PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHING A
PROPOSAL TO BUST IMMIGRANT
DETAINEES TO SANCTUARY CITIES
TRIGGERING A TWITTER BATTLE
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND
OAKLAND CALIFORNIA MAYOR LIBBY S
CHAFF.
SOME MIGHT RECALL THE DEMOCRAT
MADE HEADLINES BACK IN FEBRUARY
AFTER WARNING THAT NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, SHE TOLD
THEM ABOUT AN IMPENDING I.C.E.
RAID.
THIS ALL COMES AS MONTHLY
APPREHENSIONS HIT A 12 YEAR HAYA
LONG THE U.S. MEXICO BORDER
JOINING ME IS SOUTH CAROLINA
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM CHAIRMAN
OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE A MEMBER OF THE
APPROPRIATIONS FOREIGN RELATIONS
AND BUDGET COMMITTEES AND
SENATOR ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND
HONOR TO HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM
, WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
MARIA: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
BORDER CRISIS FIRST OFF BECAUSE
WE HAVE NEWS THIS WEEK IN FACT
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ACTING DEFENSE
SECRETARY SAYS THAT MORE SUPPORT
FROM THE U.S. MILITARY WILL BE
HEADED TO THE SOUTHERN BORDER
, PATRICK SHANAHAN WOULD
NOT SAY HOW MANY MORE TROOPS
WOULD BE NEEDED TO ASSIST THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
BUT THEY'RE HEADED THERE AS WE
ARE LOOKING AT 1 MILLION
APPREHENSIONS THIS YEAR.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?
>> RIGHT.
WELL, THREE WEEKS AGO THE
DEMOCRATS WERE SAYING THAT THIS
IS A MANUFACTURED CRISIS AND NOW
THEY DON'T WANT THESE FOLKS
DROPPED OFF IN OAKLAND OR SAN
FRANCISCO SO THE GOOD NEWS FOR
THE COUNTRY IS THAT BOTH PARTIES
SEE THIS AS A REAL CRISIS.
IF I WERE THE PRESIDENT I'D SEND
MILITARY TROOPS TO THE BORDER AS
SOON AS I COULD IN LARGE NUMBERS
, BUT WE'RE NEVER GOING
TO STOP THIS BY JUST HAVING
WALLS AND TROOPS AT THE BORDER.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR LAWS SO
THESE PEOPLE STOP COMING.
THERE'S A NARRATIVE IN CENTRAL
AMERICA THAT IF YOU COULD GET TO
AMERICA WITH A MINOR CHILD YOU
WILL NEVER GET DEPORTED AND WE
HAVE TO CHANGE THAT STORY LINE.
MARIA: I THINK THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT POINT THAT YOU MAKE
WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO GET TO
THE BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW
WHICH I KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING
TO DELIVER.
YOU ARE ON RECESS RIGHT NOW BUT
WHEN YOU COME BACK, TO
WASHINGTON, YOU ARE PLANNING TO
PUT TOGETHER PROPOSALS TO CHANGE
THE LAW.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT, SIR?
>> YEAH, I'M TIRED OF TALKING
ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I WANT TO FIX
IT.
I THINK ALL AMERICANS SHOULD
WANT BOTH PARTIES TO FIX THIS
PROBLEM.
THE PRESIDENT HAS CORRECTLY
IDENTIFIED THE CRISIS AT THE
BORDER, NOW IT'S TIME TO HAVE A
LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION.
YOU NEED TO CHANGE OUR LAWS FOR
THIS TO STOP, SO I'LL BE
INTRODUCING THE PACKAGE AND
HOPEFULLY WITH DEMOCRATIC
SUPPORT THAT WILL CHANGE OUR
ASYLUM LAWS, 90% OF THE PEOPLE
APPLY FOR ASYLUM NEVER MAKE IT
SO THE STANDARD NEEDS TO CHANGE.
WE HAVE A COURT DECISION CALLED
THE FLORES DECISION THAT SAYS
YOU CAN ONLY HOLD A MINOR CHILD
20 DAYS IF A FAMILY COMES HERE
WITH A MINOR CHILD WE RELEASE
THE ENTIRE FAMILY AFTER 20 DAYS,
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE BED SPACE,
SO WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT
DECISION AND ALSO WE HAVE A CORK
IN OUR LAW THAT IF YOU'RE FROM
CENTRAL AMERICA, YOU CAN NOT BE
SENT BACK HOME AS A MINOR CHILD,
BECAUSE OF THE LAW ON THE BOOKS
THAT PROHIBITS SENDING CHILDREN
BACK FROM NINE CONTIGUOUS
COUNTRIES SO THE ONLY PLACE WE
CAN SEND A CHILD BACK TO IS
MEXICO AND CANADA WE NEED TO BE
SENDING THESE KIDS BACK TO
CENTRAL AMERICA WHERE THEY COME
FROM, SO I'M GOING TO PUT A
LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE TOGETHER
RIGHT AFTER THE BREAK.
WE'RE GOING TO MARK IT UP IN THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND WE'RE
GOING TO GET ON WITH SOLVING
THIS PROBLEM.
MARIA: SO YOU'RE GOING TO PUT
THIS LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
TOGETHER AND THEN YOU'LL BRING
IT TO A VOTE.
THAT GETS EVERYBODY ON BOARD AND
WE NOWHERE PEOPLE VOTED AND SO
IT WILL BE ON THE RECORD IN
TERMS OF WHO STANDS WHERE?
>> YEAH, I HOPE WE DO MORE THAN
JUST VOTE.
I HOPE WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
THE ADMINISTRATION IS GOING
AROUND CONGRESS TALKING TO
DEMOCRATS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT
IF WE DO CHANGE THE LAWS, WHAT
WOULD THEY LIKE IN RETURN.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO FIND A
COMPROMISE HERE THE PRESIDENTS A
GREAT DEAL MAKER BUT DOING WHAT
WE'RE DOING IS NOT WORKING, THE
CRISIS HAS TO COME TO AN END AND
NOT ONLY TO BRING IT TO AN END
IS TO CHANGE OUR LAWS AND I'LL
BE INTRODUCING A PACKAGE TO
CHANGE THE LAWS THAT ATTRACT SO
MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM
CENTRAL AMERICA AND HOPEFULLY
WE'LL GET DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT.
MARIA: SO TELL US ABOUT THESE
THREE ISSUES THAT ARE MOST
IMPORTANT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO
EFFECT CHANGE.
THERE'S THE FLORES DECISION, TVP
RA, AND THEN ASYLUM STANDARDS
CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHY WE
HAVE THESE LAWS ON THE BOOKS?
>> NUMBER ONE, WE'RE PART OF
THE INTERNATIONAL ASYLUM TREATY
THAT GIVES PEOPLE ASYLUM WHEN
THEY'RE UNDER THREAT OF LIFE AND
LIMB.
UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, YOU'RE
SUPPOSED TO APPLY FOR ASYLUM IN
THE FIRST SAFE COUNTRY YOU GO TO
, WHICH WOULD BE MEXICO, IF
YOU'RE FROM HONDURAS, GUATEMALA,
OR EL SALVADOR SO THE PRESIDENT
'S PUTTING PRESSURE ON
MEXICO TO STOP THESE CARAVANS
BUT IF YOU GET ONE FOOT IN THE
UNITED STATES AND YOU READ YOUR
CARD CLAIMING ASYLUM YOU'RE
ENTITLED TO A HEARING.
WE DON'T HAVE BED SPACE TO HOLD
YOU UNTIL THAT HEARING DATE, SO
WE RELEASE YOU INTO THE COUNTRY,
AND PEOPLE NEVER COME BACK FOR
THE HEARING, SO LET'S TOUGHEN UP
OUR ASYLUM STANDARD.
IF 90% ARE FAILING TO MEET THE
STANDARD THE STANDARD NEEDS TO
CHANGE SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, THE FLORES DECISION
NEEDS TO CHANGE.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO A HEARING
IN 20 DAYS, SO WE'RE GOING TO
TRY TO CHANGE THE TIME, YOU CAN
HOLD A UNACCOMPANIED MINOR, OR A
MINOR CHILD BEYOND 20 DAYS
BECAUSE IF YOU COME UP WITH A
FAMILY AND YOU'VE GOT MINOR KIDS
IN THE FAMILY WE RELEASE THE
WHOLE FAMILY IN 20 DAYS BECAUSE
YOU DON'T WANT TO SEPARATE
FAMILIES SO WE NEED TO FIX THE
FLORES DECISION AND FINALLY
THERE'S A QUIRK IN THE LAW THAT
IF YOU'RE FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
AS A MINOR CHILD, WE CAN'T SEND
YOU BACK.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT LAW SO WE
CAN SEND THEM BACK TO CENTRAL
AMERICA WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
MARIA: WE'RE LOOKING AT A MAP
RIGHT NOW OF THIS TRIANGLE
COUNTRIES, GUATEMALA, EL
SALVADOR AND HONDURAS AND THE
IMMIGRATION FLOW HAS REALLY
CHANGED, SENATOR.
WALK US THROUGH THAT.
IS IT TRUE THAT NOW 70% OF THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE SHOWING UP AT
OUR BORDERS ARE COMING FROM THIS
TRIANGLE GROUP OF COUNTRIES?
>> YES, BECAUSE THE WORD IS OUT
ON THE STREET IN THESE COUNTRIES
, THAT IF YOU BRING A
MINOR CHILD WITH YOU, YOU'RE
NEVER GOING TO GET DEPORTED
BECAUSE AGAIN, LET'S WALK THIS
THROUGH.
A MINOR CHILD CAN ONLY BE HELD
FOR 20 DAYS UNDER OUR LAW, THE
FLORES DECISION, AND IF A FAMILY
OF FOUR COMES, THE MOTHER AND
FATHER AND TWO MINOR CHILDREN,
WE HAVE TO RELEASE THE KIDS
WITHIN 20 DAYS AND IF YOU DON'T
WANT TO SEPARATE THE FAMILIES
THAT MEANS YOU RELEASE THE MOM
AND THE DAD AND THEY NEVER SHOW
UP FOR THE HEARING, WE DON'T
HAVE BED SPACE TO DETAIN THEM
UNTIL THE HEARING DATE, SO
THAT'S A PROBLEM.
EVERYBODY IN CENTRAL AMERICA
KNOWS THAT IF YOU COME TO THE
UNITED STATES AND SET ONE FOOT
ON AMERICAN SOIL AND CLAIM
ASYLUM, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO A
HEARING.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BED SPACE
TO HOLD YOU.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ASYLUM
JUDGES, IMMIGRATION JUDGES,
HEARINGS TAKE TWO OR THREE YEARS
, YOU'RE LET GO AND THEY
NEVER SHOW UP SO WORDS UP FROM
CENTRAL AMERICA IF YOU GET HERE
WITH A MINOR CHILD OR CLAIM
ASYLUM YOU'RE GOING TO STAY AND
WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE
MARIA: UNBELIEVABLE SO SENATOR
WHAT'S THE TIMING ON THIS?
YOU'LL COME BACK FROM RECESS AND
BE PUTTING THIS LEGISLATION
TOGETHER.
YOU'RE GOING TO SIT WITH THE
WHITE HOUSE TO GET, TO SEE WHERE
THEY ARE ON THIS.
CAN YOU TELL US WHEN WE SHOULD
EXPECT THIS LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE?
>> WE'RE WORKING ON IT AS I
SPEAK OVER THE BREAK WITH THE
WHITE HOUSE, I'VE GOT TO GET A
PACKAGE THAT WILL DETER PEOPLE
FROM CENTRAL AMERICA FROM
CONTINUING TO COME, CHANGE OUR
ASYLUM LAWS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE
MORE THAN 20 DAYS TO DEAL WITH
AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR AND SEND
PEOPLE BACK TO CENTRAL AMERICA.
ITS GOT TO BE A BILL THE
PRESIDENT WILL SIGN, ONCE WE GET
AGREEMENT BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE
WHITE HOUSE, AND SENATOR JOHNSON
, THE HOMELAND SECURITY
CHAIRMAN, WHO HAS SOME
JURISDICTION HERE, WE'LL PUT
TOGETHER A PACKAGE, WE'LL SIT
DOWN WITH OUR DEMOCRATIC
COLLEAGUES AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT
A DEAL THAT WILL STOP THIS
MADNESS.
WE NEED TROOPS AT THE BORDER, WE
NEED A WALL BUT THERE'S NO WAY
YOU'RE GOING TO STOP THE FLOW