Officials testified at the Committee Hearing on migrant smuggling and trafficking issues of the u. S. Mexico border. This portion begins with the swearing in of witnesses and their opening statements. It is just under one hour. It is the tradition of this committee to swear in witnesses. If you will stand and raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony who have given before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god . You can be seated. Our first witness is mr. Brian hastings. Mr. Hastings currently serves as the chief on question operations in the u. S. Border patrol headquarters in washington, d. C. Mr. Hastings . Mr. Hastings thank you. It is my honor to represent the men and women of Border Patrol before you today as they are hard at work addressing the Current Crisis on the border. Interdicting illegal aliens, drugs, cash and weapons at the border is a key component of u. S. Border security, and by extension, our National Security. Cartels and other Transnational Criminal Organizations, or tcos, are a threat that requires governance of strategy and in aggressive approach across government. I am sorry to report the Country Vision to this government effort is currently strained, as we are forced to devote 40 to 60 of our manpower to the humanitarian flow that serves as a lucrative business for smuggling organizations. We are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of apprehensions and cannot conduct indepth interviews that provide intelligence on smuggling and trafficking networks. We are distracted with the nearly 200 large groups apprehended. Trafficking organizations are using these opportunities to get narcotics and aliens into the country seeking to evade Law Enforcement organizations. Simply put, the humanitarian crisis has forced us to put Border Security and National Security at risk. They conduct illicit operations without regard for human life. Smugglers control where and how aliens cross our border, putting lives at risk. In the del rio sector alone, Border Patrol rescues have risen from 44 individuals all of last year, to over 400 so far this year. Smugglers are often placing children in nothing more than makeshift rafts or pool toys to pass the rio grande river. On multiple occasions smugglers , have pushed adults and children out of these rafts, wouldg that agents prioritize preservation of life, while the smugglers swim back to mexico to evade arrest. Border patrol agents have rescued more than 3400 people in distress along the border. They have saved nearly 2500 people in tractortrailers. Earlier this month, agents saved 14 people from a locked and unventilated trailer compartment that measured 124 degrees. All these people paid smugglers to bring them into this country and nearly paid with their lives. Others were not so fortunate. This past weekend in the Rio Grande Valley an extensive , search effort was made when subjects reported they had left several children who died north of the border. Sadly, on sunday night, agents recovered the bodies of three children and one adult in the thick brush. Unfortunately, i know that these will not be the last tragic deaths we will encounter. Summer temperatures are increasing, and we continue to see a high volume of families and children across the border. Border patrol has apprehended 664,000 illegal aliens on our southwest border this year. A nearly 140 increase compared to the same timeframe last year. While june is beginning to show decline thatonal we expect in the summer months, we are still setting record highs. Just three weeks into the month, we have already surpassed the apprehension level since 2007. The flow overflows resources. We have made investments into care, including consumables, medical support, and transportation. We have requested additional funds into the supplemental for this purpose as well. We have been forced to direct manpower away from our Border Security mission simply to keep pace with the high level of apprehensions. We have detailed agents we have , shutdown checkpoints and hold agents from task forces, canceled leave and other actions. We have significantly reduced the time families spend an hour custody after processing. With more than 96,000 family thisrs released so far, currently represents over 60 of the apprehensions but only about 25 of those in custody. Together with our partners, we have reduced the number of people in order patrol custody from the peak of 19,000 in may to 12,000 13,000 today. Of significant concern are the single adults and unaccompanied children that are spending extended time in custody. Our facilities were simply not designed for longterm care and custody. I cannot stress enough the Immediate Impact of funding for ed spacend hhs thab would have for border patro,. In the immediate term, we need congress to provide supplemental funds, but the funding will only do so much without a longterm fix. Irish congress to pass legislative changes that we have oversees 30 heted to reduce field offices. Mr. How. Thank you. Appear before to you. When i last appeared before the committee in april, i described the conditions in our ports of entry, mentioning long wait times. Effectsned the ripple that personnel would have on the trade community. I asked you consider legislation action that would address the crisis. I wish i could tell you that conditions have improved or colleagues no longer required additional manpower. That wehat i could say were able to dedicate our energies towards the mission of National Security, Economic Security and lawful trade and travel. It has not improved. Migrants are entering the ports of entry and more officers have been redirected to assist Border Patrol. The variables are the same. Withcedented people children in large groups and nearly all seeking asylum and arriving without proper documentation. International labor organizations estimate there are 40 million victims of human trafficking. 75 are female and a quarter children. ,ue to our unique position officers play a Critical Role in the effort to stop him trafficking. Earlier this month, officers and arrested the leader of an International Religious organization at Los Angeles International airport, charged with humans trafficking and Forcible Rape of a minor. Because our officers are the travelers people encounter, we are trained to detect signs of humans trafficking. Our interviews are crucial because it determines the reason for the travel. In 2017, officers interviewed a woman from spain who had arrived from paris with a minor child. The woman stated she was a victim of he trafficking and that an organization was forcing her to work as a maid and have sex with men to pay off her debt. The Russian Organization had grown impatient at the rate the debt was being paid off and was sending her to the u. S. To pay the debt off quickly. The womanle to take and child to a shelter for further shelter. And every trafficking situation is straightforward. Launched any initiative to boost awareness about he trafficking in the airline industry. They provide training on recognizing he trafficking and reported to Law Enforcement. Can toverything we intercept humans to intercept the victims of humans trafficking. I thank you for your time and i look forward to your questions. Our final witness is mr. Gregory lovato. Staff andas chief of the deputy director. Good morning. I am honored to appear before you today to represent the more than 8500 brave men and women from u. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide ongoinge on the security at the southern border. Witnessed the perils individuals are willing to endure to seek a better life in the u. S. There is no better illustration than in june of 1994 when i encountered 11 stowaways hidden in a vessel in massachusetts. They spent nearly two weeks in the container with limited food and water and only a small hole cut inside for them to breathe. This incident made me appreciate the freedoms we take for granted as well as to treat every person i encountered in the line of duty with dignity and respect. Humans smuggling and he trafficking are conflated as one in the same. I would like to explain the key differences between them. Humans smuggling involves provision of the service or a fee, typically a transportation to an individual who voluntarily seeks to enter a country illegally. Cases and made1 arrests perfume and smuggling. Humans trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of someone for the purposes of compelled labor or commercial sex act, either a minor through the use of fraud or coercion. Often a dream for the better life where a person is complicit to the act, but becomes a humans traffic event. And rescued cases 20 a victims. Our intelligence indicates desperate my givers desperate migrants paid to be rescued. To put this in perspective, a kilogram of cocaine is estimated at 30,000 u. S. Dollars and is more lucrative for criminal organization to smuggle a person than a narcotic. The key component of our efforts to combat he trafficking is a program that employees and approach by equal value is placed on the identification, rescue, stabilization of the victims. Congressike to thank for appropriating 7. 5 million. This funding will be used to enhance our Victim Assistance Program by hiring 60 employees that will assist us in dealing with a humanitarian crisis along the border. 2019, hsi dedicated 400 personnel to combat this issue. They deploy teams to interview. Ersons hsi has identified 316 fraudulent families, 599 fraudulent documents represented 629 individuals to the department of justice for various violations. 2019, hsiay of initiated a rapid dna Pilot Program in texas. A total of 84 family units were dna tested. 16 family units were found to be fraudulent. Half of the confirm fraudulent family units were identified prior to dna testings when the adults recanted their claim when asked to consent to the test. There was no better case illustration of one of one a 51yearold on during an mail confessed that he was not the father of the infant child initially claimed to be his son, purchased the child for 84. 2019, they began identifying adult migrants and accompanying children who entered as a family unit along the southern border. Hsi is investigating these incidents to determine if these children are being used for the purposes of defrauding the u. S. Without support, we will be unable to sustain this effort. I look forward to answering your questions. Thank you. Normally i throw questions to our committee members, but i have a couple i want to go over quickly. Aboutstings, you talked 13,000 being held in cvb custody. John sanders quoted in the newspaper said the capacity of patrolatrol of border is about 5000. Is that accurate . Yes, sir, that is accurate. 4000 is a healthy number. Even though we brought those we are still sitting at 12,000 to 13,000 a day which is above capacity. That is the capacity of standard stations, correct . You put up military tents . Is that how you expanded capacity . That is, sir. You have seen in el paso where we have been forced to move bodies, transport them out because we are over capacity and that location and transported them in the lower radio sector to process. Laredo sector to process. Being set up in yuma to assist. Youre trying to create the eight files quickly as possible and turn them over to ice . That is the process . You apprehend them, you screen them for medical conditions, take them to hospitals, do everything you can to treat them with as much compassion as possible, but your job is to turn them over to ice . Two things. Yes, we process the family unit and the single adults as quickly as possible. The job is to turn them over to ice. The single individuals with accompanying children, we process them first. What is the roadblock in terms of why you are so over capacity . One is sheer volume. The system is overwhelmed parish of volume alone if you look back historically, 70 to 80 of the arrested, we could easily repatriate immediately back to mexico. Today, we are staying 82 of those we arrest our from somewhere other than mexico, and that population is difficult to repatriate under the current laws that we have. One of the complaints i hear at the border from Border Patrols eyes doesnt have the capacity from Border Patrol is ice doesnt have the capacity. Hhs and we dont have the capacity there either. It is backing right up to Border Patrol, right . It is. Everyone in the entire system is overwhelmed right now. That is absolutely correct. Youre holding these individuals longer than we want to. You do not want to be holdings individuals longer than 72 hours. If we could get rid of them quicker, that would be great. We dont want to be holding kids in detention facilities which were not designed for that. If we had zero in custody, that would be great. Is no incentive, you are not trying to hold children longer than the 72 hours. You would like to turn them over as quickly as possible, it is not possible right now . Capacity. That maximum they need additional funding. You talked about a case where a child was purchased for 84. You also listed a number of different steps in terms of how many people have been apprehended with fraudulent documents. In the scheme of things, and theyre looking at over 400,000 accompanying children coming in as family units. One of the things i was trying to get a sense of is how prevalent that he trafficking ,lement, the sex trafficking the involuntary servitude is within this process. You have limited resources in terms of how many things you can investigate. Ofave heard statistics arrests made. What is your sense of how prevalent this is . Suspicious are you as suspicious as i am . Is your microphone on . Mind, a lotkeep in of times, you dont need a nexus at the border. A smuggling event starts off at the border, but once the person gets in the interior, it often turns into a situation of exploitation with that migrant is charged. Ir families are exploited exported back home to pay off the smuggling debt. Lets go back to the process. I was in el paso, turns him over to a house that butcates them to churches, trying to identify family members or relatives, or some they can be sent to. People by plane and bus tickets buy plane and bus tickets in these people are sent all over the country. Is that is what happening . That is occurring within eight to nine days in general. Yes, sir. In march, we began releasing noncriminal processed families because we were at 19,000, so we began releasing them and working closely with our partners to provide services after release. Border patrol began releasing them, bypassing the step with ice into Nongovernment Organizations . Yes. Our capacity is 19000 and climbing. We began releasing. Migrants give you an address believing they are going to go, correct . Yes, sir. But once you turn them over to a Nongovernment Organization , you dont have any idea where they go . Where they ultimately go after we release them, we dont control where they go or how they get there. And yet, the assumption is they will meet up with some relative. There are a lot of people they know and they have social media, but yet, we are still finding families ins houses. Yes sir. I know two of our members have a markup, so i would defer my questioning. Thank you for the courtesy. Johnsonu to chairman and Ranking Member peters and to all of our witnesses for being here to testify as well as for your service to our country. Those want to make sure of you on the front lines have the resources you need and we want to make sure that you are doing your jobs consistent with american values. That is something we all share. I wanted to start with the question. It would be great if we could have a brief update on drug seizures that are land ports of entry along the u. S. Mexico border. Have we seen an increase of traffic to a particular narcotic over the last six months . Thank you for the question. Our narcotic seizures are on track to match our numbers from last year. Seized date, we have more than 39 pounds of methamphetamines, which is checking in larger than normal. 30,000 pounds of cocaine in nearly 2000 pounds of fentanyl. Thank you. Have fentanyl seizures increased or decreased, what does that tell you about the drug cartelss plans for trade of fentanyl . We are seeing less through our mail facilities, but is trending up slightly at the southern border with the fentanyl. Size of the seizures of fentanyl you just recounted sounded smaller than the other drugs, is still a lot of drugs. How to Border Patrol drug seizure numbers increase . We have noticed hard narcotics are trending up. Cocaine seizures are up and methamphetamine seizures are up, and heroin seizures are up. Seized, 97,000 pounds between the ports of entry this year. 9800 pounds of methamphetamines seized between the ports of entry. Cocaine,ounds of s seized at the port of entry. Thank you for the information. Mr. Hastings, i want to turn to another topic. I understand clearly from my visits to the border, the one i just it was senators the one i just did with several senators and the one i did last year, we are facing a humanitarian and security crisis along the southern border. I agree with you that we need comprehensive reform to reduce the flow of migrants into the u. S. , however, there is no excuse for the reported conditions and Border Patrol facilities that have Child Migrants. Outside lawyers visited a Border Patrol facility in texas where they reported children living in squalor, being denied the ability to shower for weeks at a time, caring for infants just a few years younger than themselves, and being locked in cages for the vast majority of the day. Similar reports of gross mismanagement and horrible conditions have come to light at the Border Patrol facilities in el paso, as well as a private facility in homestead, florida. I truly understand how overwhelmed Border Patrol is. I think you have done a good job of highlighting that in your testimony. I saw a great deal of it when i was at the border last month. Cbp needserstand that funding to address the crisis and hopefully, we can take action on a package in the coming days, however, when dealing with children, your first and foremost priority is to ensure the children in the federal governments custody are treated with the same kind of care and support we would want and expect for any child. A very end, i would like clear answer all these questions. Does cbp have an obligation to provide toothpaste and soap to children in your custody . Yes or no . We are providing that in el paso that clint station. The news reports say otherwise. Which you have an obligation to do that . All of our stations across the southwest border are provided with a variety of hygiene products, and even though our facilities were not constructed i understand that. My time is limited. I understand your dealing with difficult facilities and that there is a backup of hhs, but at the end of the day, when im hearing you say is that you agree that children should be provided a soap and toothbrush if they are in your custody, which is a different position with the administration has been staying in court. We are providing those things now. We have been and we will continue to. Do you have and obligation to clean and close the children . Daye provide three meals a and snacks. You do understand that that is seeing direct contradiction from news reports . I would ask you understand those of the plaintiffs attorneys against the government. But i am a member of the bar in massachusetts, and i hold attorneys to very high standards, and i doubt mary strongly to any attorney that i doubt very strongly that any attorney would be fabricating this information. What are they doing to ensure the mismanagement of Child Migrants is not occurring in any other Border Control facility . All of the allegations that you have made that have made will be thoroughly investigated. There they had been reported to the office of personal responsibility at cbp and will be thoroughly investigated. I am pleased they will be investigated, what are you doing to make sure that as you are dealing with an unprecedented number of Migrant Children that you are ensuring there is enough soap and toothbrushes, that there is enough food and enough time for them to be outside and out of very confined spaces. What are you operationally doing to change the circumstances . We are hearing reports, not just from one facility or two facilities, or one source, that these children are living in terrible conditions that would violate any standard of any institution that we all would expect in this country. What are you doing to actually make sure the children are care and the sanitary conditions in the food that they need . We have done a great deal. We have brought in shower facilities just for this population do the new demographic and how long we are holding them. We increased our medical contract across the south was border for medical assessments and medical care. Amount ofed the operational funding we are spinning on consumables, diapers, food, formula, all of those things. If you walk into many of our locations at the southwest border, you will see a storeroom that looks like osco with the supplies that are available and supplying thee supplies, they are documenting what they are supplying. I am over time and i think the chairman for his indulgence. There is a huge disconnect between your testimony in between what we are getting from reports from these securities from these facilities. We will work with you to get those answers. Paso, 25 agents are caring for children and families. We are taking officers from ports of entry and putting them on the border. My issue is not with how hard the men and women on the front lines are trying. My issue is what we are doing operationally to change the circumstance on the grounds and that these children are well cared for and safe. Senator rosen. Deferring tofor our committee, thank you for the service and work you all do. Challenging,lt, and often times, heartbreaking, so we appreciate that. We saw that heartbreaking photo of the toddler who drowned while clutching her fathers neck. I can even begin to imagine as a mother with those last moments for that father and daughter were like. I believe the mother was on the others of the river. Photodo pray that this and what we talk about today moves the body into action. Lets talk about the remaining mexico policy. Report, over the past five years, we know he traffickers have exploited numerous victims in mexico. We know the vulnerable groups women, children, the vast majority of victims are forced into labor and sex trafficking. Against this backdrop, in january of 2019, they issued protocols known as the remaining mexico policy. Certain asylumseekers, including families are sent back to mexico to wait in that country for the entire duration of their u. S. Immigration court proceedings. That could take months or years. There is aknow challenge in federal court, but i am concerned this policy will drive more and more people into the arms of those who wish to exploit them, making the problem worse, and i can tell you the state departments own annual report backs me up on this. My question to you and i am hoping you can provide us some numbers if you dont have them. Do you know how many individuals seeking asylum that dhs has returned to mexico under the migrant Protocol Program policy . Thank you senator. I have the numbers at the ports of entry. Diego, in san diego, and in elturned 665 paso, 559, so 1300. And how many families were arriving as a family unit . I dont have that number. Do you know the number of unaccompanied minors . Minors are not a part of the program. To your knowledge, these programs, other plans to expand these policies . We are in ongoing discussions internally and with mexican authorities on expansion. So you dont have a timeline . I dont. And you can report back to us when you do . Yes. Dhssorts have indicated return to mexico policy are with migrants that are pregnant despite guidance that clearly states individuals with known medical issues should not be subject to this policy. We have been investigating these cases. Do you know of any . I am not aware of the allegations, but we generally do withnclude migrants unknown physical or Mental Illness with any criminality, history of violence. What about pregnant women . Is in amigrant longterm pregnancy they have and and to the term, so we know that. They would not be considered. Thank you for that. I want to go back and talk about metering at the ports of entry. There is a practice of metering the ports of entry all along the u. S. Mexico border were asylumseekers are required to wait for indefinite periods for the opportunity just to be processed. Can you talk to me about why you are employing the process of metering . It is a discretionary balance used by our managers to balance unassessed to balance and assess trade and travel, and the processing of migrants, and balancing our resources against that. Putting them in all of those different areas. Congressn we help us to speed up the process so you dont have to manage this cue . It is the whole process. Our facilities were not designed to house large groups of people. Increase, we will be holding them longer. An increased have difficulty in finding beds. It is a balance that with their capacity issues, it is inadequate. So we need to have people talking to each other to increase the capacity of what we can do. And do it in a humane and kind way. Can you tell me the numbers quickly before i end, how many migrants you are processing at cbp daily . In the ports of entry . Yes. It varies based on the discretionary balance. Can you give me a rough estimate . 300. How many are waiting in line in mexico . That is difficult to know because the numbers come from the mexican authorities, but we have been told roughly 3000 to 4000. And sell, based on what you know, what you believe the average time is in asylumseekers would have to wait an asylumseekers would have to wait . But i last heard a few months ago was five to six weeks. I hope that we can do something about this and we can submit further records about this condition. You want to be sure we stop the exploitation because nothing in my mind is more heartbreaking, and i can only imagine when you open that trailer, what it did to you and the nightmares you probably have remembering that. I want that to motivate us to do the right thing. Thank you. I havetor rosen, because a similar question. 616, 11,575 of individuals have been returned to remain in mexico. 10 come through ports of entry and the rest are coming into this country illegally and then returned. Senator peters. Thank you. I want to pick up on most questions senator rosen said. As at the number of individuals turned away under the current metering practices . I just want to clarify that. Have been turned away because of the metering process . That is extremely difficult to identify the number that are not crossing the boundary line. In many cases, the ngos are holding them in mexico and caring for them until there is an opportunity for us to take on more migrants. It is nearly impossible. You are sane you dont know that number . We dont. Tragicously, the situation we have all talked about was the father and his heng daughter, the story is died after attempting to seek asylum at a port of entry and he waited for over two months in mexico. To both mr. Hastings and mr. Howe, what is the relationship between the metering at the ports of entry and the increase in families trying to cost between ports of entry us to mark ports of entry . We have seen an increase in the volume of family units continue to build month after month. I am not sure what the result is what the management, but when we are interviewing these individuals, they are telling us we have heard on social media or heard from folks already in the country, bring a child and you will be set free. That is not my question. What is their relationship you are metering folks coming up all support of entry so they cannot we know this gentleman who tragically died with his daughter and had been waiting two months and was turned away from the metering and decided to go not through a port of entry. What is the relationship of people if they cannot come through a port of entry, they are trying to cross at other areas . That is difficult for me to speculate those numbers. Managingate balance of our resources and processing migrants is important, but if you were to assess more migrants, it will have to come from something. It is not going to come from interNational Security. It would have to come from facilitation and we dont want to have u. S. Citizens waiting longer to return to the United States. That balance is what we are trying to strike. There also discussing trafficking in the problems related to that as well. Does it make sense that if it is more difficult to come across the border and present yourself, and you want to go then, or attempt to get into the country a different way, that might increase the business for smugglers and cartels . Just pay us and we will get you through another way. Is there a correlation . It is difficult to speculate. It is difficult for me to know. Is there being anything done at the Mexican Border to ensure migrants who are waiting to not be recruited by smugglers . Or either we or the Mexican Government engaged in attempting to disrupt that kind of business connection . I dont have firsthand knowledge of that, but the mexican authorities would have that responsibility. Wouldnt we want to know what mexican authorities are doing, and what encourage them . Absolutely. Why hasnt that been done . It possible to get that information . Yes. More than 18,000 family units were interviewed indicating fraud. That is based on the data i have. Crossny total migrants the southern border during that timeframe . Roughly over 200,000, is that accurate . For two months. April to june, we had a highvolume of 132,000 last month. I can tell you from the years we had for the 100 fraudulent claims so far, fraudulent family claims we know of. What is the timeframe . That is the fiscal year. Im looking at a two month period. Isthe most important things a chief justify the last time said it is due to the volume and interviewing all these individuals. How do you identify fraudulent family . As a grandmother and grandson or an aunt or nephew . What is a fraudulent family . Parentefinition, it is a or legal guardian, or one is less than 18 years old. Saw a grandmother bringing her grandson will be a fraudulent family . It is not necessarily counted as fraudulent, it is just not a family unit. Grandmother with her grandson or granddaughter would be considered not a family unit under your definition . Yes, sir. Can you give us an example of the indicators that would warrant them being interviewed as a fraudulent family . Often times, we will see the sheer reaction between the child and the adult and the agents will see that and noticed that, and start questioning to trito determine if it looks like there is a true unfamiliar relationship. Fallso saw a lot of documentation false documentation from honduras and guatemala. How did they identify the migrants that participated in the dna pilot double helix . Randomt they were not a sample of families. Is that correct . We sent a team down to el paso, texas, and the referrals were given to us after Border Patrol interview the individuals. If they were individuals that were suspected of being in a fraudulent family unit, they would defer it to the team to conduct a dna test. This was after interviews and review of documents, and as my colleague stated, if the behaviors do not appear to be in a familiar relationship, they used those factors to refer that family unit over for a dna test. Question, do you have an after action report that you can share with congress to assess the viability of implementing dna testing on a wider scale . We did do an after action will see about allowing you to see that report. I would appreciate if you could get that to me. A couple of points. Those dna tests are about 200 a test. We have had 150,000 we have had 150,000 family units and that is Million Dollars worth of testing. 7 have, cross ports of entry 70 have come across ports of entry. I understand the point youre making, but it is so widely known the way to cross is coming within six to and eight days you will be set free. Senatortt perry scott. Thank you, chief for being here and thank you for what you are doing. I am discuss it with the way congress has handled all of this. You cannot make this up. Want a secure border and then people complain that you are not doing your job. I think that is disgusting. What do you need congress to do for you to do the job you have to do today because congress has not acted . Thank you for the question. As i said, shortterm, we need additional funding for the supplemental, as do our partners because as i mentioned, the volume of what we have in our custody, the 13,000 is approximately unaccompanied children. In addition to that, it is single adults rather that we have in custody. They need funding for bed space to get those out of Border Control patrol custody. Theterm, we need to fix quick withdrawal for family units. We have to stop the draw. All right. Mr. Howe. I agree with what chief in order tod, but the proper funding do you believe we need to have more Border Protection . Do we need any funding to secure the border . This will not be happening if we had a secure border. We absolutely need more funding for Border Security, but pullingest issue now is off the agents for dealing with a humanitarian crisis. That is the biggest problem we have right now. Large numberme, a of single adults are trying to evade arrest. The large dynamic of drugs as well trying to evade and they are using family units who are trying to cross as a diversionary tactic in many cases to be able to make money on drugs and single adults trying to evade arrest. Senator scott would you like to add anything . Mr. Nevano thank you. We are the investigative part of ofinvestigative Department Homeland security. The resources we take away from targeting the Transnational Criminal Organizations that are actually organizing these smuggling loads and human trafficking, by putting people on the border to augment the need that c. B. P. Has takes away potentially from conducting our mission, which is, you know protecting of the homeland via , investigations, and tried to target these Transnational Criminal Organizations. Senator scott mr. Hastings, how does it make you feel when you get asked questions to suggest you dont you or your team doesnt care about these children that youre taking care of . How do yall feel every day when you get up and read the paper or see the news and see someone suggests that you arent doing your job . Mr. Hastings its hurtful because daily, i see our agents doing just the opposite. Yesterday, i saw our agents jump out of the water, save a 13yearold child who was unconscious, give him c. P. R. , give him mouth to and essentially, bring him back to life. That happened yesterday on our border. And that happens quite often, time and time again. Our men and women are out there risking their lives every day to save those migrants that are put into a bad position by smugglers , or put themselves into a bad position. So, above and beyond that, our agents go to the maximum to care for these children. Youve seen pictures as well of our agents holding these children, trying to comfort them. So, it is very hurtful for us, for our agents who are out there , trying to do the best they can at securing our border and dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Senator scott how has it impacted your ability to recruit and retain your team to do this job . Mr. Hastings so our workforce is doing well right now, but they want to see a light at the end of the tunnel, quite frankly, to be able to go back to their primary National Security mission. And thats what were hopeful for, that we go back to a primary National Security mission, and we see legislative changes that you allow us to do that. Quit the draw for the family units and the unaccompanied alien children. Senator scott so do you have concerns when you do your job every day that because of how much time youre having to spend because Congress Wont act that we have individuals that are crossing the border that want to harm americans . Mr. Hastings im concerned with that. Im concerned with recruiting individuals in this current state we are in right now, read routing good agents to do this in the future right now, recruiting good agents to do this in the future. And im worried when were diverted by the humanitarian crisis what is coming through our border. The best example i could give is about two months ago, we had a large group come across in Rio Grande Valley. This was broad daylight. At the same time, we had 790 pounds of cocaine a mile away across the border a mile away cross the border in broad daylight that tells me that. That tells me that theres very little fear in the minds of the smuggling organizations and narcotics traffickers because they know were tied up with other things, humanitarian mission. Senator scott anybody else . Mr. Nevano i am used to this via my career. Can you imagine a new agent that just come on, that went out and had a successful day, they seize d enough fentanyl that could kill hundreds and millions of people or they arrested a potential terrorist suspect or gang member or they rescued a child from exploitation and they go home and turn on the nightly news, and there is information on the news saying abolish certain agencies. Can you imagine how that agent feels . I know personally, when i come home, i dont even want to watch that because its hurtful, as my colleagues stated. Its very hurtful and the men and women of i. C. E. , e. R. O. , are out there every day trying to make this country safe. Mr. Howe itsonunnecessary it is an unnecessary distraction. Our agents want to be mission focused. They want to do what they were hired to do, enforcing our laws and facilitating trade and travel. We dont want to be distracted processing migrants to the numbers we are. Senator scott im disgusted we sit here and you watch on the news where people are trying to do their job and congress sits here and doesnt do their job. Its the most disgusting thing ive ever seen in my entire career, my business career. You wouldnt do this in your business career. Thank you. Senator johnson senator hawley. Senator hawley thank you. Can i disagree what senator scott just said . The behavior of this congress is absolutely pathetic. Its just pathetic. People up here should be apologizing to you for the total dereliction of duty that this congress has undertaken. I mean i have never seen , anything like it in my life. This is by my count the sixth hearing, full hearing i sat through in four months on the border, which is great. Im glad were paying some attention to it. The problem is this congress doesnt do anything. This congress refuses to do anything. We know what the facts are. Youve outlined them again today. C. B. P. Is overcapacity, underfunded, undermanned. I. C. E. Overcapacity, underfunded. H. H. S. , overcapacity, underfunded. Yet, this congress will do nothing. Meanwhile, the cartels and the smuggling rings, what are they doing . They are lying vulnerable families, exploiting children, in order to turn profits and break our asylum system. We know we need to reform the asylum system. We need to address the push factors. We know all of that, but this Congress Wont do anything. This morning i heard just from , my colleagues across the aisle this morning, i heard statements, im heartbroken. No one is more vulnerable than a child. The status quo is unacceptable, unsustainable, but yet we dont do anything to change it. And there was no will to change it. Children are being exploited. This morning we woke up to the , picture of the man from el salvador and his young daughter dead, faced down in the water. Why . Because they were exploited. Who knows how much that poor gentleman paid to some smuggling ring, who told him if he came to the United States to our border and claimed asylum hed automatically get in. That was a lie. Who knows what lies he was told. And here he ends up, he and his little baby dad, and this congress to refuses to act. I mean, it is absolutely unconscionable. We know what needs to be done. Nobody will do it. In my view is, we can talk and talk and talk, but until this congress is willing to take some action, i mean, im sorry for what it is you have to deal with. I am sorry this congress has left you without the resources you need. Im sorry this congress has not done its duty. Im sorry that this congress has left, not only our southern border exposed and vulnerable, but as love children exploited date after day after day exploited day after day after day and until this retched , congress does something i dont know why we have these hearings. This congress refused to act. So thank you, gentlemen, for your service. Thank you for what youre doing. And i just say to the president , i encourage the president to take every action he possibly can within the bounds of the law to address the crisis and secure the border because its clear to me this congress will not act in any meaningful way. And so long as this congress refuses to act, the president needs to act, so i would urge him and administration to do everything within their Lawful Authority to address this crisis because this congress is not going to. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Senator johnson senator hawley, you missed the opening. When i described a process this community is going to undertake. Obviously, the reason we hold these hearings is in the problem solving process to lay out the reality. So what i propose, talking to senator peters, and hopefully we can do this in as nonpartisan and uninflamed way as possible, but sit down at those tables like we did last week where we passed the end Government Shutdown act, a smaller problem , but one i think our legislation solves, senator lankfords legislation, senator hassans legislation, start working through this problem in a very organized fashion. Have open meetings where we discuss these things. And we talk about, ok, what what do we need to do . Coming from a manufacturing background. What do we need to start the process . Senator peters is working with me, other on the letter of Operation Safe return, a Pilot Program where we can Surge Program where we can gather information and surge resources to i am not going to repeated, but we are working on that. But im hoping that you will participate. Hope every member will participate in this process a number of meetings, hours long where we thoroughly discuss these problems, the different elements of the problem and start coming up with solutions. And again, i dont know that ends up in a complete piece of legislation or in those discussions in an organized fashion we come up with different elements that can be tacked on to pieces of legislation. So again, this place doesnt work. It doesnt have much of a problemsolving capacity. Thats the frustration, senator scott, that you are certainly relaying. We all experience. We are going to do something different. Do something paradigm shifting. Again, whether we accomplish something or not, at least weve had very hopefully thorough discussions. Senator scott. Senator scott i dont believe any of it. I sit here, preside this week. I hear people from democrats get up here and all they do is complain about these people. They dont come up and say we need to fix the decision. They dont come up and say we need to fix this. All they tried to do is try to embarrass these individuals in here. Its disgusting. I watched it yesterday presiding somebody did it for 15 minutes. Sit there and lambaste them what theyre doing. Mr. Hastings, have you how many people have you ever worked with that said, i dont care about children . I want to do the wrong thing today . Mr. Hastings just the opposite. I have seen agents on their own , go out and purchase toys, bring in for the children to play with. I have personally stopped by and bought meals for those i have arrested. Ive seen agents do the same thing. Ive seen agents give up their lunches. I mean, i have seen the humane professionalism and outstanding work by our agents since i have been in this agency and long before that. You can watch all of this hearing about micro smuggling by going to our website at smugglingand type on the homepage. You will find this hearing and other related hearings on the subject. That is cspan. Org. Washington journal, live every day with issues that impact you. This morning, we will discuss the g 20 summit and the future with ourhina trade guests. And then more uncommon, Stephen Hawkins talks about Political Polarization and the recession gap between partisans. Watch washington journal at 7 00 this morning and join the discussion. Tonight on the communicators, we talk about the future of journalism and the gauge of big tech firms with our guests with the computer industry. Facebook, google, apple they employ zero journalists. The amount of journalism they are doing is zero. They are not going to city hall or School Board Meetings are covering the president. They rely on delivering our content and monetary easing around that content our content and monetizing around that content. The question if you want a strong journalism industry is how do we get there and should we do with antitrust exemptions . We tried that in the 1970s when newspaper was last threatened. The broadcast era, it did not work. Watch the communicators tonight on cspan two. Former special Counsel Robert Mueller at the house intelligence and judiciary committees on wednesday, july 17 and 9 00 a. M. Eastern to testify in open session about his report into russian interference in the 2016 election. Watch live coverage on cspan3, online its standout or, or listen on the free cspan radio app. Heather mcghee, what is the is . What having an equal chance in our economy. We have been thinking the roots of our name, dean most is the greek word for the people