GRIFF: 20 MINUTES AFTER THE
HOUR HERE.
PUTTING FINAL TOUCHES ON THE
WALL IN SAN DIEGO ON FRIDAY.
MEASURING 18 FEET HIGH AND
14 MILES LONG.
HERE TO REACT IS CARLA
PROVOST.
CHIEF, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THEY
ARE COMPLETING MUCH NEEDED
REPAIR OUT THERE IN SAN
DIEGO AREA.
TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> THEY DEFINITELY ARE,
GRIFF.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS IS A
BIG FOR US TO COMPLETE THAT
PROJECT.
THAT LEADS TO A TOTAL OF
57 MILES THAT WE HAVE PUT
IN.
WE HAVE ANOTHER 47 MILES
UNDER CONTRACT.
BY THE END OF 2020 WE ARE
EXPECTING TO HAVE OVER
330 MILES OF NEW BORDER WALL
CAPABILITY IN PLACE FOR MY
MEN AND WOMEN.
GRIFF: CHIEF, IT'S MUCH
TALKED ABOUT, TO REITERATE
FOR VIEWERS, WHY DOES THIS
MATTER TO YOU?
WHAT DOES THIS DELIVER TO
YOU IN TERMS OF NEEDED
RESOURCES?
>> WELL, NUMEROUS THINGS,
IMPEDENCE AND DENIAL, OF
COURSE, IS SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE MAKES IT
SAFER FOR MY MEN AND WOMEN
TO DO THEIR JOB, THEY HAVE
BEEN ASSAULTED OVER 600
TIMES THIS YEAR, WHICH IS
JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
THEY CAN SEE THROUGH THIS.
IT HAS ANTI-DIG FEATURE TO
IT.
ANTI-CLIMB FEATURES, IT
MAKES IT REALLY, REALLY
DIFFICULT FOR THE BAD ACTORS
THOUGH ARE COMING ACROSS THE
BORDER AND THERE ARE STILL
MANY, MANY BAD ACTORS STILL
TRYING TO COME ACROSS OUR
BORDER.
GRIFF: INDEED.
AT THE END OF LAFERS WEEK
SOME OF YOUR AGENTS WERE
FIRED UPON FROM THE MEXICAN
SIDE FROM THE RIVER BANK.
I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOMETHING
THAT IS COMING.
SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT AS
A REPORTER WHO HAS COVERED A
LOT OF PROTESTS FOR THIS
CHANNEL, WHETHER IT BE
OPPOSING THE IRAQ WAR OR
ANTIFA AND THE LIKE, BUT NOW
THERE IS A CALL FOR A BORDER
RESISTANCE IN EL PASO.
GROUND ZERO FOR ALL OF THIS.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS
POSTER WE ARE SEEING.
IT IS CALLED CONVERGENCE ON
THE BORDER RESISTANCE
CONVERGENCE.
STARTING AT THE BEGINNING OF
SEPTEMBER.
YOU SEE THERE ABOLISH ICE.
SHUT IT DOWN.
ARE YOU CONCERNED, CHIEF,
THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO
HELP THIS SITUATION?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY DOESN'T
HELP THE SITUATION WHEN WE
ARE VILIFYING THE AGENTS AND
THE OFFICERS.
MY MEN AND WOMEN, THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF ICE ARE DOING
THE JOB THAT THEY ARE SWORN
TO DO AND TO PROTECT THIS
COUNTRY.
AND I HATE TO SEE WHEN THE
PROTESTS ARE IMPACTING MY
MEN AND WOMEN BECAUSE THEY
ARE DOING ANNUAL AMAZES JOB
ON THE BORDER.
GRIFF: CHIEF, FOR THE BETTER
PART OF A YEAR THAT I HAVE
COVERED BORDER ISSUES, I
HAVE SEEN YOUR MEN AND WOMEN
COURAGEOUSLY SHOW UP FOR
WORK AND GO THROUGH
UNBELIEVABLE HARDSHIPS.
WHAT IS THE MORALE IN THE
BORDER PATROL TODAY?
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THIS
AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU
SEE YET AGAIN, IN SEPTEMBER THEY
SEE YET AGAIN, IN SEPTEMBER THEA
SEE YET AGAIN, IN SEPTEMBER THEE
GOING TO BE RID CIEWLTD
PERSONALLY FOR THE JOB THEY
HAVE SWORN TO UPHOLD IN
DELIVERING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
>> IT CERTAIN SLAY CONCERN.
WHENEVER I'M OUT IN THE
FIELD TALKING WITH THE
AGENTS, THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT I ALWAYS DISCUSS WITH
THEM IS THEIR MORALE AND
KEEPING THEIR SPIRITS UP.
I ALWAYS REMIND THEM HOW
PROUD I AM OF THEM AND WHAT
THEY'RE DOING.
AND MANY AMERICANS ARE
UNDERSTAND THE JOB THEY ARE
DOING, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
JOB AND SUPPORT THEM.
I WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE A
RESILIENT GROUP.
IT'S IMPRESSIVE TO SEE WHEN
YOU CONSIDER ALL OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE UP
AGAINST.
GRIFF: CHIEF, QUICKLY, SOME
NEWS YESTERDAY, GUATEMALA
ELECTED A NEW PRESIDENT WHO
HAS INDICATED HE MAY WANT TO
CHANGE THE IMMIGRATION DEAL
THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT
MADE IN TERMS OF A SAFER
COUNTRY STATUS YOUR
THOUGHTS?
ARE YOU CONCERNED THIS NEW
ADMINISTRATION MAY SET YOU
BACK IN TERMS OF PROGRESS?
>> IT CERTAINLY IS A
CONCERN.
WE NEED BOTH MEXICO AND
GUATEMALA TO CONTINUE DOING
WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THAT BEING SAID, IT'S STILL
JUST A BAND-AID TO THE
SITUATION.
WE NEED CONGRESS TO DO
SOMETHING IF WE ARE REALLY
GOING TO TO DEAL WITH THE
IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
GRIFF: CHIEF CARLA PROVOST,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
TODAY.