Speaker play cspan radio. Cspanshop. Org is cspans online store. The latest collection of apparel, books, home decor and accessories. Something for every span fan with every purchase helps support nonprofit operations. Shop now or anytime at cspanshop. Org. A look at the experience and migration process in latin america the secretary of state Antony Blinken and Homeland Security secretary alejandro mayorkas. The u. S. Is about think you measures that aim to ease the flow of migrants the usmexico border title 42 restrictions expire. Let me just say at the top delighted to be joined by secretary mayorkas and i want to take this opportunity to say how thrilled i am very have our new spokesperson but i couldnt be more pleased not just for me but the department in our country, extraordinary professional. Im equally grateful to you is done an extraordinary job as our spokesperson these past weeks. The cdcs temporary title 42 Public Health orderer will expie as required by court order. President biden agencies across our government have been taking robusta steps to prepare for these effects that it will havev on our immigration system and movement of people across. Produce expiration the first like to take the opportunity to put this in the context of broader approach to migration to the region in the coming weeks. Focus on making migration more safe, orderly and humane in the interest of the american people. He steppedst back and its realy important to do that globally, there are more than 100 billion people in Social Security in our lives and thats more than at any time in recorded history. In our own hemisphere are facing unprecedented gratian challenge, longterm like violence and corruption, lack of Economic Opportunity, problems exacerbated by the pandemic, crisis of confidence, weather events caused by the change in climate, 20 million are displaced across this hemisphere and the strain on s transit in countries is high. Migration is the demolition of challenge that no country can solve alone. The range of drivers and push and pull back all commands that we Work Together. Thats why last summer President Biden brought together leaders from across the western hemisphere to agree to the declaration on gratian and protection. Twentyone countries have joined that separation. Its an acknowledgment of shared responsibility on migration and shared commitment to Work Together and leverage the strength of our partners across the government and society and the private sector and humanitarian organization, all coming together to address the challenge so let me highlight t some of the ways the unitedwa states is working with partners in the region of migration to take among other things, pressure off the borders giving people alternatives to making the hazardous journey in the United States. Economic opportunities will come through 4. 2 billion in private sector commitments harris has helped us secure in america. These investments by businesses and social enterprises will sustain and createte jobs and connect people to the Digital Economy and financing, provide training and education and improve economic areas across the region. There investing for initiatives like working with our partners to train and equip 500,000 local healthcare workers across the hemisphere the next five yearsrs so more people get quality care in their community. All of these will help people feel they have a future in their own communities. Of course many of these investments can take time to bear fruit so we working in parallel, it critical. For nearterm impact. We are supporting countries as they provide Legal Protections diand assistance for refugees ad migrants so they can thrive in their new communities. Delivering funding to schools, providers and funding staffing so individuals can gain and demonstrate legal status which is critical to work in social services and partners are doing extraordinary work in columbia for example has given ten years temporary protected status to do and a half billion venezuelans allowing them to work and study and access public services. Undertaking similar efforts for venezuela and nicaragua as well as peru. We see efforts to effectively remove one of the largest barriers to organization. It helped over 100,000 wes venezuelans in places where they have greater Economic Opportunity mexico and canada are increasing the number of people they welcome on this basis. Working with partners in the hemisphere to accept the patriot physician bites. Increase humanitarian aid and protection of the population. Second, we are announcing 60 day search to enhance security and counter an effort shared in a few moments. Disinformation spread by traffickers and other bad actors including standing Media Outreach for migration communities through channels potentiallyti reaching 85 millin people so people who want to migrate have Accurate Information about how to do so legally and safely and no the pudangers of putting themselves and hands of traffickers. Third, significantly expanding access for pathways for those in need including u. S. Refugee mission programs. Too many people into many places, these pathways feel far from reach so working to create more opportunity to make them more accessible six times as many refugees in a 2022 than during the Previous Year and more than double those in 2023. January President Biden committed to working 30,000 individuals every month, cuba, haiti, venezuela and morocco to the program. Regular migration for those four countries fell by more than 97 within the first month because people now have legal and safe pathway. That means tens of thousands of people are making the journey to our border opening themselves at the mercy of them. National and International Ngos connect the most vulnerable publishing including religious minorities, lgbt plus person and expedite resettlement. We are developing new ways to increase the scope and effectiveness of migration systems which for the First Time Ever allows american individuals to sponsor a refugee. Soon we will stand up Regional Processing Centers in select locations in the region. I want to thank columbia and guatemala specifically excellent partners in the United States in these efforts. These senators will be operated by International Partners and improve qualified individual access for resettlement processing and they will refer pathways as well like canada and spain. These will take an important step to prevent people from making a dangerous journey to the border by providing a safer legal operation that theyal can pursue in their own countries, a new innovative approach and enhances security. Ill have a chance to travel to where we need leaders to talk about how they can better deliver for their people and its the heart of the migration challenge. How can we all Work Together as ovwe are to provide secure hopel futures. Good morning. As the secretary described, it a hemispheric challenge that demands a solution. Working with neighbors in the region they can and will reduce the number of migrants who reach our southern border. The Regional Processing Center announced today will be a critical addition to the programs and processes in place for qualifying individuals to obtain authorization into the United States before arriving at our borders. This is particularly important because we have a humanitarian obligation to cut the smugglers out. Weve seen it a dramatic rise in the reach and cruelty of the organizations the past ten years and the challenges. The company has a plan weve developed that are executing takes this into account. We are building lawful pathways for people to come to the United States without resorting to smugglers. At the same t time we are imposg consequences on those who do not use those pathways and instead irregularly migrates to the southern border. S this plan has proven effective building on success of uniting ukraine, we created processes for qualifying cubans, haitians, nicaraguans and venezuelans and we expel individuals from these countries who seek to enter at the southern border. Losing interest in these processes and dramatic drop in ovencounters from theseor nationalities. Overall the number of Border Patrol encounters in march 2023 was down 22 compared to march of last year. When people have safe orally pathways to come to the United States and face consequences for going to do so, they use those pathways. After may 11 the cold court compelled use the title 42 and will process migrants under total eight of the United States code. Its longstanding invasion authority multiple integrations, republicans and democrats alike to process individuals. It carries consequences for the regular migration including a five year ban on potential criminal prosecution repeated offense to cross unlawfully. Toed return under title eight authorities will be swift and immediate. Weve been preparing for this transition more than a year endi a half. Notwithstanding those preparations we do expect encounters at the southern border will increase. Smugglers seek to take advantage of the change and are already hard at work spreading disinformation that the border will be open after the. I encounters will place a strain on our entire system including dedicated heroic workforce and communities. Smugglers propaganda is false. Let me be clear, our border is not open and will not be open after may 11. Today we are announcing the expansion of our plan to go pathways and impose consequences for failures to use those pathways. First department of Homeland Security is how to work with the state department establishing the Processing Centers of secretary clinton described. We are dedicating refugee officers to the centers. They will continue applicants for the u. S. Refugee Admissions Program and provide for processing of a greater number of individuals. In addition to refugee processing migrants may be screened at these centers and referred to pursue additional pathways to the United States or other countries for which they may be eligible second, we are streamlining longestablished family reunification processes for cubans and haitians so the individuals from these countries with approved family conditions can quickly reunite with their families here in the United States. Third, ive directed family reunification process that will extend this wellrecognized model for individuals from el salvador, pall mall, honduras and columbia. More about these processes will be available by may 11. We will continue successful processes we announced in january. Through our one, act we will enable individuals to schedule more appointments ports of entry, consistent with title eight processing. Cuba, haiti, nicaragua and venezuela as well as corresponding returns to mexico for those without legal basis to remain will continue. At the same time we are imposing consequences for individuals who do not lawful pathways. Beginning may 12, will place eligible individuals arrive at the southern border and expedited removal proceedings. Those who arrive at our border who do not have legal basis to say will have made the journey often having suffered horrific trauma and paid life savings to the smugglers only to be quickly removed. Removed most often in a matter of days and just a few weeks. Unlike the title 42 Public Health authority the penalty for being removed from the United States under title eight expedited removal and other immigration laws we will be enforcing is not just removal. An individual whose removed subject to at least a five year admission to the United States will face criminal prosecution for subsequent attempts to cross the border illegally. We will process eligible single adults for expedited removal while in Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement facilities. Challenges within our immigration system particularly like single adults, families will be placed in removal proceedings including expedited removal. We are currently focused on utilizing the full spectrof our alternatives to detention programs including gps monitoring and enhanced supervision such as curfews and expanding Case Management services. This will be coupled with more stringent measures for those who do not comply. The same principle will apply to single adults and families. They will have an opportunity to seek protection or other relief from removal. If they receive a final order of removal, we will enforce the law and they will be removed. In addition to our land border, we will continue to confront the challenge of migration on our seas. Since we announced our parole processes for cubans, haitians, nicaraguans and venezuelans, we have made it clear that those who arrive at our southern border are not eligible for the parole processes. We are announcing today that that ineligibility will now extend to individuals who take to the seas and are interdicted trying to arrive at our maritime borders. We have seen too many people, families, women, children, perish in the rough seas. We have increased the presence of our United States coast guard to interdict migrants trying to reach the United States by sea. We have saved countless lives and we have returned the migrants to their home countries that will continue. In addition, we are finalizing the regulation that the departments of justice and Homeland Security jointly proposed earlier this year, that proposed regulation will incentivize individuals to avail themselves of lawful, safe and orderly pathways and disincentivize dangerous border crossings by placing a new condition on asyleligibility for those who fail to use those pathways. The departments of justice and Homeland Security aim to have the rule finalized by may 11th and will swiftly implement it. The work we have been performing to prepare for post title 42 continues as i have previously outlined in our six pillar plan, we are surging resources to our border modernizing processes, attacking the smuggling organizations with unprecedented Law Enforcement focus, strengthening our Immigration Enforcement tool of expedited removal. Working to increase information sharing and resources having distributed over 130 million this fiscal year with 2290 more to be awarded in the coming weeks for local communities and their nonprofit organizations. We are partnering with nations in the region to address the challenges of unprecedented migration throughout the hemisphere. For example, two weeks ago, we for example, two weeks ago we reached a trilateral agreement with colombia and panama to attack the smugglers who falsely coax people into the treacherous terrain. We initiated a 60 day cord needed campaign with panama and colombia to prevent the incredibly dangerous humanitarian situationon of migrants traversing the darien jungle. We have made more than 10,000 smuggling arrests since april of last year and seized more than 47 million in smugglers illegal property and finances. The canadian commitment to accept an additional 15,000 migrants was part of a complementary effort to create lawful pathways. Everyone agrees, everyone agrees, our immigration system is outdated and badly broken. We must tackle the challenges before us together. This includes the potential for increases in migration after may 11 and the strain it will place on our communities, our workforce, and our system. Thats why today we notified congress of our intent to reprogram funds within our budget to support other emerging requirements across dhs. This reprogramming of existing funds will not meet our longer term needs for securing ourrd border and enforcing our laws. The administration requested 4. 9 billion for these requirements but received only 2. 7 billion in the funding bill passed this december. Ei while the department is prudently utilizing the limited Funding Congress has provided ts prepare for the posttitle 42 environment, this notification of repurposing existing funds is only a fraction of what we will ultimately need. We know smugglers will seek to take advantage of the end of title 42 and that the first few weeks will be challenging, but i have full confidence in theth dedicated men and women of dhs. We will do all we can to manage our border and increased encounters in a safe, orderly, and humane way. Y. We are working with our regional partners. We are going after the smugglers. We are surging resources to the border. But we cannot do everything that we need to do until congress provides the needed resources and reforms. We call on congress to provide the resources we need to continue our work. We stand ready to work with congress to pass desperately needed reform to our immigratioh and asylum system. In the meantime, we will continue to do our part, implementing the approach we have described here today. Thank you. We will take a couple of questions. We have a special guest today. I dont know if you want to ask the secretaries first. Thats right. Its take her children to work day and happy to take a question me if you have one. Or youan can whisper it to matt. Well, i think she wanted ask about the geopolitical and strategic implications of u. S. China russia rivalry, but thats a little bit offtopic. Instead she had a joke she wanted to tell, but im not sure shes shes got a little stage fright. Start at one come for either of you. On the Regional Processing Centers, do yous. Have a targetn estimate of how many people will be able, the capacity for these like per week or per month . And whether you do or not, if you think thatth it will be so successful and are truly new and innovative, why hasnt this been done before . And secondly to secretary blinken obvious one is that an update on the sudan evacuation or nonevacuation n terms of the state department . Thank you. Happy to. So this is a process that will scale up over time. We are going to begin in collaboration of course with the state department and our partner countries to begin in several thousand each month. Five, 6000 plus each month individuals processed, a Material Impact on the decisionmaking of people who are seeking relief in the country. The whole model is to reach the people where they are, to cut the smugglersee out, and to have been avoided the perilous journey that too many do not make. But we are beginning in guatemala and colombia, we are beginning at the level that i described, and we will scale up. We are incredibly proud of the fact that we negotiated this agreement with those foreign countries, and we hope to expand beyond that. And that, just one point on that. I think as this effort moves forward and we establishment, my expectation would be that even beyond the numbers of the people who might be processed in a given month, other people having seen that this is now a way to access legal pathways to the United States, that does require them to again take the hazardous journey to our border and to put themselves and hits of smugglers, and then to come only to be turned away in any event. My expectation would be that many other people beyond those were actually being processed in a given month will stay put and wait to avail themselves of this additional way of accessing legal pathways. So we will see. We have to build it out and we are very actively workingha on doing that. As to why this hasnt been done before, well, i mean, its like any good idea. You can say gee, why did we think of this before . The fact is were working on it now and were working to make it real and effective. On sedan just a few things. First we are very actively working to extend the ceasefire. Weve had a 72 hour ceasefire which like most ceasefires is imperfect but nonetheless has reduced violence, and thats obviously created somewhat better condition for people in sudan. Its also enable some humanitarian assistance to continue to move around. But we want to make sure that if possible this is extended. We are veryy actively engaged on that. Hopeag to have more that in the coming hours. The focus again is on extended the ceasefire ande make sure theres humanitarian access. With regard to american citizens in sudan, a few things to be that. Bout we are providing the best possible advice that we can to anyone asking for assistance about conditions, about safety, about security so that they can make decisions with the most information possible about what they want to do, whether you want to stay, whether you want to try to go. As you know the vast majority of american citizens who are incidental or dual nationals come most of whom have made their lives and livelihoods in sudan forde years, decades. So these are very challenging decisions for people to make, but we are in contact with americans of registered with us in one way or another and very active contact. Whats happened over the last 72 or so hours is that the reduction in violence that we were able to achieve through the ceasefires that we helped produce has allowed partners and allies in coordination with us to conduct some aerial evacuations. Gi we are providing important Logistical Support to these efforts. This is a collaborative process, and we managed to direct Many Americans who were seeking to leave to that evacuation process. So that they could along with other National Take advantage of it. Ongoing. At the same time what happens in a situation iss your people who are not all at once everyone making a decision in a given time about what theyre going to do or not do. This changes over time. So people who today think theyre going to stay put may decide next week, next month that they want to leave. What we need to do and what we are working to establish is a sustained process for enabling people to leave, assuming that the conditions that we see now are maintained, by which i mean on the one hand, yes, ceasefire however imperfect, but also ongoing violence, confrontation between the two rival military groups, et cetera. As we have looked at this we believe that the best way to have an indoor incapability to help people lead sedan if thats what they so choose is over land. We are working to establish a process that would enable people to move over land to a place where they can more easily exit the s country, and all likelihod port sudan. So thats under very active development. And again that would be the most effective way to have a sustained process, a sustained mechanism, and doing capability to enable peopleak to leave if thats the choice that they make. A couple of technical questions and then something broader for either of you. Following up on the Regional Centers, how many more countries are you negotiating with to set up centers to add them down the line . You have set a goal i think you said doubling the number of refugees to be admitted. Is that realistic given the huge backlog, the enormous demand,ac, and how long it does take to scale up to the six month or whatever it is . Im wondering how many more people will really be help in these new measures. Secretary mayorkas, you said something didnt quite get about family detention. Will and i found to be detained is atw the idea . And finally for secretary blinkent you make in the global aspect of immigration. I wanted to ask about russians have been coming to the United States seeking asylum saying they are fleeing conscription, many of them are minorities, and seems like their cases are being turned down. N. Many of them have been detained by ice and a few that we know of have been deported back to russia. Why do they not have a credible fear case . Thank you. So let me, i can take the questions if i may. So the issue of credible fear, the determination credibles fer is very key specific individualized determination. Are very experienced asylum officers make those determinations. Based on the facts presented to them, as well as the Background Information with respect to the country conditions. They evaluate the claims aced on the people before them and the case that those individuals present. We are indeed in discussions with other countries to expand the Regional Processing Centers. And they will have a Significant Impact on the migratory decisions of individuals in the region and our parole processes really communicate that fact quite powerfully. People dont want to place the lies and their life savings in the hands off ruthless smuggler. If they have a lawful, safe, and orderly pathway to come to the United States or another destinationli country, like cana or spain, as m secretary blinken mentioned, they will avail themselves of those lawful pathways. That has proven true through our parole processes and that the lawful pathways that weve implemented to date. That is especially true when,f they do take that perilous journey and happen to survive, because all too many do not, they will find that the border is not open and their subject to removal, and removal will occur in the expedited removal context, swiftly, in a matter of days or just a few weeks. The Regional Processing Centers will indeed make a big difference because we are searching asylum officers to work with the International Organizations, the u. N. High commissioner for refugees, the International Organization for migration to screen people very quickly. We are going to be delivering efficiencies in the refugee screening process to move that process more rapidly than before. Before. This isal going to have a materl impact in a number of ways. One, we will provide relief for a greater number of people, and two, and even greater number of people will wait too avail themselves of this pathway because of its magnitude and the consequence of not doing so. Av we have no plan to detain families. As i mentioned we will be employing alternatives to detention, including some innovations in that regard, and we will on a casebycase basis use enhanced alternatives to detention as are warranted. Thank you. My understanding is the u. S. Intends to continue deporting cubans, haitians, nicaraguans, venezuelans to mexico if they cross to the southern border unlawfully. So do you know how many migrants or door porky or deportees to mexico has agreed to accept if any . I dont think mexico has spoken of any. To date, to date mexico has agreed to accept up to 30,000 expulsions under title 42 per month. That is a decision that they have made. We intend in a post title 42 environment when we are using expedited removal, our title eight of the United States code authorities, we intend to return individuals to mexico from those nationalities. Final question. Leon. To a technical question of these Regional Centers if i may. If i understood you correctly you said they would be operated by International Partners. Are you outsourcing the immigration process . Im happy to start with that. No. The point here is to do with the following, to take advantage of the fact that International Partners have physical locations in a numberad of countries where they are doing very, very important work. T and to be able to bring some of our own officers and experts into the centers so that people can come to them and explore whether they are eligible for one of the various legal pathways to come to this country, whether its as a refugee, whether its for family reunification, whether its for a labor pathway. And that means its a lot easier for people who are contemplating coming to determine from their own countries whether they have a legal pathway to do that. So its making legal pathways much more accessible. As sector mayorkas was saying, as this gets up and running and as people see there is now a more accessible way toe determe whether they are eligible to come to the United States through a through a variety of pathways we believe that will take significant sensible way for people to instead make this incredibly hazardous journey to the United States, put themselves in the hands of smugglers, and count all the terrible dangers that we know the encounter along the way in an effort to pursue asylum. In any event, not get in. So thats the idea but no, it is reliant on our own people to share the information and to do some prescreening of individuals who come to the centers. Anything you want thanks, everybody. [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] this afternoon Outgoing White HouseDomestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice speaks at the Antidefamation League 2023 National Leadership summit. We will hear from democratic senator jacky rosen of nevada. Watch live coverage at 12 45 p. M. Eastern here on cspan2. The u. S. Senate returned later today at 3 p. M. Eastern. Senators will vote on the confirmation of former mtana solicitor general Anthony Johnston to be a ninth Circuit Court of appeals judge. Later lawmakers will consider several o President Bidens nominations for u. S. Istrict courts, in new jersey and new york. Live coveragef the senate on cspan2, and you could watch all of our congressional coverage with our free video at cspan now online at cspan. Org. Since 1979 in partnership with a cable industry cspan has provided complete coverage of the halls of congress from the house and Senate Floors to congressional hearings, party briefings and committee meetings. Cspan gives you a front row seat to how issues are debated and decided with no commentary, no interruptions and completely unfiltered. Cspan, your unfiltered view of go cspan campaign 2024 20e is your front row seat to the president ial election. 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