Protection commissioner mark morgan now on lawenforcement efforts at the southern border. From the National Press club this is about one hour. Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here to todays newsmaker interview. Today our guest . Morgan who is the acting commissioner of customs and Border Protection. It is one of the dhs agencies and it is the largest lawEnforcement Agency in the country and brings in the secondhighest amount of revenue of any Law Enforcement agency and id venture to say probably more popular than the one that brings in the most which is the irs but [laughter] thank you for being here. Of course. The acting commissioners had a long and established career in Law Enforcement, including while he was named to his present post in june of this year and prior to taking the job of actingg commissioner he has been chief of Border Patrol and has been the special agent in charge of the fbi in el paso so plenty of border experience. He has had a number of roles in Law Enforcement and in intelligence and counterterrorism, Violent Crimes my gang suppression, a lot of things that relate directly to his job today and he has been a Deputy Sheriff and a Los Angeles Police officer. Not only that but has an engineering degree and a law degree. So, it is my great pleasure to welcome i think commissioner mark morgan. Thank you for being here. Thank you. I also have to say former marine. I had that on my list off mac semper fi. Thank you. Thank you for coming. I want to let everyone know that commissioner morgan will be in the hot seat for a while with my question but if you have questions that you would like to have asked please feel out the index card that we are providing and i will go for 3035 minutes and then we will take questions from the audience. I think i will jump right in and its a topic i think Everyone Wants to know about the most. Can you give us an update on what is happening at the southwest border . Sure, we talked about the southwest border we have to put it into pockets. One is the crisis with respect to immigration and the other is what i Call National security crisis. As of late, for understandable reasons, we are talking about the Immigration Crisis. Let me start with that. The drivers really, the focus over the last year plus has really been the migration flow from the northern tribal countries, specifically the families and the reason that is been the focus is something ive talked a lot about and that is the broken Legal Framework right now, specifically the Settlement Agreement would had a significant loophole which said if you come to a country with a child you can only hold you 20 days and instantly was not long toough to get the immigration process rate that was the genesis of catch and release. The Border Patrol we would apprehend these families entering the country illegally and release them into the United States oftentimes within days and we really had to fix that. The last six months, this president and administration, cbp along with Partner Agencies instituted a network of initiatives and policies and rules and regulations that have given us the tools to close those loopholes. The height of may we had 144,000 apprehensions in may alone, six months later 42000 apprehensions. Again we targeted that demographic of the northern triangle countries, family units specifically, coming in. How do you know thats not just seasonal . The numbers will tell you. Ouseasonal, in fact, its ironi, seasonally in october the numbers go up, believe it or no, november seasonally and some demographics numbers go up and weve seen it steadily decrease. For the past six months those numbers have steadily declined, even though seasonal times weve seen increase in the previous years. What we have seen specifically in the family units from the height of may till the end of last month six months we saw and 85 reduction in families. On that front weve made otremendous strides. Again, close those loopholes. What we are seeing is a change in the demographics though. You and i talk about this and what happens often is its not a surprise but the cartels, Human Smuggling Organizations, they change what we call their ttps, tactics, techniques and procedures. They thought we were making progress towards stemming the flow of illegal immigrations in the northern triangle countries and taking billions of dollars out of the pocket and they shifted. They shifted to supporting additional migration from extra continental countries as well as mexican nationalists. So far away not just Central Americans l or even latin america correct. Indians, africans, haitians, brazilians, the list goes on and on and thats what we refer to his extra continental, other than the northern tribal triangle countries. Tim numbers on what we were seeing of extra continental . We are seeing thousands of each of those groups and we are seen for each of those time last year that we see two, three 100 of what we saw last year and overall those numbers relatively are fairly manageable but when you start combining it and start buen it as an increased issue we need to get out in front of it. Mexican nationals, especially countries, they are going to the families and tell them that the munitions they have they dont fly so you grab a kid that will be a passport in the United States but i can assure you were taking the same process with initiatives we use in the northern triangle countries and we apply to extra continental countries and mexican nationals. This week we started we call our i we are flying individuals now come election nationals into the interior of mexico to other locations. Overall what i refer to as right now where we are at is we have all but ended catch and release specifically for the northern triangle countries. Because its been reported that in about the remains the migrant protection protocol policies of having people who apply for asylum weight in mexico for their proceedings and its been reported that that has been applied to about 55000 and is that individuals or all demographics and individuals and families and yes, its been around 55000 that we have found for that program that are in mexico as they go grthrough their due process, immigration proceedings here in the United States. But there have been hundreds of thousands of arrivals andy family units from the northern triangle countries and elsewhe elsewhere. What happened to the rest . I would estimate what 400,000 family units, i think. Again, you go to the height of may and 75 of those were family units, families coming from the northern triangle countries over the last six months because of initiatives we were reducing our flow by 85 meaning theyre just not coming anymore. This iss really an important pat will think ive tried to say is for those individuals and the country stop listening to the cartels but stop listening to the Human Smuggling Organizations. They are lying to you but they are excluding you and getting rich off your backs by exploiting these vulnerable migrants and now because of where we are at in the initiatives and tools we have no longer is a child their immediate passport into the United States. We have all but shut that down. Im trying to tell the families do not listen to the cartels. They are lying to you. 85 reduction. Or so, today if a family arrivel asking for asylum . No, thats a good point. Traditionally they have asked for asylum because they did not have to. Before the Settlement Agreement they said we cannot retain new longer than 20 days regardless of whether you claimed asylum or not. That still holds. Congress and i said i will continue to say it, we are doing this because this president and this administration is a congress has failed to pass a single piece of new legislation that would address this. They know what to do. It would take them 15 minutes, single piece of paper and they could and 9095 of this Immigration Crisis. What would that say . It would address the Settlement Agreement which said we could detain the visuals longer than 20 days and we could detain them during their immigration proceeding whichmi takes on the average of 5060 ndays for it in addition to that we could also send children, unaccompanied minors from the northern triangle countries, we could its in the back to their families from where they came in their home country. Some of the families are here. Some are here but some of the families are there. Mexico, for example, mexico or canada if you are an unaccompanied child from mexico or canada we can send you back to your families but if youre from the northern triangle countries we can. We have to keep you. C that should be addressed by congress and the last thing is the credible standard initially. There is no standard. Ay to have credible fear only in the end there found not to be credible then to give i. C. E. Morbid space what did cbp get for this work . We one positive fact we got in this in the spending bill was 1. 375 for the wall. Thats going to be significant for us. We are going to be able to use that current funding to continue to build the wall so that significant for us. And one of the tools. Im sure well talk about that. I do want to come back to one thing with respect to the application of this network of policies. Since were talking about the microprotection protocols, stick with that for a minute. I wantto to reiterate, this is going to apply the family unit from the northern triangle. Its going to apply to a family unit that the rice of mexico . So dull. Right now is not applying to mexico but we are in negotiations with mexico to expand that. Again as i started explained although we have addressed greatly i didnt get illegal migration flow from a the nortn triangle of countries what were seeing is an increase from in a cot middles increase a mexican nationals, single adults and films which those initiatives is where open the mexico are not being applied but were working with mexico to expand that. Were also working with the government of guatemala and honduras to sign an asylum coopted agreement to expand that so they will receive mexican nationals as well. So were working with the countries. The ironic thing is right now we have other countries that are stepping up, seen its original crisis and are doing more to help us that her own congress i is. Thats an important statement. It is. What about one less thing on the migrant protection protocols, and that is what about the extra continental families, people coming from africa, middle east, so on . Are they weighed in mexico as well . Its expanding. Right now what the occurred with agreement with mexico in spanishspeaking countries but again we are in consultation with mexico as the smuggling organizations i can change their tpp we are according with mexico, giving that informatin and asking for assistance to expand that to accept extra continental countries. We are confident they will agree to that and as well will have the same conversation, we are with the government of guatemala, honduras and el salvador where we have those acasnd present except of the demographics as well. Right now some of those would be allowed to enter reasonably detained in an appropriate custodial situation . Correct. And possibly released if it cant be done in 20 days. Correct. It was reported today by i believe ap excuse me, reuters reported today that this announcement about interior repatriation that its been done often in the past and it is now being launched again, that theres potential for having mexicans go actually to guatemala. Can you explain that . Yes. I get under the aca, the genesis of that and this is very important, the genesis, if someone has an asylum claim, what were trying to encourage is a couple of things. One is reach out and get assistance. If you have a legitimate asylum claim you should be reaching out and try tosh get relief in the first country you come to. Logical. Logical. Dont give your life savings to the cartel. Dont listen to the cartels for lying to you. Dont listen to the cartels and smuggling organizations that are going to abuse you a treat you know better than a piece of trash, a commodity. The other day we apprehended a tractortrailer load of immigrants trying to illegal entry. They had tshirts on that had a letter spraypainted on it and mark underhand. They were marked like cattle. What im try to do is to listen to those organizations. They will treat you like cattle, treat you like a commodity. If you have a legitimate asylum claim get relief in the first country. Thats the genesis behind aca. We have the ability to apply that aca to mexican nationals as well. Na were having those discussions with guatemala to expand that to again share this as a regional crisis. Americas not the only country that borders mexico. We should share the Immigration Crisis as regional partners and thats what guatemala, honduras and el salvador are stepping up to do. Do you think these other countries are well equipped to handle, those are might actually be bona fide asylum claim . If you think about it one is when working with them every single day to improve the capacity that we just released funding back to the northern triangle countries, millions of dollars, specifically designed to improve their asylum capacity as was their interior enforcement ability to go after cartels and smuggling organizations. During the height of the crisis the United States of america, we were overwhelmed. There is no single country in the world that can handle the level and the volume at the height of the crisis, not even the United States. Thats why we have to Work Together with the northern triangle countries, mexico and other countries to address this as a regional crisis that it is. The fact we are policies in place that in a bold and encouraged this flow of people and had the effect of enriching the criminal cartels, thats an important issue with huge implications for mexico as well. Its in their interest to try to address it because its not just human smuggling. Theres the threat, the criminal threat of the cartels. They dont just muggle humans. They also smuggle drugs. Gang members are taking advantage of this. I read on your website where your offices are painting Something Like 400 some ms13 members a year, which is one a day, and thats just one of the transnational gangs that is exploited this opportunity to take advantage of our policies to get here. Youre right. Thats just who we catch. That dovetails into the second part we dont talk enough about, the National Security crisis. When we talk about the crisis its not just the immigration and he mentioned crisis. Its nationals could crisis as well. One aspect of that is what you said, gang members. We apprehended over 1000 and members 22 different gangs and thats just who we apprehended. The Human Smuggling Organization and cartels are using the humanitarian effort to draw board of virtual agents off the line trying to drawing the hei of the typical agent were taken off the line to really care for kids and families. What do you think the Human Smuggling Organizations were doing . There were exploding debt. They were doing it by design. They would send large caravans in one area so that the Border Police would go and address that. Meanwhile, be distracted. Of the 1000 gang members. Drugs last year, cbp seized over 800,000 pounds of drugs. Think about that. 800,000 pounds. Another 300,000 pounds of drugs, heroin, meth, fentanyl, cocaine all those hard narcotics with of last year. Fentanyl, one sector out of nine sectors seized 11 pounds, enough to kill 2 Million People in the tray. Last year alone 68,000 individuals in this country died because of direct resultdu of overdose of illicit narcotics. 68,000 people, more people than died in the entire vietnam conflict. Theres another thing that i say, every town, city and state in this country is a border town city and state because mark my words if you have a meth overdose in ohio, mark my words that came from the southwest border. What mexico is doing is there able to produce meth which is skyrocketed up faster, cheaper, and its more potent. A lot of times meth was manufactured in the United States. Thats going to enter mexico is grading superlattice. We have laws that discourage that. Thats right. When we talk about the crisis of the border, when you talk about the need for a wall as one tool, its not just an at stemming te flow of illegal immigration. Its about also stopping the drugs pouring into this country that killed 68,000 people last year. This affects every community in our country as well, and its an issue for mexico as well in terms of corruption and the money that the cartels have to throw around. Absolutely. How much of a threat other cartels to the United States . A lot of people make the claim that there is little risk of Cartel Activity overflowing into the United States because they are afraid of euros Law Enforcement or a number of other reasons they give. Do you agree with that . It depends on how you shape that appear in the talk about pilots, one thing. But he could talk about Cartel Activity impacting this country, heck yeah. We just described the drugs pouring in, 60,000 deaths, cartoon of a soldiers operate in mexico. They are in the United States. They operate stash houses. O they have their networks in every city state content in this country. Working with gangs often. Absolutely. So cartel and Human Smuggling Organizations are alive and well in mexico and here. Violence is another issue. Violencexi has not spill over. I was a special agent in charge in el paso. That city with one of the safest cities of its size in america for many years. The violence in mexico really the majority of that is cartel against cartel. This what the American People need to understand. Why is it so much violence in mexico . What are the cartels warring withe each other, for control over the smuggling routes . Because its so profitable. Its so profitable. Its a multibillion dollar industry for them every single year. We estimate the cartels, over 60 billion that they have. Its unbelievable. Thats another reason why were working with the government of mexico to work on southbound operations to try to stop weapons from going in and also illicit currency from going south that as well. So the cartels are alive and well. A i saw a figure today i think 4 billion dollars a year in revenue for the cartels. I think thats a conservative estimatest. And this is one reason we need a multifaceted approach to this. What do you think has worked . Hasnt been mostly the changing of our policies, or the working with other countries . What is mexico doing to address this influx of people and illicit drugs . It all of the above. We have to have separate a little bit. On the human smuggling side, on the illegal migration site, it has been accommodation of this president strategy, this administration strategy, the ability of cbp and i. C. E. And other Partner Agencies to execute all those initiatives as well as the cooperation other countries, mexico and northern tranquil country. Or what with panama and other countries as well. 26,000 troops, they its that National Guard can strengthen their southern border, apprehensions have almost doubled last year. They strengthen the u. S. Mexico border and that strengthen their interior enforcement. Back in may were experiencing 4050 large groups of individuals of 100 or more. Those numbers went down. Last month i think we had two. They are stepping up. Its a huge difference and so it really is all that. With respect to the illegal migration crisis. On the drug crisis we still have a ways to go. Again 800,000, right, 300,000 and thats thousand and thats just what we seized. We know that volumes, greater that we can probably even fathom are still getting through that border and making its way to every town city and state in this country. Well, obviously barriers would help in stopping people. How much wall has been built since so far 93 miles. I think this is important. Address a couple false narratives out there. This is something that the experts have asked for. This is something that the Border Patrol agents and the leadershipha have asked for. This isnt something that t the president asked for. The president asked the experts what they needed, and he is delivering on what they have asked for. When we talk about the wall, its not just a wall. Its a wall system and is not just a wall system. Its a part of a multilayer strategy of infrastructure, technology and personnel. Everywhere along the southwest border where those three approaches have coalesced together effectively in strategic location, its made an impact both on the illegal flow of migration as well as drugs and that people. Every single place that that has been implemented. We have the data we can show that. I seen it. It works. And again with the data. Now with the new wall system, its not just a physical barrier. It is integrated lighting, technology, access roads. All those things the Border Patrol agents and leadership asfoor, thats going into this wall system. I can say without hesitation without doubt, every map a new wall that is being built, this country is more safe because of it. Because it actually increases the Border Patrols operational capacity to get to do with the need to do. Its about impedance and denial. Is it going to be impenetrable and not be able to be overcome . No, but it is going to ignite and impede. You get the technology and personnel, put all this together, a person will come in and do the apprehension. A good part of that, i want to make sure technology is huge part of this. We need more technology but again at the end of the day we say tongueincheek but serious, technology cant make an arrest so you still need agents. And again you need fewer. Right, exactly. But technology is an important part of that as well. All three of those things are very important. Its not just one or the other. Its all three together in strategic locations and thats what we are doing. I saw in your written testimony before a Senate Committee that you mentioned that there were an estimated 150,000 who evaded our security at the border. How did you come up with how do you know . I think thats a conservative estimate. We call them got a ways. Its not really a scientific method. Its not super complicated. Ill give an example, Border Patrol and jamaica to it. Where there was no wall system, no technology and the sea footprints in m the ground acros border. They can physically count the footprint argosy tire tracks. Its not really complicated or scientific but they arere pretty good at that. There are experts at that to be able to determine just by looking at footprints and et cetera who and what cross. Throughout the southwest border all 2000 miles with estimate at least 150,000. I think thats conservative. I think it is higher. We assume those are not families seeking or who are going to say that they fear return. These are people who dont want to be entered into our system. Thats exactly right. Thats another element that we dont talk enough about. The majority of the families who come across an unaccompanied make theiren they way to the border, a lot of times they sit in a way for Border Patrol agent. Its not at first. Its a Safe Exchange and apprehension and processing. Those got a ways are right, the ones are running. Why are their money . Those about the good ones. Were having this discussion we need to be intellectually honest to our discussion and that every Single Person that tries to enter this country illegally is a good country. Dash it is a good person. Theyre not all that but the nonlocal. We have to be honest about that. 1000 1000 and members caught. We also have caught pedophiles, rapists, murderers. A lot of people say those numbers are small. How many is acceptable . How many . How many greate this compelling murderers . How many pedophiles are acceptable . How many gang members, ms13 gang members are acceptable for us to allow into this country . Thats the question. From my m perspective Law Enforcement for a lot of decades trying to safeguard this country, the answer is easy, its zero. Thats what we need to strengthen our borders. Thats what we need the wall along with other things. Customs and Border Protection officers, especially the Border Patrol, have in recent times been subject to a lot of disparagement, been vilified, have been accused of abusing authority. What do you say to those who had said that officers routinely are overzealous, that their missin is inherently inhumane . How do you enter that . I say it is a lie. I say for people who say that dont know what youre talking about. People who say that have not been down to the border. People who say that have not seen Border Patrol agents and officers do their job. I have. I think you get a couple of facts. Ot not hyperbole and not emotion. Although i do get emotional about this because i know they are lying about the minimum of cbp here 4900 rescues last year. 4900 rescues. Thats huge. Thats a good point. Not apprehended, rescues. But for typical agents and officers. So they saw someone in need. They didnt stop to say wait a minute, are you trying to illegally enter this country . They didnt ask that. They didnt ask what is your nationality. What they saw is somebody, a human being in need and they immediately went into action with respect to the training and whats in their dna to help protect people, and the rest their own life, or the 900 times. Let me give you another stat that is factual. Healthcare. We average between 7080 hospital this is just along southwest border every day. So that means we get somebody in, we get a medical screen, evaluation and able to determine right away that it exceeded our organic medical capability and we immediately took them to the proper ems or mental facilities locally there, 7080 times a day, 4900 rescues. Thats of the men and women are. When with individuals including our own political leaders lie and say stuff like were running concentration camps, thats a lie. E. De when he said the portal ages are having people drink out of toilets, its a lie a lie. I do get frustrated with that. What i would sit anybody come on down, these are mothers, brothers, fathers and sisters. I have been there and seen a Border Patrol agent kneel down and talk toow a seven Year Old Girl holding the hands of her nineyearold brother who came along to suffer at the hands of smuggling organizations all the way here and give that different than talking to the spanish treating those to make its as if they were the own kids. I seen that. Anyone who says otherwise, i will question have you been there and really seen it . This is probably a good time for us to plug our annual border tour or redo give people the opportunity to good and see. We think its important for people to see for themselves whats going on to understand the issues better. I want to touch on a couple of other things before we open it up to some of the questions. Not all illegal immigration is people entering surreptitiously at the border. Some people comment on visas and overstay. In 1996 congress enacted a requirement that the government enact a biometric entryexit screening program. It took until 2004 to get the first part of that done, and the agency dhs did it very well. Its very effective call usvisit where we started collecting biometrics upon entry comparing them to the fingerprints collected at the time that asked for a visa. But not much has happened since 2004, and congress has passed this requirement six or eight times. Where are we on establishing a comprehensive entryexit system . We dont have it at land for most people come from. We are getting passenger manifests so we can start to know how many people are leaving. Can you update us . Its a good point. Theres a lot of privacy issues and a lot of groups that a bit out there, very, very negative towards l this. This was a mandate as you just described and this is amended thats been out a long time. I will give you one reason im not an excuse but a justifiable reason why the biometrics have been so slow is that technology has not been there. It hasnt been there. The last five years the Industry Standard has said that the technology has 12 times better than it was just five years ago. So when people talk about the data, make sure the data is not more than six months old. Ever using data longer than that it is probably bad data. The strides were making in this have increased. For us at cbp were continuing to make progress. So lets talk about airports both exit and entry. Weve expanded that the 16 airports, exit entry biometrics. Was yes. 16 airports and its working. For all travelers, international or international. International travelers at those airports at specific airlines. Even the airports were doing at not for all airlines. Right now with additional 29 airports give or take a couple that we are continuing to work with to improve. If you look, right now i think another key element to this is what i like to say we do is not facial recognition. Recognition takes on a different kind of term. Really what cbp is doing is facial comparison. That onetoone comparison. And thats a very important distinction. We have a database, a manifest where we have those photos and actually compare that onetoone. Like is this the person was issued a visa in whatever country . Correct. Sometimes when you look at facial recognition you think of some sort surveillance program. Thats not what were doing. Think about this. The basic concept, instead of taking the comparison manually to a human being, which is failed and flawed, we have done the percentages, we are taken that ability making it electronic. Its more efficient. Its a heck of a lot faster and its more accurate. We have put millions and millions through this new biometric facial comparisonav process at and 9899 accuracy rate. Its definitely effective and like us of the technology is improving. Every single year exponentially that technology is improving and i think we are probably getting, will get a place where we are darned 100 being accurate in that facial comparison. Having talked to many in the private sector in thisra indust, a lot of people think the technology is there but this is another situation where congress has not come through with the money that the agency needs. Thatss exactly right. We work with the airports and airlines for them to work with us to find that ability as well and were making progress on this. On the land side weve instituted that. We piloted it in a couple of errors where in 2020 we will expand it to four four areas ie southwest border. We are looking at the flow, and so we are instituting that right now. Thats important because thats where most people it is over land border and we dont do any kind of biometric matching now for the millions of people who cross. We collect at the Border Crossing cards but we dont thats right. Just a short time weve done at the land, weve already caught what we call numerous impostorss and we done at the airports as well. I have one last topic that i want to hit before we go on, and that is the state of new york recently implemented what i considerer to be the most egregious law that not only allows the issuance of drivers licenses to illegal aliens and others who concoct an identity but also greatly restrict access of every immigration Enforcement Agency to their Motor Vehicle database. This is something new. Im not aware of this occurring in any other state. New york isew a t border state. I know that you are aware of the problems. Can you explain how important this is and why this is going to impact cbp . So first of all it is very important, and i tell you, i cant have enough strong reaction. Its reckless, irresponsible, its politics at its worst. Im telling the American People that this policy by new york will absolutely make this country less safe. And its not just confined to new york. A lot of people just have a fundamental misunderstanding. You have a car, you dont just take in new york, right . You travel anywhere in this country. And so were going to come across people now that we run the plate. Think about this. You could be in los angeles, in southcentral los angeles and have a new york plate and a Police Officer is going to pull behind to run the plate and they will get nothing back. Nothing back. You have to have drivers license. Restricted access. Thats right. Think about this. From a Law Enforcement perspective, any time you take a legitimate Law Enforcement tool away from an Law Enforcement entity, think about that, you are reducing their ability to safeguard this country every single time you are taking away a tool. Thats exactly what this is happening and is being driven by politics. Its reckless, irresponsible, and this coach will be less safe. Lets also add, i also believe its against the law. I meane come under the idea, immigration and naturalization act, theres a policy that says estate cannot institute a law or policy that counters our ability to do our job. It says in any way restricts exchange of information. And this law specifically, does it talk with any entity with immigration, but it also mention cbp and i. C. E. Its purely political. I dont think theyre restricting the state of new jersey correct. Or any other, the fbi. Thats exactly right. Well, what is the federal government going to do about . I can tell you is that from the moment that happened, i have been engaged in discussion at a very high level. We are absolutely looking at all options, both within dhs and also within components of cbp. I passed my a folks to take a hd look at this. What are the options we can do to make sure we close this loophole in any way within our current Legal Framework . Im going to push hard to make sure that we counteract this horrendous, irresponsible and reckless law by the state of new york. All right. Thank you. No shortage of questions here. May take me a while to go through some of these. Heres one. Now that the numbers of guatemalans crossing into mexico are down, what are the u. S. Expectations for the mexican National Guard deployment on thatus border, the southern border, in 2020 . I think thats a good question and which is going have to continue to watch that. If you look over history, what weve experienced is every single time we let off the proverbial gas pedal, the cartels and Human Smuggling Organizations take advantage of that. We have to make sure were sharing information, sharing intelligence and maintain a steady state to ensure that they still have the a force adequato handle the current flow. This is very important. Although we have addressed specifically what we kind of sought out to do initially, the family from Golden Triangle countries and again since may thats gone down 85 overall the flow is gone down 70 , we are still at crisis numbers. We are still averaging between 14001500 daily. Former secretary jeh johnson said back then 1000 was a bad thing. Hes right, 1000 is a bad day. Were still at 1500 so were still at crisis level. Although we may tremendous stride, we are not done yet. Mexico needs to continue that posture for the foreseeable future. And as you alluded to before, we still need to address some of these problems in our laws that you described. Thatses right. So thats the key and the think thats may be part of this question is going to as well is that regardless of how great mexico is stepping up in the northern tribal countries, at the end thehe United States, we cannot rely on other countries to fix our broken system. To have a durable, lasting solution to fixing our current Legal Framework, congress has to act. When they fail to do so, and they need to. Regardless of mexico and the northern tribal countries do, its not durable or lasting. Thats what we need congress to do. Are there restrictions onn te funding that you have for next year . Yes. Every single time we get funding regardless of what pocket that funding comes generally there are some restrictions that come with that. On the good news is, the restrictions will not impede our ability to build the wall. We already long ago have that identified where to go, with the strategic need was. Weve had discussion with the army corps and were already on a way to using all of that 1. 375. There was a story one npr talking about some of the hurdles for cbp in acquiring land and so on. Do you think that is going to get in the way of getting the what 450 some milestone in the next year . No. Its that part yet to get in first before you can build. But what really stops is, watchfully detrimental isir the lower activism of lower courts. We just got enjoined by a lower court for using dod funding thats what hurts us. Thats what causes more challenges for us but i can tell you with this new funding that came, im actually confident, not only are we going to get somewhere between four, 450 most built most built but we will exceed that. I think were going to have more miles either under contract, being built, built our ready to be built. Where is most of the going . Its going on all phase one southwest border. The Border Patrol has done a good job of coming up with a poor security Implementation Plan that identifies the highest priorities. The challenging part is that changes. Any time you go to cartels come we sent in one area, they just go to another area. We are constantlyr reevaluating the threatened area and constantly changing where it is strategically we need the infrastructure and the technology and personnel. Right now that 450 miles was identified as the top 400 fees the 450 strategic miles that we needed. We will have more under contract, or being built by the end of 2020. Is some of the going into the Rio Grande Valley . Yes. There were accounts that identified that the flow was increasing in certain other areas of the border. As you said that balloon effect into arizona for example, and in the situation was also because the remaining remain in mexico posts were not in place yet in arizona. Thats right. Its a very key point because the Human Smuggling Organizations, they know our laws better than most americans know our loss when it comes to immigration and also know where were instituting certain initiatives. At that time in pp was not being an issue in arizona. We are not expanded there. The smuggling organizations are broadcasting after but if this is what you need to go in. Since then which shut that down and expanded that but it shows you how to adapt the art and a flexible and resilient they are to changing. And the price has gone up. Thats always a good sign. The human smuggling or the drug smuggling prices. You alluded to the corps of engineers. Heres the question. Why does cbp have to use the army corps of engineers to build the wall . Why cant they contract direct . Theres a couple nuances but yet remember some of the funding were using, the dod funding were using has to be specifically for military projects. And so the majority of the funding wery have is dod related funding. It just makes sense to use the army corps of engineers, the overall contractor but they are subcontracting out with companies throughout the United States just as we did, just as we would do. Thats the main driving force. To be quite honest that are better at it. Theyve done this before. Its part of what they do. Is it really possible to control the border without fundamental change to our asylum law . Thats a good question, and my answer is, theres a a difference between control of the border, so yes, we can get to a position where we have operational capacity to be able to interdict whats coming to the border. The challenge is addressing the flow. That is addressed by congress. Look, if we continue to loopholes, we could can change have 1 Million People to the border. That doesnt change my want or need to have that control, that operational control of the border. Whether ive 1000 or 10,000 coming in a day, i. C. E. To want the same operational control and capacity to apprehend and interdict whatever comes to the speedydy and identify. And identify. What we need congress to do is fix those loopholes so less will try to come to those loopholes is whats driving more to come. I want both. I want to operate security on the entire board and in what congress to do the job to stem the flow to make our job a little bit easier detecting this country. That relates to this question. In may and june congress was complaining about quote end quote kids in cages, in other words, children detained in cbp custody. What role did Congress Play in that event . Back in 2015 when those facilities were built, which by the way i absolutely object to the term cages. But back when those systems were built, the role that Congress Play back then, they were thanking us becaused we had this onslaught of unaccompanied children that were coming in and the Border Patrol facilities are not designed for children. They have a holding area with a concrete step and open 20. Those facilities are designed for single adults to be held for a very short period of time, processed and then removed. H thats the core of the mission and to how it operated and the facilities worked to forge like that. All of a sudden we softs influx of kids and everybody including the Border Patrol who are mothers and fathers said these are not the conditions these children should be in. What did they do . We spent a lot of money. They scrambled fast and built these facilities specifically for families and kids. Back then, including congress, was applauding them saying wow, its incredible how fast you able to build these facilities. Thats the role they played back then and thats what i i get so frustrated now. If you look now, theres chainlink fencing there. If you think about that for a second, we have all kinds of demographics. We have babies that are coming in all thehe way up to 17yeard kids. Some of them have a mother, some of thee father all these different ages. Some of them have a rented mother or father. Exactly. Like, you dont want to put a 14yearold male in the same area as a sixyear old female, right . A scrambled around and the reasn why theres chainlink, so security we can see through to make sure to provide adequate protection at attention for these individuals. Thats how that happened. It was effective and it worked. Passport, dont want to facilities that do not have chainlink fence and then . Yes. I have to do and its there and were moving towards that right now. In your view what is the number one reason we must enforce our immigration laws . Protect American Workers from unfair competition, protect american taxpayers, National Security, or to prevent the entry or reentry of criminals . Theres a couple ways for me first of i would say all of the above. Let me tell you my response way Law Enforcement perspective because bathroom i have. Its about two things. Its about the rule of law. We have to enforce the rule of law. If the American People dont like the current laws, dont picket cbp europe dont pick at i. C. E. Go talk to congress and have them change the law here right now the law is Immigration National accusation echoed that is the law that we are upholding and enforcing. That rule of law. On the second thing is to maintain the integrity of the system. If you dont maintain the integrity and you have no system at all and thats the second priority. The third priority actually is to safeguard and protect the American People. When i say i want the wall, its not a political statement for me. Its from a Law Enforcement perspective. Im honored to be this be in ts position and get the most effective tools to the men and women of the Border Patrol to safeguard this country. Thats what its about. This will have to be our last question. Who is subject to the deal with guatemala on deportation flights . They are asking, is it only people from el salvador and honduras, or mexicans and our ages being told to carry out this policy . Yes. We talked a littleldut bit aboue initial agreement is to start with hondurans and el salvador yesterday thats where to start but its effective right now, guatemala is doing a really good job of having an effective system to be able to handle the flights coming in. And now were talking to expand it to other demographics, specifically mexicans. We are h continuing to have dialogue to spendy the two othr extracurricular countries as well. A prospective fact this is not just a United States government problem. Its all our problems. Our world is global. Issues are global. Our solution should be global. It should just be the United States so were looking to expand that across the board to as many demographics as a we ca. All right. Thank you so much for submitting to this. Its very helpful to hear your responses and your statement. And thank you all for coming today. I hope you watch our website for the next newsmaker event that we have in the new year. Happy new year. Thank you. 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