>>> This morning, title 42 is no longer.
It was used three million times to turn migrants way from the U.S.
Now immigration officials are bracing for what comes next.
Border patrol chief says tens of thousands of migrants are at the bored we are thousands
more coming.
These are live pictures from Arizona where we're watching the line grow.
We should mention it's not even 5:00 A.M.
There yet.
Joining us now is homeland security secretary Alejandro mayorkas.
Mr. Secretary, president met with you yesterday with the secretary Anthony blinken and Lloyd
Austin.
As you see this play out, where do things stand?
Can you update us on what you've seen so far seven hours into this new reality?
>> Good morning.
[7:42:54 AM]
>> Good morning.
We are seeing people arrive at our southern border as we expected, as we have been planning
for.
We're taking them into our custody.
We are processing them.
We are screening and vetting them.
And if they do not have a basis to remain, we will remove them very swiftly under now
what we can use are traditional immigration enforcement authorities.
We've been very, very clear.
There are lawful, safe and ordererly pathways to seek relief in the United States.
And if one arrives at our southern border when it is going to face tougher consequences
and that is what we're going to deliver.
>> A federal judge yesterday ruled or stripped your ability to release migrants without court
dates.
First, you plan to appeal that ruling.
>> It's a very harmful ruling.
The department of justice is considering our options.
The practice that the court has
[7:43:55 AM]
The practice that the court has prevented us from using is a practice that prior administrations
have used.
To relieve overcrowding.
What we do is we process, screen, and vet individuals.
If we do not hold them, we release them so that they can go into immigration enforcement
proceedings, make whatever claim for relief they might.
The if they don't succeed, be removed.
>> Can I ask you, given that whether it is temporary or how long it lasts, given the
court order, what are you doing to prepare for overcrowding?
You are prepared to deal with the fact that you're going to have to continue to hold more
people because of what the court has done?
Do you have the facilities, the resources necessary to deal with what could be a new
influx of people you need to hold?
>> A couple things.
Number one, we've been planning for months.
We've been executing on those plans.
We have searched personnel.
We have added facility capacity.
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We have added facility capacity.
We have surged transportation resources.
We will manage through the situation.
But really what the situation reflects is the fact that we are operating within very
serious constraints.
And the two primary constraints are as follows -- one, a fundamentally broken immigration
system that hasn't been fixed for more than two decades.
And we need congress to act.
Two, we need congress to provide us with the resources that we need that, we requested,
and that we haven't received.
>> Can you explain that?
I think one thing that people have a difficult time getting heads around is you saying can,
which is true, you've been preparing for this for months and it's been an inevitability.
And, yet, the president noted that they would likely be chaotic is not a good read on whether
or not the preparation is going to be enough, especially in the short term.
How is that possible if you had so much time to prepare and yet still are not totally sure
you'll be able to basically not
[7:45:57 AM]
you'll be able to basically not have some type of chaotic situation at the border?
>> I've been very clear for months that the situation is going to be challenging.
When we transition from the public health authority of title 42 to our immigration enforcement
authorities.
I've been very, very clear and open about that.
I've also been very clear that we have confidence in our plan.
The our plan will take some time.
But our plan will succeed.
And I say that with confidence because our plan is worked in the past.
The president extended lawful, safe, and orderly pathways for individuals from Cuba and Nicaragua.
And those individuals from those countries that didn't use the pathways, he can delivered
a tougher consequence.
We saw a more than 90% drop in the number of encounters of those individuals.
In a matter of days.
So we've seen success.
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So we've seen success.
We'll achieve success.
It will take time.
And to avoid -- to avoid the number of people arriving at our southern border, we need to
fix the broken immigration system.
And, by the way, a broken immigration system that was dismantled by the prior administration.
>> No, I understand.
I know it's been a difficult two plus years trying to put together the plans that you
wanted to implement when it comes to that system.
I do want to ask, one of the biggest issues when you talk to officials on the ground,
federal, state, local, the disinformation.
The information that you guys are trying to get out.
You put out a statement last night.
You've been very clear the border is not open.
One of the colleagues says it appears the department of homeland security is making
a clear effort to showcase the law enforcement efforts.
Federal agents and flack jackets and handcuffs walking around sacred heart church asking
migrants to turn themselves N they are giving access to reporters.
I think the Obama administration does that as well.
Is it intentional?
[7:47:59 AM]
Is it intentional?
Are you trying to make very clear from a kind of more muscular law enforcement perspective
through pictures that this is not what maybe people are hearing from the other side of
the border?
>> We have an obligation to counter the ruthless actions of the smuggling organizations.
Not only do they inflict tragedy and trauma on the migrants, on vulnerable individuals,
but they spread misinformation.
They spread lies to deceive those vulnerable individuals into placing their lives and life
savings in the hands of criminals that only care about profit and not people.
So, we have been communicating for months accurate information.
And we've been building on the communications and only amplifying and enhancing our efforts.
Just a couple days ago we announced a new digital campaign.
We've got to send accurate information to the migrants so
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information to the migrants so they're not deceived and lied to and possibly lose their
lives at the hands of really ruthless