ATTEMPT MIGRATION. SEE TO
THOSE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES
DOING SO. THIS RISK. ITS NOT
WORTH TAKING. ALLOW ME. TO BE
CLEAR. IF YOU TAKE TO THE SEA.
YOU WILL NOT COME TO THE
UNITED STATES.
>> HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS WARNING
HAITIANS AND CUBANS DO NOT TRY
TO COME TO THE U.S. ILLEGALLY
BY SEA. BOTH CARIBBEAN NATIONS
DEALING WITH UPHEAVAL AND
UNREST. NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT
JULIA AINSLIE JOINING ME NOW.
SO JULIE, THE COAST GUARDS
PATROLLING THE WATERS THEY ARE
WATCHING FOR BOTH HAITIANS AND
CUBANS WHO ARE TRYING TO GET
HERE BY SEE. WHAT ARE THEY
SEEING? ARE THEY COMING?
>> WELL, THEY SAY RIGHT NOW
THEYRE NOT SEEING A SURGE.
BUT THIS SEEMED TO BE KIND OF
A PREEMPTIVE WARNING BY MY
WORK AS YESTERDAY. SO I HAVE
TO POINT OUT CAME TO THE
UNITED STATES WITH HIS PARENTS
AS A CHILD WHEN THEY
THEMSELVES FOR FLEEING FROM
CUBA. SO THATS NOT LOST ON US
HERE THAT WHAT THEYRE SEEING
RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY HAD
THERE COULD BE POTENTIALLY THE
MORE PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANT TO
LEAVE THIS COUNTRYS AS WE
KNOW, AFTER THE ASSASSINATION
OF THE HAITIAN PRESIDENT AND
AFTER CUBA IS SEEING THE
LARGER BIGGER THAN ANYTHING
THEY SEEN AND DECADES. THERES
A LOT OF VIOLENCE, A LOT OF
UNREST, A LOT OF HUNGER, A LOT
OF THAT THE RESULT OF THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC. A LOT OF
PEOPLE MIGHT BE WILLING TO
LEAVE NOW MIGHT BE TRYING TO
LEAVE AND RIGHT NOW WHAT WERE
SEEING FROM THE U.S. IS A
STEPPING UP OF PROTECTING ITS
COASTLINE, PUTTING MORE COAST
GUARD IN THE WATERS AND SAYING
DO NOT COME HERE. IN FACT,
EVEN IF THESE PEOPLE HAVE A
LEGITIMATE ASYLUM CLAIM
SECRETARY MAJORCA SAYS THEY
WOULD NOT BE RESETTLED IN THE
UNITED STATES, BUT THEY WOULD
GO TO 3RD PARTY COUNTRIES.
ITS A VERY STRICT LINE. HIS
STRONG RIGHT NOW DURING A TIME
THAT A LOT OF ADVOCATES SAY IS
A MAJOR TIME OF CRISIS FROM
THE U.S. SHOULD BE PASSING
OUT, YOU KNOW, OPEN ARMS AND
CONDOLENCES, NOT SHUTTING ITS
STORES.
>> JULIA, YOU BRING UP A GREAT
POINT. THE SECRETARY MARCUSS
FAMILY FLED CUBA IN THE 60S.
I MEAN, SO MANY PEOPLE MIGHT
BE WATCHING HIM STANDING THERE
AND THINKING WELL, I TOO, CAN
BE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT OF I
TRY TO COME TO AMERICA WHAT
IM A CRATE IMMIGRATION
ADVOCATES SAYING HOW DO THEY
FEEL ABOUT HIS WARNING NOT TO
COME HERE.
>> THATS RIGHT. AND IN THE
MAYORKAS STORY IS ONE OF MANY
CUBAN SUCCESS STORIES OF
PEOPLE WHO LEFT UNDER
COMMUNIST RULE AND CAME TO THE
UNITED STATES. YOU CAN THINK
OF MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE
THAT. WAIT. NOW THEYRE
SPACING SHARP BACKLASH FROM
IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE WHO REALLY SAY THAT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS GOING
BACK ON ITS WORD OF TRYING TO
RESTORE AN ORDERLY HUMANE
COMPASSIONATE IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM. ITS THE KIND OF THING
THAT THEY SAY THEY WOULD HAVE
SEEN UNDER THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION THEY DIDNT
EXPECT TO SEE. NOW I DO HAVE
TO POINT OUT THAT ISNT A
SHARP CHANGE IN POLICY. ITS
REALLY JUST AT THE MESSAGING
TO STEP UP THESE INTRODUCTIONS
IS COMING AT THIS SPECIFIC
POINT AND THAT MY WORK IS TOOK
IT UPON HIMSELF TO HOLD A
PRESS CONFERENCE JUST TO GET
THIS MESSAGE ACROSS. IN FACT,
I SAW FROM ONE GROUP, THE
HAITIAN BRIDGE ALLIANCE THAT
THEY THINK THAT THIS GOES BACK
ON THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATIONS
WORD THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER
BECAUSE OF THEIR TARGETING OF
HAITIANS. SO WERE SEEING A
LOT OF VERY STRONG WORDS AND
BACKLASH. PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT
THIS NOT ONLY GOES AGAINST THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATIONS
POLICIES BUT ALSO AGAINST THE
IDEALS THAT MY WORK IS HIMSELF
TALKED ABOUT DURING HIS
CONFIRMATION HEARING WHEN HE
PULLED ON THAT CHILDHOOD
EXPERIENCE.
>> I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER
SOUND BITE FROM THAT PRESS
CONFERENCE. ID LOVE TO PLAY.
IF WE COULDNT ASK YOU
SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE.
REALLY, IF WE CAN.
>> MIGRANTS WHO DO ATTEMPT TO
ENTER THE UNITED STATES BY
SEA, PUT THEIR LIVES. AN
INCREDIBLE RISK. THE WATERS IN
THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA IN THE
CARIBBEAN ARE DANGEROUS,
ESPECIALLY NOW. AS WE HAVE
ENTERED HURRICANE SEASON.
PEOPLE WILL DIE.
>> JULIA CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND
THE CRITICISM THERE. BUT WE
HAVE SEEN MIGRATIONS TO THE
UNITED STATES ARE DANGEROUS NO
MATTER WHERE YOURE COMING
FROM. LEGITIMATE CONCERN HERE
THAT PEOPLE COULD BE TRYING TO
COME TO AMERICA DURING
HURRICANE SEASON WHICH WHICH
COULD ABSOLUTELY BE DEADLY.
>> YEAH, AND THERES A BIG
REASON WHY THE UNITED STATES
IMMIGRATION POLICY HAS REALLY
FOR DECADES NOW, FOCUS ON
TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM
MAKING THIS JOURNEY AND I SEE
ITS DANGEROUS AND NOT COMING
BY LAND. IF YOURE LOOKING AT
CENTRAL AMERICANS COMING UP
THROUGH MEXICO INTO THE UNITED
STATES TO BUY SEATS BEEN
INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. AND OF
COURSE WE CAN ALL THINK ABOUT
BACK TO ELLIE GONZALES WHO WAS
FOUND AS A LITTLE BOY CRAWLED
UP IN INNER TUBE AFTER MANY
PEOPLE THAT HE CAME WITH TROUT
TO TRYING TO KEEP MORE PEOPLE
FROM DYING. BUT AS A RESULT, A
LOT OF THESE IMMIGRATION
GROUPS THINK THAT WE NEED TO
BE. AT LEAST REACHING OUT TO
PEOPLE WHO HAVE ASYLUM CLAIMS
AND GIVING THEM AN EASIER WAY
TO COME HERE AT THIS TIME.
>> ABSOLUTELY. JULIAN LEE,
THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR