PRACTICES ARE IN PLACE FOR THOSE
WHO DO COME.
LOU: ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP
FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AND BORDER
SECURITY OFFICIALS IS THE MAN
RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF
THOSE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.
HE JOINS US TONIGHT FROM
WASHINGTON, D.C., ACTING CUSTOMS
AND BORDER PROTECTION
COMMISSIONER MARK MORGAN.
MARK, GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS ARE ARISING.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SOME
AIRPORTS WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE,
SCREENING FOR TEMPERATURES.
WHAT I THINK MUCH OF THE COUNTRY
JUST ASSUMED, THAT THAT WAS
TAKING PLACE IN THE FACE OF THIS
PANDEMIC.
WHY IS IT ONLY TAKING PLACE NOW?
>> WELL, LOU, LET’S GO BACK TO
WHAT YOU STARTED AND WHAT THIS
PRESIDENT DID --
LOU: WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,
COMMISSIONER, LET ME SAY, MARK,
YOU AND I, WE KNOW EACH OTHER
WELL --
>> WE DO.
LOU: I RESPECT YOU DEEPLY, AND I
ALWAYS FELT THAT WAS
RECIPROCATED.
LET’S DEAL WITH WHAT I’M ASKING
BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT, IT’S
VERY IMPORTANT.
>> IT IS.
LOU: THIS AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS
THE HISTORY.
THE REALITY IS THAT THOSE
TEMPERATURE CHECKS, MOST
AMERICANS BELIEVED THEY WERE
ALREADY IN PLACE.
WHY WERE THEY NOT?
>> WELL, LOU, RIGHT NOW, LOOK,
I’M COMING AT THIS FROM A LAW
ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
I’M NOT THE MEDICAL EXPERT HERE.
SO WHAT WE ARE DOING THOUGH IS
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CDC, HHS
AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT
IS EFFECTIVE, A COMMON SENSE,
EFFECTIVE SOLUTION.
IS AND RIGHT NOW, LOU, WHAT
WE’VE DONE, THOSE ENTERING THE
COUNTRIES INCLUDING THOSE AREAS,
CDP, WE HAVE SCREENED ALMOST
300,000 PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS 300,000 PEOPLE THAT
HAVE COME IN WE’VE EFFECTOFFLY
SCREENED THEM -- EFFECTIVELY
SCREENED THEM AND PUSHED THEM ON
TO MEDICAL EXPERTS FOR FURTHER
SCREENING.
SO THAT IS BEING DONE.
NOW, WHAT WE’VE DONE FROM THAT,
FROM THAT 300,000, ONLY A
HANDFUL HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED
NEEDING FURTHER SCREENING AND,
ULTIMATELY, WERE FOUND TO HAVE
COVID.
IS SO SO RIGHT NOW THOSE
SCREENING PROCEDURES, THEY’RE
EFFECTIVE.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, AND WE ARE
HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
LOU: OKAY.
AND THAT’S TERRIFIC.
WE’RE THREE MONTHS INTO THIS,
AND THE REALITY IS THAT
TEMPERATURES, APPARENTLY,
HAVEN’T BEEN TAKEN TO THIS POINT
OR THERE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN AN
ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK THAT YOU
WERE BEGINNING THOSE TEMPERATURE
SCREENINGS.
SECONDLY, THERE’S A BAN, A BAN
ON TRAVEL FROM CHINA.
THERE IS A BAN, AS YOU KNOW, THE
OTHER REGIONS AND COUNTRIES.
AND YET I THINK, AGAIN, MOST
AMERICANS ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE, NOT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OR TENS OF THOUSANDS,
COMING INTO THIS COUNTRY FROM
NATIONS THAT WERE BANNED.
AND WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT U.S.
NATIONALS, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
FOREIGN NATIONALS.
>> LOOK, LOU, THIS PRESIDENT’S
BEEN VERY CLEAR AS WELL, THERE
HAS TO BE A BALANCE.
THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE
BETWEEN THE VERY REAL CONCERNS
FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT
AS WELL AS AN ECONOMIC
STANDPOINT.
THAT IS A CHALLENGING BALANCE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE BOTH OF THOSE
INTO ACCOUNT, WE HAVE TO BE
THOUGHTFUL AND METHODICAL AS
WE’RE APPLYING THAT.
WE JUST CAN’T TURN OFF AND SHUT
EVERYTHING OFF.
WE HAVE TO BE REASONABLE AND
METHODICAL AND BALANCE THAT.
AND RIGHT NOW ONE OF THE THINGS
WE’RE DOING IS WE’RE PILOTING
CERTAIN ADDITIONAL SCREENINGS TO
SEE IF IT’S EFFECTIVE.
LOU, YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO,
LOOK, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC WITH THIS.
EVEN A TEMPERATURE CHECK --
LOOK, I’M NOT A MEDICAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL.
WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SCREENING
WHO ARE COMPLETELY ASYMPTOMATIC
INCLUDING THE TEMPERATURE CHECK
THAT LATER WERE FOUND OUT TO
HAVE HAD COVID.
LOU: NO, I UNDERSTAND.
>> WE HAVE TO DO THIS BY A
DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH.
LOU: AND I, I COMPREHEND THAT
PART.
LIKE YOU, NOT A MEDICAL EXPERT,
BUT I’M SOMETHING OF, IF YOU
WILL, A EDUCATED PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO SCREENING, IMMIGRATION.
COMES TO SCREENING, IMMIGRATION.
IN FACT, PORTS OF ENTRY IN WHAT
IS DERIG OUR ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
EVEN THAT HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED,
IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND, BY THE WAY, YOU SAID ON
THIS BROADCAST THAT WE WERE
TAKING THE WORDS OF PEOPLE
TRAVELING FROM THOSE COUNTRIES
AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEIR
ORIGIN WAS WHAT THEY SAID IT
WAS.
AND I’M WONDERING HAVE WE BECOME
MORE SOPHISTICATED AND COMPETENT
IN THAT REGARD.
>> LOU, WE HAVE BEEN AND WE’RE
CONSTANTLY MONITORING AND
SHIFTING TO IMPROVE WHAT WE’RE
DOING.
I’LL GIVE YOU AP EXAMPLE.
JUST THIS WEEK THE PRESIDENT
AUTHORIZED THE EXTENSION OF TWO
VERY IMPORTANT TRAVEL
RESTRICTIONS AT OUR LAND POEs,
PORTS OF ENTRY, AS WELL AS IN
BETWEEN THE PORTS OF ENTRY.
THE CDC EXTENDED THE ORDER
THAT’S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE THOSE
COMING ACROSS OUR BORDER
ILLEGALLY.
NOW WITH THAT CDC ORDER, WE’RE
ABLE TO REMOVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS
IMMEDIATELY BACK TO MEXICO
WITHIN AN HOUR.
THAT MEANS WE’RE NOT BRINGING
THEM INTO OUR FACILITIES, WE’RE
NOT EXPOSING OUR WORK FORCE OR
OTHER INGRANTS OR AMERICAN
CITIZENS. -- IMMIGRANTS.
WE HAD OVER 3,500 INDIVIDUALS IN
HOUR HOLDING FACILITY JUST
BEFORE COVID, AND NOW WE HAVE
LESS THAN 100.
THAT’S AN EFFECTIVE CONTAINMENT
MITIGATION STRATEGY.
AT OUR LAND PORTS OF ENTRY, WE
HAVE THE NONESSENTIAL TRAVEL AS
I KNOW YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT,
RIGHT AFTER THAT WAS INSTITUTED,
WE SAW A DROP OF OVER 400,000
PEOPLE PER DAY ENTERING THIS
CUP.
LOU, 400,000 PEOPLE, THAT’S AN
EFFECTIVE CONTAINMENT AND
MITIGATION STRATEGY.
THEY ARE WORKING.
DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN’T IMPROVE?
NO.
WE’RE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH
PEOPLE, WE’RE WORKING WITH
OFFICIALS, WE’RE WORKING WITH
LOCAL LEADERS TO SEE WHERE WE
CAN IMPROVE.
LOU: WELL, AND I COMMEND YOU FOR
THAT BECAUSE SO MANY GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES, IN FACT, NEVER, NEVER
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS ROOM
FOR IMPROVEMENT, NEVER
ACKNOWLEDGE IN POINT OF FACT
THAT THEIR SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE
ARE NOT PERFECT.
AND I KNOW YOU AS A PERSON AND
AS A LEADER.
I HAVE THE HIGHEST REGARD FOR
THE FACT THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT
THE PROSPECT OF FAILURE AND
RECOGNIZE DEFICIENCIES AND MOVE
TO MEET THEM.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE
GREATEST CONCERN FOR YOU?
WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE, AS THE
SAYING GOES, IN TERMS OF MORE
SECURITY, IMMIGRATION POLICY AND
SCREENING?
>> LOU, THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION.
HERE’S WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE.
RIGHT NOW THIS COUNTRY, THE
CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE
MADE TREMENDOUS SACRIFICES.
THEY’VE LISTENED TO THE MEDICAL
EXPERTS.
THEY HAVE DONE THE THINGS THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED, AND JUST
AS THIS COUNTRY STARTS TO REOPEN
IN A THOUGHTFUL, METHODICAL WAY,
REOPEN THIS ECONOMY -- AS WE
SHOULD -- WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE IS
WHAT’S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OUR
BORDERS.
MEXICO, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEIR CASES ARE CONTINUING TO
INCLINE, BOTH CASES AND DEATHS.
LOU: RIGHT.
>> THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE,
BRAZIL, FOR EXAMPLE, NOW BECOMES
THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
EPICENTER.
WE APPREHENDED 148 PEOPLE FROM
148 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES LAST
YEAR, A LOT OF THEM TRAVELED
THROUGH BRAZIL.
SO WHAT CONCERNS ME RIGHT NOW,
WHAT KEEPS ME UP IS AS WE ARE
DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN IN
THIS COUNTRY, TO REOPEN THIS
ECONOMY, I’M CONCERNED THAT WE
COULD BE INTRODUCING PEOPLE FROM
OUTSIDE OUR BORDERS THAT COULD
JEOPARDIZE THAT, AND WE HAVE TO
SHUT THAT TOWN.
SHUT THAT DOWN.
AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT IN A
BALANCED WAY OF PUBLIC HEALTH
AND ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND THAT’S
EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE DOING.
LOU: AND, OF COURSE, THESE
ARRIVALS FROM CHINA, BANNED AND
THE ORIGIN OF THE WUHAN VIRUS,
TO SEE THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE
COMING IN HERE IS, I THINK YOU
WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, UNSETTLING.
BECAUSE THE BAN IS IN PLACE.
THAT IS AND REMAINS A HOT SPOT
ALONG WITH NORTHEASTERN CHINA
NOW THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
HAS LOCKED DOWN ANOTHER 100
MILLION OF ITS CITIZENS BECAUSE
OF FLARE-UPS THERE.
HOW ARE YOU RESPONDING TO THAT?
>> AGAIN, LOU, WE’RE CONSTANTLY
MONITORING.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, WE’RE MAKING
SURE, WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT OUR
SCREENING PROCEDURES, AND WE’RE
SEEING WHAT AREAS AND HOW CAN WE
GET MORE EFFECTIVE WITH THOSE
SCREENING PROCEDURES.
WE’RE LOOKING AT OUR
CONTACTATION.
WE’RE SEEING WHERE CAN WE GET
MORE EFFECTIVE AND IMPROVE ON
THAT CONTACT TRACING SO INSURE
THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOES COME
BOO OUR BORDER THROUGH THE
AIRPORT, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY’RE
SCREENED EFFECTIVELY, EVALUATED
FROM A MEDICAL HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE AND WE HAVE
EFFECTIVE CONTACT TRACING TO BE
ABLE TO ENFORCE THAT.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS WE’RE
TRYING CONSTANTLY TO IMPROVE AND
GET BETTER.
BUT, AGAIN, I’LL PUSH IT BACK TO
THE LAND POEs AND IN BETWEEN
THE PO EZ.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE HAD
20,000 PEOPLE IN OUR CUSTODIMENT
RIGHT NOW CAN YOU IMAGINE A
SINGLE PERSON THAT CROSSED OUR
BORDER ILLEGALLY THAT WAS
INFECTED WITH COVID COULD NOT
ONLY INFECT COUNTLESS OF OUR
WORK FORCE, BUT HUNDREDS,
HUNDREDS OF IMMIGRANTS
THEMSELVES THAT WOULD OVERWHELM
OUR LOCAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
THAT HAS ALL BEEN TURNED OFF
BECAUSE OF THESE ORDERS.
LOU: RIGHT.
MARK MORGAN, THAT’S WHY WE
INVITED YOU HERE TONIGHT TO TAKE
IT ALL UP, AND WE APPRECIATE IT,
AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING
THAT CUSTOMS AND BORDER
PROTECTION IS DOING FOR THE