>> Bill: CASEY, THANK YOU.
LEADING OUR COVERAGE THERE.
NOW THE SAME AGENCY THAT DEALS
WITH NATIONAL DISASTERS IS
HEADED TO THE BORDER WILL
DEMOCRATS CHANGE THEIR TUNE?
FEMA STANDS FOR EMERGENCY.
RON VITIELLO UNDER PRESIDENT
TRUMP CHIEF OF THE BORDER
PATROL UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
BILL.
>> Bill: GREG ABBOTT GOVERNOR
OF TEXT WAS MARIA ON SUNDAY.
>> FOR THE FIRST 2 1/2 MONTHS
OF THIS YEAR THEY MADE ABOUT
110,000 APPREHENSIONS INCLUDING
IN THOSE APPREHENSIONS ARE 800
CRIMINAL ALIENS WHO HAVE
PREVIOUSLY BEEN ARRESTED AND
EXPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES.
78 SEX OFFENDERS AND 62 GANG
MEMBERS WHICH INCLUDE MS-13
GANGS.
>> Bill: HIS COMMENT WENT ON AS
WELL.
HERE IS MORE NUMBERS, 78,000
ENCOUNTERS IN JANUARY.
100,000 APPREHENSIONS AND PORT
OF ENTRIES IN FEBRUARY.
"NEW YORK TIMES" SAYING AN
ADDITIONAL 19 NOW MIGRANTS WITH
ADULTS AND CHILDREN HAVE BEEN
CAUGHT BY BORDER AGENTS SINCE
THE FIRST OF MARCH.
RON, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?
>> IT TOOK THE TOOLS THAT WERE
WORKING LAST YEAR, RIGHT?
ON JANUARY 21st THEY STOPPED
ENROLLING PEOPLE IN THE MIGRANT
PROTECTION PROTOCOLS ANT SENT A
SIGNAL TO THE GLOBE THAT IF YOU
BRING YOUR CHILD OR SEND YOUR
CHILD TO THE BORDER YOU WILL
LET THEM IN.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS UNDER THE
LAW.
CHILDREN ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO
BE IN BORDER PATROL CUSTODY TO
BE PROCESSED, PUT INTO THE
SYSTEM AND BOOKED IN AND MOVED
ON TO HHS SHELTERS.
SO THAT WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW
UNFORTUNATELY ARE STRESSED OUT,
OVERWHELMED AND IT’S BACKED UP.
THEY HAVE TO GET THESE
FACILITIES RIGHT.
THEY HAVE TO MOVE THESE
CHILDREN INTO HHS CUSTODY IN 72
HOURS.
THEY AREN’T ABLE TO DO THAT
BECAUSE WE ARE ENCOURAGING AS A
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW PEOPLE TO
SEND OR BRING A CHILD TO THE
BORDER BECAUSE YOU GET A FREE
PASS ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT?
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED IN 2014.
THE SMUGGLERS EXPLOITED THE
IDEA WE WOULD GIVE CHILDREN A
PASS.
THEY CALLED IT A PASS.
THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS UNDER
THE OBAMA-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
WE’VE STARTED TO ABATE THAT
SURGE BY USING FAMILY DETENTION
CENTERS.
ICE PUT UP FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
CENTERS TO CLAIM ASYLUM BUT
STAY IN CUSTODY UNTIL THAT
ASYLUM CLAIM WAS HEARD.
THAT DETERRED OTHERS FROM
COMING.
IN 2018 AND 2019 WE DID THE
SAME THING.
THE MIGRANT PROTECTION
PROTOCOLS WITH MEXICO.
HISTORIC UNPRECEDENTED SUPPORT
FROM THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT
ALLOWING PEOPLE TO CLAIM ASYLUM
AT THE BORDER BUT WAITING IN
MEXICO.
IT MADE PEOPLE REALIZE THEY
WEREN’T GOING TO GET LET IN AND
STOPPED COMING IN NUMBERS.
>> I WANT TO JUMP IN TO YOUR
POINT THERE IS A BACKLOG OF
OVER 3,000 CHILDREN WHO HAVEN’T
EVEN BEEN FILTERED THROUGH THE
SYSTEM YET AND WAITING AT OR
NEAR THE BORDER TO BE PROCESSED.
RIGHT NOW DEMOCRATS ARE
SLAMMING FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP
PRETTY HARD SAYING THEY
INHERITED THIS CRISIS FROM HIM
MUCH LIKE THEY INHERITED A
VACCINE CRISIS.
I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION.
>> THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN
CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US.
WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
INHERITED IS A BROKEN SYSTEM AT
THE BORDER AND THEY ARE WORKING
TO CORRECT THAT IN THE
CHILDREN’S INTEREST.
THIS AGAIN IS A TRANSITION FROM
WHAT WAS WRONG BEFORE TO WHAT
IS RIGHT.
>> DOES THIS RING TRUE TO YOU?
IS IT A HELPFUL ARGUMENT TO
MAKE AT THIS POINT?
DOES IT MATTER?
>> NO, IT DOESN’T.
IF THE SYSTEM WAS TO BE FIXED
THEY WOULD SHORE UP THE
LOOPHOLES THAT ARE IN CURRENT
IMMIGRATION LAW THAT WOULDN’T
ALLOW CHILDREN TO BE LET IN AT
THE BORDER.
INHERITING WHAT EXACTLY?
UNDER THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION TITLE 42 THESE
KIDS WERE SENT BACK TO WAIT FOR
THEIR ASYLUM CLAIMS EITHER IN
MEXICO OR THEIR HOME COUNTRY.
AND SO WE DIDN’T NEED THE KIND
OF SHELTER SPACE BEFORE JANUARY
20th.
THERE WEREN’T LARGE NUMBERS OF
CHILDREN COMING TO THE BORDER.
IT WASN’T BROKEN.
IT WAS WORKING.
THE TOOLS THAT PREVENTED THE
KIND OF SURGE THAT IS OCCURRING
NOW HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF THE
TABLE.
THAT WASN’T DONE PREVIOUS TO
THIS ADMINISTRATION, THAT WAS
DONE STARTING JANUARY 20th.
>> Bill: THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME.
MORE COVERAGE OF THIS OVER THE
WEEKEND ON OTHER OUTLETS.
WE’VE BEEN ON IT FOR SOME TIME.
THE SITUATION HAS NOT SLOWED
AND IT NEEDS FEMA AND POSSIBLY
MORE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.