.
TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM
IN PLACE.
SO DON’T LEAVE YOUR TOWN OR CITY
OR COMMUNITY.
>> SO SECRETARY MAYORKAS, WHY
AREN’T MIGRANTS LISTENING TO
YOU, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SAY
DON’T COME NOW.
THE PRESIDENT SAYS DON’T COME.
AND JUST MOMENTS IN AN INTERVIEW
YOU DID WITH CNN, YOU SAID FLAT
OUT, THE BORDER IS CLOSED.
AND YET THEY ARE STILL COMING.
>> JONATHAN, THE MESSAGE IS
CLEAR.
DO NOT COME.
WE ARE BUILDING THE ORDERLY,
SAFE AND HUMANE WAY FOR THESE
CHILDREN TO HAVE THEIR CLAIMS OF
ASYLUM HEARD WITHOUT HAVING TO
TAKE THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY
NORTH.
IT DOES TAKE TIME.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE
THE MESSAGE, BUT WE ARE, IN
FACT, FACING A CRISIS IN THOSE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE COUNTRIES.
AND THE LEVEL OF DESPERATION
SOMETIMES LEADS THEM TO TAKE THE
DANGEROUS JOURNEY.
I ENCOUNTERED THREE YOUNG
CHILDREN WHOSE MOTHER WAS
MURDERED ALONG THE PATH NORTH.
IT IS WHY WE ENCOURAGE AND
COMMUNICATE STRONGLY FOR THESE
CHILDREN, FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS
NOT TO TRAVEL.
THE BORDER IS NOT OPEN.
IT IS CLOSED.
DO NOT TAKE THE PERILOUS
JOURNEY.
WE ARE BUILDING THE PROCESSES
THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO MAKE A
CLAIM FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
WITHOUT HAVING TO DO SO.
>> MR. SECRETARY, YOU WENT WITH
A BIPARTISAN DELEGATION DOWN TO
THE BORDER ON FRIDAY.
SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY OF
CONNECTICUT TWEETED OUT HIS
EXPERIENCE THERE FIGHTING BACK
TEARS, LOOKING AT THE CHILDREN
THAT ARE IN THESE FACILITIES.
YOU SAY THE BORDER IS CLOSED.
AND IT’S CLOSED BECAUSE OF TITLE
42, WHICH PERMITS THROUGH THE
CDC, CLOSING THE BORDER TO
UNNECESSARY TRAVEL BECAUSE OF
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
MY QUESTION TO YOU THOUGH IS,
HOW ARE ALL OF THESE CHILDREN
GETTING ACROSS THE BORDER?
WHY DOESN’T TITLE 42 APPLY TO
THEM?
>> JONATHAN, WE ARE NOT
EXPELLING VULNERABLE CHILDREN.
THAT IS A DECISION THAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION MADE.
WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS.
WE CAN APPLY THOSE LAWS AND
NEVERTHELESS UPHOLD OUR VALUES
AND OUR PRINCIPLES.
WE ARE NOT EXPELLING CHILDREN,
GIRLS, 5, 7, 9 YEARS OLD BACK
INTO THE DESERT OF MEXICO, BACK
INTO THE HANDS OF TRAFFICKERS.
WE CAN DO THIS.
WE CAN MANAGE THE MIGRANTS AT
THE BORDER WHO ARE SO VULNERABLE
AND WHO ARE SO YOUNG.
WE ARE EXECUTING ON OUR PLAN TO
DO SO.
WE ARE TAKING MEASURES TO
ADDRESS IT.