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NEIL: IF YOU HAD TO SORT OF LOOK
AT THE FEW HUNDRED WHO ARE PART
OF THIS CARAVAN, HOW MANY DO YOU
THINK ARE LEGITIMATE ASYLUM
CASES?
>> I WOULD SAY VERY FEW.
I THINK THE DRUG CARTELS, THEY
TRAIN THEM TO SAY THE WORDS
CREDIBLE FEAR OF PERSECUTION.
IF THEY SAY THOSE MAGIC WORDS IN
MANY OF THESE CASES THE JUDGE
WILL ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN THE
COUNTRY.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
CONGRESS TO ASK BECAUSE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE NOW ARE GOING TO
SEE THIS CARAVAN EPISODE PLAY
OUT AND MY PREDICTIONS NEIL,
MANY OF THE THOUSANDS NOW IN
DETENTION SPACE SOUTH OF
SAN DIEGO WILL WIND UP STAYING
IN THE UNITED STATES.
NEIL: WE STILL DON'T KNOW, OF
COUPLE HUNDRED, THERE IS NO HARD
NUMBERS ON THIS, THAT HAVE, YOU
KNOW, ENTERED AND GOTTEN TO THIS
BORDER RIGHT NOW, 14 ASYLUM
CASES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
28 IN TOTAL PROCESSED HERE BUT
THEY'RE NOT ALL GOING TO GET
THAT STATUS.
BUT, THEY HAVE A RIGHT IN THIS
PROCESS, SURPRISING WHEN I
TALKED TO A NUMBER OF LAWYERS,
TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THE PROCESS
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE
APPROVED.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT IS
ANYONE'S GUESS.
NORTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE
ROBERT PITTENGER, CONGRESSMAN,
GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
>> THANK YOU, NEIL.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
NEIL: I WANT TO GET INTO YOUR
IDEA ON THAT WALL THING, BUT
FIRST OF ALL ON PROCESSING OF
THESE INDIVIDUALS, MANY NOT FROM
MEXICO, POINTS FURTHER SOUTH,
MAJORITY FROM HONDURAS, THEY'RE
MAKING A CLAIM THAT THEY'RE
SEEKING ASYLUM HERE BECAUSE
THEY'RE ENDANGERED BACK HOME.
HOW IS THAT PROCESS BEEN DONE?
HOW DO WE VOTE YEA OR NAY ON
THAT?
>> WELL THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
COMING OVER ON THE BASIS THEY'RE
BEING PERSECUTED FOR RACE,
RELIGION, MEMBER OF SOME SPECIAL
ORGANIZATION AND SO THEY MAKE
THE CLAIM AND THEY'RE TRAINED TO
DO THAT.
ABOUT 80% OF THEM ARE ABLE TO GO
THROUGH THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WHAT OUR BILL IS SAYING,
THAT IT IS SECURE AMERICA'S
FUTURE ACT, IS THAT WE NEED TO
HAVE MORE VALIDITY, MORE PROOF
OF THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BEING
PERSECUTED.
WE JUST CAN'T HAVE SOMEBODY
MAKING A CLAIM.
NEIL: THESE CAN CERTIFY HARDSHIP
OR WHATEVER THE LEGALISTIC
LANGUAGE.
5000 CASES CAME INTO THE COUNTRY
IN 2007 MAKING THAT CLAIM.
LAST YEAR BETTER THAN 85,000.
>> YES, SIR.
NEIL: SO OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING
MANY LATCHED ON TO, I WOULD
IMAGINE A GOOD MANY NOT
LEGITIMATELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS THE CONCERN THAT WE
HAVE.
FRANKLY WE'RE INITIATING THIS
LEGISLATION.
THE CARTELS ARE VERY ADEPT IN
TRAINING THESE INDIVIDUAL OF
WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SAYING.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE
CLARIFICATION AND MORE EVIDENCE,
BASIS FOR WHY THEY SHOULD BE
ABLE TO SEEK ALYLE SUM INSIDE OF
THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE A NATION OF LAWS.
WE'RE A COMPASSIONATE COUNTRY.
WE WANT TO BE UNDERSTANDING AND
RECEPTIVE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE
TRULY GOING THROUGH PERSECUTION
IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY BUT AT THE
SAME TIME WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEKING HERE,
NOT ALWAYS IN OUR BEST
INTERESTS.
OUR POROUS BORDERS ARE NOT JUST
AN IMMIGRATION ISSUE, THEY'RE A
SECURITY ISSUE AND I'M GREATLY
CONCERNED WITH THAT.
I CHAIR A CONGRESSIONAL TASK
FORCE ON TERRORISM,
UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE, I'M
AWARE OF THOSE CROSSING OUR
BORDER.
NEIL: SEPARATELY YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR WAYS TO PAY FOR THIS WALL.
THIS IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE.
YOU SAY TO NECESSITATE IT, NOW
THE PRESIDENT ALSO, UPPED THE
NUMBER OF NATIONAL GUARDSMEN
ALONG THE BORDER TO DEAL WITH
THIS LATEST INFLUX HERE.
ON THE WALL, BESIDES THE
1.6 BILLION COMMITTED UP FRONT
IN THE LATEST SANCTUARY SPENDING
MEASURE, THAT MAYBE SANCTUARY OR
STATES PAY FOR THIS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN?
>> WE HAVE 300 SANK LARRY CITIES
AND STATES, CERTAIN GRANTS GOING
TO THE CITIES NOT ALL OF THEM,
WE WANT LAW ENFORCEMENT FULLY
FUNDED, CERTAIN GRANTS GOING TO
SANCTUARY CITIES SHOULD BE
WITHHELD, AND THAT MONEY SHOULD
BE APPROPRIATED AND USED TO HELP
BUILD THAT WALL.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT.
ANY REACTION FROM YOUR
COLLEAGUES?
>> WELL WE'RE CIRCLING THE BILL.
WE HAD REALLY GOOD RESPONSE.
I THINK IT IS LOGICAL, MAKES A
LOT OF SENSE.
MY RESPONSIBILITY AS A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS TO SECURE AND PROTECT
THIS COUNTRY FOREMOST.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A GOOD,
AND APPROPRIATE WAY, FRANKLY,
FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY, TO
DIRECT THE SANCTUARY CITIES,
THOSE WHO ARE NOT ALLOWING OUR
LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE THERE AND
TO ENFORCE AND TO PROSECUTE
THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WHO ARE