More popular than the agency that brings in the most which is the i. R. S. The acting commissioner has had a long and distinguished career in Law Enforcement, including, he was named to his present post in june of this year. And prior to taking the job of acting commissioner, hes been chief of Border Patrol. Hes been the agent in charge of paso,i office in el plenty of border experience. Hes had roles in counterterrorism, violent crime, gang suppression, a lot of things that relate directly to his job today. And hes been a Deputy Sheriff and a Los Angeles Police officer. Not only that, he has an engineering degree and a law degree. So its my great pleasure to welcome acting commissioner mark morgan. Thank you for being here. Mark and former marine. I had to get that in there. Jessica i had that on my list. Semper fi. Thanks for coming. I want to let everyone know that commissioner morgan will be in the hot seat for a while with my questions but if you have questions that you would like to have asked, please fill out the index cards that we are providing and im going to go for maybe a halfhour or 35 minutes and then well take some questions from the audience. I think im going to jump right in with the topic i think Everyone Wants to know about the most, can you give us an update on whats happening at the southwest border . Mark sure. I think when we talk about the southwest border we have to put it in two pockets. One is the crisis with respect to immigration and the other is what i call the National Security crisis. I think as of late, for understandable reasons, we are talking about the Immigration Crisis. Let me start with that. The drivers really that the focus over the last yearplus has really been the migration flow from the northern tribal the northern triangle countries, specifically the families. The reason why thats been the focus is something ive talked a lot about, thats our broken Legal Framework right now. Specifically the forced Settlement Agreement which had a significant loophole that said if you come to our country with a child we can only hold you 20 , days. That wasnt enough to get through the immigration process. That was the genesis of catch and release. We would apprehend families entering illegally and release them here in the United States oftentimes in days. We had to fix that. The last six months this president , this administration, c. B. P. , along with our other partner agencies, i. C. E. And others, we really instituted a network of initiatives and policies and rules and regulations that really have given us the tools to close those loopholes. Ill give you an example. The height of may, we had 144,000 apprehensions in may alone. Six months later, 42,000 apprehensions. We really, again, targeted that demographic, the northern triangle country family units specifically. Jessica how do you know thats not just seasonal . Mark the numbers will tell you. It is ironic that in october, seasonally, the number goes up, believe it or not. Right now in october and november, october time frame, seasonally in some demographics the numbers go up. We have seen it decrease. For the past six months, weve seen a steady decline. Even with the seasonal times where we have seen an increase in previous years. What weve seen too, from the height of may to the end of last month, six months, we saw an 85 reduction in families. So on that front, we made tremendous strides. Close those loopholes. What we are seeing though is a change in demographics. You and i talked about this. What happens often, its not a surprise to us. The cartels, Human Smuggling Organizations change their t. T. P. s, tactics, techniques, and procedure. They saw we were making progress stemming the flow from northern triangle country, taking billion taking billions of dollars out of their pockets and they shift. They shift toward supporting additional migration from extra continental country as well as Mexican Nationals. Jessica far away, not just Central Americans or latin america . Mark correct. Indians africans, haitians, brazilians the list goes on and on and on. Thats what we refer to as extracontinental. Other than northern triangle countries. Jessica do you have numbers on the extra continental . Mark were seeing thousands of each of those groups and were seeing from this time last year, we are seeing an increase, sometimes 200 to 300 of what we saw last year. Overall the numbers are relatively are fairly manageable but when you start combining it and then again you start seeing it as an increased issue, we need to get out in front of it. Mexican nationals specifically families, Human Smuggling Organizations are going to families and telling them hey, the initiatives they have they dont apply to Mexican Nationals. You grab a kid and it will be your passport to the United States. I can assure you, were taking this same process with initiatives that we use to counter the flow from northern triangle countries and applying it to the extra continental countries. We are applying it to Mexican Nationals. This week we started i. R. I. , interior repay pais tration, were flying Mexican National ints the interior of mexico to other locations. So overall, what i refer to, right now where were at, we have all but ended catch and release specifically for the northern triangle countries. For the northern triangle countries. Jessica its been reported its been remain in mexico or migrant protection protocol policies of having people who apply for asylum wait in mexico for their proceedings. Its been reported that thats been applied to about 55,000, is that individuals . Household heads . Mark all demographics. Individuals, households. Around 55,000 we have found immutable for that program. Waiting in mexico as they go through the due process immigration proceedings here in the United States. Jessica but there have been hundreds of thousands of arrives of arrivals who are family units from the northern triangle countries and elsewhere. What happened to the rest . I would estimate, what, 400,000 family units i think . Mark yeah, again, you go to the height of may, 144,000. 65 to 70 of those were family units, families coming from northern triangle countries. Over the last six months because of initiatives we reduced the flow by 85 . Theyre just not coming anymore. This is a really important part. This one thing ive been trying to say, for those individuals, stop listening to the cartels. Stop listening to the Human Smuggling Organizations. Theyre lying to you. Theyre exploiting you. Theyre getting rich off your backs by exploiting vulnerable migrants. And now, because of where were at. Because of the initiatives and tools we have, no longer is a child your immediate passport into the interior United States. We have all but shut that down. So im trying to tell families do, not listen to cartels. Theyre lying to you. Its working. 85 reduction. Jessica so today if a family arrives, are they all asking for asylum . Mark no. Thats a good point too traditionally they havent all asked for asylum. One because of our broken system they didnt have. They did not have to. The forced Settlement Agreement said we could not retain you longer than 20 days regardless of whether you claim aid asylum or not that still holds now. Congress, and i said, ill continue to say it, were doing all this, the president , the administration, c. B. P. Is executing these initiatives and congress has failed to pass a single piece of meaningful legislation that would address this. They know what to do. They know what to do. It would take them 15 minutes. They could take a single piece of paper and end 90 , 95 of the Immigration Crisis. Jessica what would that paper say . Mark it would say three things. It would address the forced Settlement Agreement, and say we could detain them longer than 20 days, we could detain them during their proceedings, which is usually 50 to 60 days. In addition, it would say we can send children back to their families from where they came. In their home country. Jessica some of the families are here. Mark some of the families are here, some are there. Mexico or canada, if youre an unaccompanied child from mexico or canada, we can send you back to your families. If youre from the northern triangle country, we cant. We have to keep you. That should be addressed by congress. The last thing is the credible fear standard. There is no standard. Theyre coached what to say. They know what to say. In the end the majority of those credible fears are found not credible. Id probably throw in there, give i. C. E. More bed space and about 95 of the Immigration Crisis will be fixed. Jessica which i. C. E. Did not get in the latest spending bill. What did c. B. P. Get . Mark one positive factor we got in the spending bill was 1. 375 for the wall. Thatll be significant for us. Were going to be able to use that current funding to continue to build a wall. Thats significant for us. One of the tools that im sure well talk about that in a minute. Jessica i want to come back to one thing with respect to the application of this network of policies. Since we were talking about the migrant protection protocols, stick with that for a minute. I want to reiterate. This is going to apply to family units from the northern triangle, its going to apply to a family unit that arrives from mexico . Mark no. Right now its not applying to mexico. But we are in negotiations with mexico to expand that. Because again, as i started to explain, although weve addressed greatly, again, that illegal migration for northern triangle countries, were seeing increase in extra continentals and in Mexican Nationals, single adults and families. Of which those initiatives to work with mexico arent being applied. Were working with mexico to expand that were also working with the government of guatemala and honduras on the a. C. A. , the Asylum Cooperative Agreement so theyll receive Mexican Nationals as well. Were working with the countries. The ironic thing is right now, we have other countries that are stepping up, seeing its a regional crisis, addressing it as a regional congress, and are doing more to help us than our own congress is jessica thats an important statement. Mark it is. Jessica what about one last thing on the migrant protection protocols, what about the extra continental families, people coming from africa, middle east, so on . Are those are they waiting in mexico as well . Mark right now, what the current agreement with mexico is Spanish Speaking countries. But were in consultation with mexico as the smuggling organizations change their t. P. P. , were giving them the information and asking for assistance to expand that to accept extra continental countries. Were confident theyll agree to that. As well, well have the same conversation, we are work the government of guatemala, honduras, and el salvador where we have a. C. A. s for them to accept other demographics as well. Jessica so theyll be detained in an appropriate custodial and from there possibly released if it cant be done in 20 days. Mark correct, for families, yes, maam. Jessica it was reported today by, i believe it was a. P. , or no, excuse me, reuters reported today that this announcement about interior repatriation that has been done often in the past and is now being launched again, that some of theres potential for having mexicans go actually to guatemala. Can you explain that . Mark the a. C. A. , the genesis of that, i think this is important. 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 trying to get relief in the first country you come. Logical. Dont give your life savings to the cartel. Dont listen to the cartels that are lying to you. Dont listen to the cartels and smuggling organizations that are going to abuse you and treat you no better than a piece of trash, a commodity. Just the other day we apprehended a tractor trailer load of immigrants trying to illegally enter. Each one had a tshirt on with a letter spray painted on it, they had the letter on their hand, they were marked like cattle. What im trying to do is dont listen to those organizations that are going to treat you like cattle. If you have a legitimate asylum claim get relief in the first country. Thats the genesis behind the a. C. A. We have the ability to apply the a. C. A. To Mexican Nationals as well. Were having discussions with guatemala to expand that, to again share in this as a regional crisis. America is 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. Jessica do you think these other countries are well equipped to handle those that might be bona fide asylum claims . Mark we are working with them every single day to improve capacity. We released funding back to the northern triangle countries, millions of dollars specifically designed to improve their asylum capacity as well as their interior enforcement ability to go after cartels and smuggle organizations. Keep in mind in the height of the crisis, the United States of america, we were overwhelmed. Theres no single country in the world that can handle the level and volume and 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 the regional crisis that it is. Jessica the fact that we had policies in place that enabled and encouraged this flow of people and had the effect of enriching criminal cartels, thats an important issue with huge implications for mexico as well. Its in their interest to try to address this. Because its not just human smuggling. Theres the threat, the criminal threat of the cartels. They dont just smuggle humans they also smuggle drugs. Gang members are taking advantage of this. I think i read on your website where your officers are apprehending Something Like are apprehending Something Like 400 some ms13 members a year, one a day, and thats just one of the transnational gangs that has exploited this opportunity to take advantage of our policies to get here. Mark youre right. That dovetails with the second part we dont talk about, the National Security crisis. When we talk about the crisis, its not just the immigration and humanitarian crisis, its dual, theres the security crisis. One aspect is gang members. We apprehended over 1,000 gang members, 23 different gangs. And thats just who we apprehended. Theyre using the humanitarian effort to draw Border Patrol agents off the line during the height over 50 of Border Patrol agents were taken off the line to care for kids an families. What do you think the Human Smuggling Organizations were doing . They were exploiting that. They were doing it by design. They would send large caravans in one area so the Border Police would go and address that. Meanwhile and be distracted. Over 1,000 gang members, drug last year, c. B. P. Seized over 800,000 pounds of drugs. Think about that stat. 800,000 pounds. Air and Marine Branch contributed with other partners the hard markets, heroin, meth, fentanyl, cocaine, went up last year. Fentanyl, one sector out of nine sectors seized 11 pounds, enough to kill two Million People in the United States. Last year alone, 68,000 individuals in this country died because of direct result of overdose of ill list markets. Illicit narcotics. 68,000 people. More people tied than the entire all thats more people entireed then in the vietnam conflict. Theres another thing i say. Every town, city, an state in this country is a border town city and state. Mark my words. If you have a meth overdose in for example, mark my words that meth came from a southwest came from the southwest border. What mexico is doing, theyre able to produce meth, for example which is skyrocketed up faster, cheaper, and its more potent. So a lot of times meth was manufactured in the United States. Thats going down. Mexico is creating super labs. Jessica we have laws to discourage that. Mark so when we talk about the crisis at the border, when we talk about the need for a wall, its not just about stemming the flow of illegal immigration, its stopping the drugs pouring into this country that killed 68,000 people last year. Jessica this affects every community in our country as well. And its an issue for mexico as well in terms of corruption and the money the cartels have. Mark absolutely. Jessica how much of a threat are the cartels to the United States . A lot of people make the claim that theres little risk of Cartel Activity overflowing into the United States because theyre afraid of u. S. Law enforcement or, you know, a number of other reasons they give. Do you agree with that . Mark depends on how you shake that out. If you talk about violence, thats one thing. But if you talk about Cartel Activity impacting this country, heck yeah. We desc