Transcripts For CSPAN Newsmakers Brandon Judd Border Patrol Union President 20240713

Of thent managing editor washington times. Brandon, border apprehension dramatically wn from the peak of the surge in may and june. What happened . Down and ose numbers maybe most importantly, who gets credit for that . You first have to take a look at the driving factor that pulls people to come to the united main illegally, and the magnet that we call it is the catch and release program. People cross the board illegally and they know hey are just going to be released into the interior of the United States to wait for an deportation hearing they people tend to cross our borders illegally in large numbers. Ever since the u. S. Government tarted the migrant protection protocols or the Mexico Program decreased rs have dramatically because people dont want to wait in another country pending their asylum or proceeding. So once we turned that magnet off, once we ended that magnet, numbers dropped exponentially. Frankly, the administration, you are the only ones that can give credit to because they are the ones who cut this deal with the Mexican Government, and want to be clear about this. This is a deal that any prior to the Trump Administration would have because this had is whats going to allow to us control the border, but you have o also understand that that deal could end at any time if it Mexican Government stops and thats why you have to have plate s step up to the and do their job. What was it about the trump dministration that, as you said, any Previous Administration could have done to get this done . Hat was it about the Trump Administration that managed to get this done . Main thing is the Trump Administration refused to accept no for an answer. At any Previous Administration, there is always road blocks that get thrown in, in the way of trying to anything thats done administratively. N this particular case, the Trump Administration saw a problem. President trump ran on a going to hat he was secure the border, and he refused to take no for an answer. And nued to push forward, rankly, was able to get a Historic Deal done. Let me follow up with the congress ue with allocating well over a billion dollars. What will the board look like a now . From i think what youre going to see what the experts have told congress we need. We need infrastructure. Amount of proper technology. We need the proper amount of manpower. Infrastructure, if you want to look at something that will be visible, is going barriers in l strategic locations. Were not talking about physical arriers from california to texas. Were talking about physical arriers in strategic locations that allow us to control specific parts of the border and ictate where illegal border crossings take place as well as illegal narcotics. If we can dictate that then we be much more successful in our jobs. President s is the soninlaw Jared Kushner going to have in all of this, in the select tion of these border walls . I dont know if hes going to any i dont know that hes going to have any role as constructing the border wall. Has know Jared Kushner Police Department a rouge role in ensuring that these deals have gotten done. Mexico but with uatemala and now honduras and el nisalvador. Plays any role in the construction of the walls i have no idea. Hell play a are big role in overseeing the construction of the wall . Make sensethat would if you look at his business background. One of the other things you have this k at as far as administration goes, the American Public, at least the segment that voted for president wanted a y businessminded individual in office. They didnt want the typical politician that weve seen time doesgain and Jared Kushner have a huge expertise in the business world, so it would make somebody with a business mind rather than a political mind, did oversee again, tion because thats a business aspect. Lets turn to rebekah maureen. Is the National Board Patrol Council going to endorse 2020 . Dent trump in we havent made that decision yet. Ere still looking at all the different factors. I can tell you that were very leased, the National Border Patrol Council is very pleased with what the president has been rying to accomplish, with what he is currently accomplishing. And so, you know, were taking a as we speak. And do you have any plans about when that will come out . Has usly the president called you a very good friend, so you have a very Good Relationship with the president. Wondering if thats going to continue into 2020 . I have to tell you that my is notsonal relationship going to affect what my Organization Needs done. For my organization the best that i possibly can, and i will do the best for those i represent, the best that i possibly can. I would imagine that a decision made on whom were going to endorse and whether or not were even going to. President trump was the first person that we ever endorsed for president ial office 2016. In but i would imagine that the decision would be made in february. Rebekah, to be completely frank and honest, obviously were very what the president has done. What he continues to try to do Border Agents and security and the American Public as far as Border Security is related. You a good ld give idea of where we stand on what the administration is doing. There ick follow up is any reason why you would not donald trump . There are, again, there are a lot of factors that we have to look into. Speak with our members. Our local speak with elected representatives. We have to speak with all those individuals and we havent done that yet. But again, i do think there is to be any pushback . No, i dont think there will be pushback. A couple of years ago, there some frustration among agents about the pace of on the administrations part. You and i have actually talked at some point about, thinking administration should have pushed harder and faster, after that initial drop in numbers was the president inaugurated. Guess, the current, i sentiment among agents . Re they is there still a frustration . Whats your sense for the agents and this white house and this president to this point . No. At this point right now, there is no frustration because were programs come to fruition. Where we were very frustrated is leadership at the that we had at dhs the movement was very slow. We knew what needed to happen. Knew that we needed to as a esult the migrant protection protocols very early on, and, dhs kept pushing back, and it wasnt the administration. The administration continued to you have rd but when segments of government, as weve youve got career employees that push back on politicals, and thats just the fact of the government that we we have seene, but President Trump did in fact, get what he needed to get done, and now going forward. One quick on the border wall. Border wall is coming in substantially higher han the wall building at the end of the Bush Administration and what wall was built or under was built president obama. Im curious what you make of that cost situation . Some reporting recently about teen new design, he current design, being able to be breached. I know there are viewers out there who are wondering about efficacy of a wall system that can still be breached. I would be curious about your on how long it takes to breach this from your experience, and sort of how it into the wall system . Okay. Im going to answer your second first. N so yes. There was a report out there hat new segments of the wall had been breached. Gone out and looked at new sections of the wall and i have sections of ny new the wall that have been breached. Old sections, yes, there are a the many breaches and had administration continued to build sections of wall like what built under the Bush Administration, those walls were but there has been a lot of research and development wallsas gone into the new that are currently being built. That research and development much, much hey are more difficult to breach, and we just havent seen any breaches. Now that report that was done, complete diagram that was given to show how these moved. Coos be there was a lot of different stuff but all of that was based model. He old the new model, again, we just havent seen any breaches in that. Rebekah. Yes. O there has been an increase, obviously, when President Trump was got into office he asked Border Patrole of agents along the border, up to 5,000. Struggle with a that, of course, due to funding, from congress but i want to know from you what kind of funding is and help keep training along the board these board patrol agents, especially newer, younger at coming in. Yes, i actually stood with respect to trump on january 25 2017 when he signed the Border Security executive order border for 5,000 new patrol agents. We have not been able to add to we ranks very much because have one of the highest attrition rates in the entire federal government. Of factors that go into why our attrition rates are so high. Factors is the onstant demonizing of our agents for doing the job up to do. Et us there have been congressmen and women who have taken their shots doing is all were enforcing the law that congress put into place. That that body, that they are of, put into place and when were demonized by both media, by congress, and by outside entities, its not it doesnt make for a conducive place to work that people feel they are e with what doing. And so weve got to get rid of that. Eve got to understand that Border Patrol agents are simply out there doing, enforcing the enacted. Congress what were trying to do is were trying to secure the border for american people. We get called racist. Called nazis, and its ridiculous when you consider the far as i st thing, so know were the only federal Law Enforcement agency in the entire nation that has more minorities do whites, yet were called racists simply because enforcing the laws that congress enacted. Stephen. I wanted to follow up. Of that criticism, there was one in particular that got a lot of attention over the that, i he allegation guess, agents in a facility in told a migrant woman to drink water out of a toilet. Wondering, if you know what became of that allegation i know the adly, Inspector General has done several reports on the those border facilities. Money was pumped into those border facilities in an mergency supplemental earlier this year to try and ease the overcrowding. All, your s, first of thoughts on the overall situation at those border facilities, and then the broader of these ome complaints of treatment. So the allegations that were that Border Patrol agents told individuals to drink out of toilet, i believe that those allegations are going to be proven completely and totally false. Has to American Public understand is that we do have cameras that are in these facilities. Now, we obviously cannot see the rest room portion of the facilities, thats open to everybody. But we have cameras throughout these facilities and these taking can see what is place in there. That that ever happened. I will dispute that 100 . With agents multiple times, and its just a false narrative. Its very easy, if youre in custody, to make allegations patrol agents, and again, those allegations will be investigated and they in full butstigated that allegation, i am absolutely be a ve will come out to false allegation. These facilities, there is an that i will absolutely 100 agree with congress on. Facilities were not made to hold individuals for extended periods of time. To act, were only supposed hold people for 72 hours. People for upholding days on end. In some cases, we were holding in these 30 days facilities that were only made to house and hold people for 72 hours. And thats simply because we had nowhere to turn them over to. Services didnt have any room for these individuals. Didnt have room for these hold onals so we had to to them until hhs, could make people. These so we were putting into a nowin situation. Congress wasnt giving us the that we needed. They werent giving us the facilities and yet they turned blamed us for doing the necessary job that we had to the circumstances that they put us under. Demoralizing and completely wrong. You just ious, what described as so diametrically opposed to what we heard from visited these facilities, im struck by the difference in attitude toward border wall. There are folks on capitol hill who say that it makes no you rence, and i know that and fellow agents say that it does make a difference. Where do we get to this point of this disconnect . To how are viewers supposed sort through these competing claims . This is strictly politics. And again, it happens on both the right and the left. Lets not blame one side. But politics being what they are, youve got the left that border wall at the just absolutely doesnt work. Now, i will refute that every day. Le i spent a large majority, and i want to be clear about this im of king for and on behalf the National Board Patrol Council right now, but i can when in specific cases of i was a Border Patrol agent. Agent was a Border Patrol in arizona i worked there rewall and the numbers were absolutely astronomical. A small stretch of border that about 56 miles that we covered. A hundredresting over thousand people a year in that small little stretch. Prewall. We then built that wall in a and those numbers dropped to less than 20,000 per year. That can absolutely see walls in strategic locations work. Well. Hey work very, very but again, politics being what hey are, politicians pandering to their base instead of doing whats right for the country as whole, thats where you get this argument coming in, instead of looking at this and saying, need for Border Security. This is what we have to do to et the job done, and we just havent been able to come to a consensus yet. Mr. Judd, let me ask you waivers. Ical what is the process and has it changed in any way in the last so, with regard to those ho want a medical waiver especially for children . The Border Patrol doesnt deal with medical waivers, so i intelligently speak to that. That going to go to ikro deals with that. What Border Patrol at do, they take individuals into custody board illegally. We then process them accordingly them over to either citizens and immigration and human alth services, or and thats where those determine nations are g made. Made. Inations are being i can tell you that medical waivers continue as far as im aware. Continue to ask for medical waivers. People can continue to ask for asylum. All of these things still exist, implementing re these policies are different than what happened under the we a administration so that can try to close the loopholes that have drawn so many people our borders illegally. So one of the things that i your agents are doing more of is involvement at the ront end of that asylum agents being beened to handle socalled credible fear claims, having a ear of being returned to their home country. How many agents are involved, if you have a sense for the early that, whether its changing, the numbers, or the percentages, who are crossing initial threshold, and then, obviously, along with that, this is traditionally been a duty that u. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has done, this, now going into there was a number there was a lot of criticism or peculation that board patrol agents would be too harsh in handling these claims. Curious as to your thoughts about how its playing. Actually program is very small comparatively speaking. What Border Patrol agents are they are filling in for citizenship and immigration need e, cif, where they help determined hat cif this was the pathway forward is because this puts people into the asylum proceedings rather than waiting for a couple of years down the oad before they are allowed to be put into the asylum proceeding. Once somebody is given a fear interview, if they fail that credible fear interview and they ask for redetermination, which is their do, then an immigration judge by regulation, must hear the case within 10 days. There is a much quicker which to the process alleviates the immigration Justice System and it also that are se people crossing the border, and claiming asylum, it also allows quicker, re much rather than being having to tot in limbo on whats going happen down the road. I think that the program has asset. Tremendous i think its worked exactly as intended. Criticism now, the that Border Patrol agents would be too harsh, there is an process to this, to ensure that Border Patrol agents arent too harsh but that again, stephen, those are the types of criticisms, back again, takes us right to the politics of this issue. Criticism, the law specifically says the immigration officers are the only ones that can give credible interviews. Border patrol agents are immigration officers, therefore, by the law, they can conduct these credible fear interviews. If the public or the media, the outcry, and certain politicians, if they want the prove that Border Agents are corrupt or that they refuse to do their job orrectly, then they need to deal with those specific Border Patrol agents. But the Border Patrol as a their job, they do it honorably and that criticism just isnt justified, the numbers have borne it out, and the program is working very well. Last month, Nine American citizens were killed in a orrific shootout by at least one mexican drug cartel. Just how bad of a problem is widespread are these cartels along the border . The border rosses illegally. That does not matter if its coming als that are across the border to claim asylum. It doesnt matter if its narcotics. It doesnt matter if its counterfeit goods. Othing crosses the southwest border illegally without the say so of criminal cartels. Single facet ver of illegal crime on the border. Operate minal cartels in every single town on the southwest border and they are very violent. Dangerous. Ry all you have to do is look at he murder rate in mexico to understand just how bad it is. Intelligence tes community has estimated that control cartels somewhere around 80 of the country, in mexico right now. That again is on the high end. Estimates, but even if you go lower, fact that are controlling any part of mexico should be concerning, and it makes everything very, very dangerous. Thats one of the reasons why agents get so frustrated with politicians that say its okay for people to cross the border illegally. Hey are encouraging, politicians are encouraging a vulnerable segment of population in south america to of themselves in the hands criminal cartels. These individuals at times are raped. They are enslaved. They are even murdered by the criminal cartels and its all ouruse we do meant to force laws the way the laws are written and we glamorize illegal than, and im sorry, we glamorize illegal vilify our Border Patrol agents rather than propping them up and going after the cartels and trying to shut down this illegal system that a Legal Immigration system. I have not heard one politician, whether its republican or democrat, that is against a Legal Immigration system. Have heard an awful lot that are against an ilLegal Immigration system. Question, back to stephen. You mentioned the cartels controlling that traffic and one of the things that i believe were seeing, now that the entral american surge has dissipated is a growth in ilLegal Immigration from mexico itself. And im curious about whether that ties into the cartels, why sort of thening and trajectory. What do you expect to southeasterly next year on those numbers . This should be Proof Positive that criminal cartels control everything thats illegal. Criminal cartels, they knew that a loophole existed as far as our asylum claims. Put one foot into the United States, claim asylum, get released under the catch and release program. Once that shut down now criminal selling re they are their service to the mexican itizens, the mexican population, instead of in the Central American countries. And so were seeing a huge in people from mexico that are crossing our border illegally, whereas when the criminal cartels were selling it americans we saw very few mexican citizens crossing the board. Ow its basically the criminal cartels are now selling their services to the mexican citizens and thats the main population right now. Seeing quick follow up. Do you expect that to continue . What do you expect early next and do we expect another resurgence of Central Americans do you believe thats been solved . Programs as the continue in place, as long as these agreements that exist etween the United States and mexico, guatemala, as long as these programs continue to foresee a i do not resurgence of Central Americans. Cartels can e continue to look for loopholes to exploit, they are going to need across whomever they to. They are in the business of yes, its profit, and an illicit business but its a business. They create and generate profit, always going to look for those that can get them profits and they are going to to them. R services brandon judd, joining us from this holiday week, the president of the National Border Patrol Council. For being with us. Happy new year. Merry christmas and happy new year to you. Thank you very much. If you read the political tea seems that an endorsement is in the offing for President Trump. Yes. Definitely. Around february, i believe. Thats the first president that the National Order Patrol Council has ever endorsed. It sounds like they are going to do it again. It soon, and ar maybe possibly with President Trump by his side. Stephen, let me follow up on that point. You brought up the issue of the cartels and just how prevalent they are along the oard and the problem is they arent going away. Its interesting. Ive seen a Homeland Security official in the last couple of estimated that drop in the number of Central Americans coming in has of rally taken billions dollars off of the cartels heard , which is why you judd say that the cartels are now looking internally to recruiting, they literally advertise for people through social media in and say, advertise hey, we can get you to the u. S. , eres the path that well take and heres what you need to do. Pay us our money and well take ou and heres the loopholes that you exploit, because they ave lost that Customer Base in central america. They are now turning to mexico and they are turning further afield. Going extra continental is the word that Homeland Security is using now, looking at africa, and other places to replace the customers that they have loss from the central america. Quickly, the funding issue that congress put into place, where does that stand right now . The next step . 1. 375 billion included in the appropriations bill that the president has to thatso he has access money for wall building. What is unknown is whether hell did last year and attempt to slice in money from again into more wall building. Ive been told by white house the s that they are president has asked for 5 billion. White house officials tell me 1. 375 is actually all given all the money they given last year they are bumping up against their capacity for wall building right now. Dont necessarily need more than 1. 375 billion from a very bigt there is he talks about were going to have 450 miles of wall completed by the end of 2020. Basically as i go to face the voters. And so hes Homeland Security is very aware that he has set that goal for them. And the most recent we heard out of Homeland Security was that they they theyll come close. Theyre not sure they will actually meet his goal. But they believe they will be very close to it. And we can conclude on this point. Is this all about 2020, something the president can tell voters . Because he clearly ran on this in 2016 although he did say mexico would pay for the wall. Yes. This is definitely going to be a large point for President Trump in 2020. No doubt about it. It is something that he can turn to and say, hey, look, theres actual statistics showing that the number of Asylum Seekers is going down due to his programs. He has things that he can show voters like hey, this is whats happening. This is what im doing. And thats definitely something hes going to tout on the trail. We will look for your work at usatoday. Com. Thank you for being with us on newsmakers. We appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Cspans live 020 Campaign Coverage continues saturday at 4 00 p. M. Eastern with hawaii come tullsi gabbard sunday at 2 00 p. M. Eastern former Vice President joe biden in peterborough, new hampshire. Monday at 2 00 p. M. Entrepreneur andrew yang in nashua, new hampshire. And tuesday, at 11 00 a. M. Eastern, senator Elizabeth Warren in boston. Watch the president ial candidates live on span online at cspan. Org or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Up next, the communicators takes a look at the future of transportation with Stephen Bakers book hop skip go. And a discussion from zocalo Public Square about life along the u. S. Mexico border. And later, Emery University president Carol Anderson talks about her book on voter suppression. The house will be in order. For 40 years cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy events from washington, d. C. , and around the country. So you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspan is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan. Your unfiltered view of overnment. Long Time Technology journal scompift author Stephen Baker is the coauthor of this new book its called hop skip go. Mr. Baker, you write that this book is about the coming age of