>>>
>>> TODAY
>>> TODAY IN OUR OUR "I SURVIVED" SERIES WE'RE FOCUSING
ON MIGRATION.
ON MIGRATION. IN MANY CASES PEOPLE SURVIVING
PERSECUTION TO IMGREAT OR
MIGRATE TO THE U.S. AND OTHER
COUNTRIES.
COUNTRIES. TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE NOW,
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE
CAME FROM.
CAME FROM. THAT IS WHY THIS GENTLEMAN IS
JOINING US TODAY, CAESAR GARCIA
HERNANDEZ, AN ASSOCIATE LAW
PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
DENVER SPECIALIZING IN
IMMIGRATION.
IMMIGRATION. THANKS FOR COMING IN.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> APPRECIATE IT.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS ALL MORNING, IT IS SAID
THAT WE ARE A NATION OF
IMMIGRANTS, BUT THE COUNTRY
ONLY BEGAN REGULATING
IMMIGRATION A WHILE BACK,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >>
RIGHT? >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. WE REALLY DIDN'T START TO
REGULATE IMMIGRATION IN ANY
CONCERTED FASHION UNTIL THE
LATE 19th CENTURY WHEN WE HAD A
LOT OF CHINESE FOLKS WHO WERE
COMING HERE, PRIMARILY WORKING
THE RAILROADS, BUILDING THE
RAILROADS ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
AND AT SOME POINT THE BACKLASH
BEGAN AND THAT'S WHEN CONGRESS
GOT INTO THE BUSINESS OF TRYING
TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF FOLK
HOSS COULD COME TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
STATES. >> COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE QUOTA
SYSTEM?
SYSTEM?
SYSTEM? BECAUSE THAT IMPACTS A LOT OF
PEOPLE AND SOMETIMES DEPENDING
ON COUNTRIES AS WELL.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. SO FOR MANY, MANY DECADES THE
UNITED STATES HAD A VERY RIGID
SYSTEM OF QUOTAS, WHEREIN FOLKS
-- ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF
PEOPLE FROM A PARTICULAR
COUNTRY COULD COME INTO THE
UNITED STATES LAWFULLY, AND
THAT WAS FAVORING COUNTRIES
FROM NORTHERN AND WESTERN
EUROPE AND THE IDEA WAS TO
CONTINUE BRINGING IN PEOPLE
FROM WHITE COUNTRIES AND LIMIT
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES BUT IMPORTANTLY
EXEMPTED ALL OF THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE, INCLUDING LATIN
AMERICA, INCLUDING MEXICAN
MIGRATION WHICH MEANT THAT
THERE WAS BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO MIGRATE LEGALLY FROM PLACES
LIKE LATIN AMERICA UP UNTIL
1965.
1965.
1965. >>
1965. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO THAT HAS CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, THE BIG THING TODAY
OF COURSE IS THE SOUTHERN
BORDER IMMIGRATION AND ALL
THESE PEOPLE COMING UP IN THESE
CARAVANS.
CARAVANS.
CARAVANS. WE'VE BEEN TALKING THAT THIS
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY
DON'T UNDERSTAND, A, WHY
THEY'RE COMING, AND, B, HOW
SEEKING ASYLUM WORKS IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. SO THE U.S. LAW IS VERY CLEAR
ON THIS, GARY, THAT ANYONE WHO
IS PRESENT -- PHYSICALLY
PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES
HAS THE RIGHT TO REQUEST
ASYLUM.
ASYLUM.
ASYLUM. NOW, THEY MIGHT BE DENIED, THEY
MIGHT WIN, BUT THEY HAVE THE
RIGHT TO THE ASYLUM.
AND THE LAW IS REALLY QUITE
EXPLICIT THAT IT DOES NOT
MATTER HOW YOU GOT HERE.
YOU MAY BE HERE WITH THE
GOVERNMENT'S PERMISSION OR YOU
MIGHT BE HERE WITHOUT THE
GOVERNMENT'S PERMISSION, BUT
YOU GET TO MAKE THAT CLAIM AND
IT'S UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO
DECIDE WHETHER IT'S WILLING TO
GRANT YOU ASYLUM OR NOT.
>> AND THEN THERE WAS THIS
SHIFT BETWEEN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION OF WHO WAS A
PRIORITY FOR I.C.E.
TO ACTUALLY LOOK AFTER.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE
BIT?
BIT?
BIT? >>
BIT? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
SHIFTED GEARS OVER THE COURSE
OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S EIGHT
YEARS IN WHICH EVENTUALLY THE
SECOND TERM REALLY STARTED TO
FINE TUNE ITS ENFORCEMENT
PRIORITIES, TO GO AFTER, SPEND
ITS LIMITED RESOURCES ON
CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION THOUGHT WERE
PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS OR FOLKS
-- IT DID NOT WANT IN THE
UNITED STATES, AND IT TENDED TO
FOCUS ON PEOPLE WHO HAD
RECENTLY ARRIVED IN THE U.S. OR
PEOPLE WHO HAD CRIMINAL
HISTORIES.
HISTORIES. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
BROADENED THAT ENFORCEMENT'S
PRIORITIZATION TO INCLUDE JUST
ABOUT ANYONE WHO IS POTENTIALLY
REMOVABLE FROM THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
STATES. >> I THINK MOST PEOPLE AGREE NO
MATTER WHAT SIDE OF THE AISLE
YOU SIT ON THAT THE IMMIGRATION
LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE KIND
OF A MESS RIGHT NOW.
THE COURTS ARE BACKED UP, ALL
THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN,
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, TALK OF THE
BORDER WALL AND KEEPING PEOPLE
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. SO
OUT. SO WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE FROM
YOUR OPINION TO MAKE THIS
SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE?
>> WELL, YEAH, THE REALITY IS
THAT THERE ARE FEWER PEOPLE
COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES
FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCE
COUNTRIES LIKE MEXICO, AND SO I
THINK ONE IS WE HAVE TO TAKE A
STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT IS
ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
ACTUALLY HAPPENING. FOLKS DON'T WANT TO COME TO THE
UNITED STATES WITHOUT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S PERMISSION.
PERMISSION. THEY WANT TO COME TO THE UNITED
STATES WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S
PERMISSION.
PERMISSION. AND ARE COMING OFTEN TO MAKE A
LIVING OR TO REUNITE WITH
FAMILY THAT IS ALREADY HERE.
AND SO WE VALUE FAMILIES AND WE
VALUE THE LABOR THAT IMMIGRANTS
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ECONOMY AND
OUR WAY OF LIFE.
WE NEED TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF
FOLKS WHO ARE ALLOWED TO COME
TO THE UNITED STATES LAWFULLY
AND FAITHFULLY.
AND FAITHFULLY. >> WE'LL SEE IF IT