That is why sparklight is working roundtheclock to keep you connected. Doing our part so it is easier to do yours. Srklight supports cspan as a public servi along with these other television providers. Giving you our front row seat to democracy. Homeland security secretary Alejandra Mayorkas spoke in brownsville, texas and toured parts of the u. S. Mexico border ahead of the end of title 42, which allowed Border Patrol agents to turn away my rents on Public Health grounds. This is 30 minutes. Migrants on Public Health grounds. This is 30 minutes. All right, good afternoon everyone. My name is gloria chief patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley. Want to welcome all of you here today and thank you i know many of you have been staging here to cover our story on the ground in brownsville, texas. We have a very efficient operation called camp monument. This is a set up that we did with Border Patrol agents from day one when we saw the migrant influx enter through this area of responsibility for us. Since april 16, we have screened and processed close to 30,000 migrants coming in through this area. Mostly venezuelan nationals. Followed by columbia as well as ecuador. Followed by columbia as well as ecuador. This is a system that is efficient for us. It is an area we monitored daily. We have about 36 to 38 agents dedicated here for the swimming operation. Number one goal is to do intake processing. To do security, to ensure the suit purity and safety of everyone and third, transportation get them to the field of this location to facilities. Whether its a Border Patrol stations are Central Processing Centers or whether its through a port of entry. Title 42 is still in place. Therefore we are in coordination to return venezuela at nationals back into mexico on a daily basis. As well as the other sectors that are helping us of the southwest border to decompress. For many years has seen an increase of migrant encounters this is not new to us. We are a auteur sector. I call it a maga sector we have a very large region. This workforce is experienced, it is auteur it is very skilled. They know exactly what they are doing. In three days they were able to set up this operation on the ground for us to have an efficient throughput of processing intake medical screening as well as transports other locations. My thanks go out to every single Border Patrol agent that are out here every day supporting the operation. Whether youre doing it here physically or by virtual processing for different station locations out here for kudos go to all the other sectors along the southwest border and around the nation. Also during virtual processing to support rgb operations as well as coastal sectors. This is a community effort. This is not something the Border Patrol the cbp is doing alone. We get our strength from our communities from our Community Stakeholders like local Law Enforcement micro federal partners everyone has a hand in this today. Department, will the local Law Enforcement for Police Departments out here. A huge appreciation for the leadership of local officials the office of management that is held as well. I protested government of mexico o as well. Part of the Immigration Department is helping us as both a title 42 returns. There is a lot of movement out here were doing throughput about maybe 400 rushed it out locations. We are going to continue to do that. My concern are the safety and wellbeing are product of we want to ensure their quick transfer out but they did not last more than three hours at this location, it may be more they move onto the next salon the weight that give a quick glimpse of our operations on the grounds. I looked introduced you now our leadership to tear visiting us mr. Secretary from Homeland Security, thank you sir. But thank you very much chief. The patient at the border is a very serious one. A very challenging one. Difficult one. Every single day and every single night and stay in and day out 24 hours a day seven days a week the United StatesBorder Patrol agents are keeping our borders secure. They are an extraordinary workforce. I am, this country is incredibly grateful for them. The situation is indeed a very difficult. I was in mcallen yesterday and mcallen yesterday im in brownsville today. The purpose of my trip is to review our operations and to see our planning the end of title 42 in action. They met with Border Patrol agents provide met with our Extraordinary Office of Field Operations personnel of u. S. Customs and Border Protection. I met with her immigrations and customs personnel. What local Community LeadersLaw Enforcement leaders was nonprofit organizations as well. As a cheap shot of it a Community Response to a challenge to our communities. That is indeed what we are bringing. A Community Response. It is no different across the entire region, across the entire western hemisphere. This is a regional challenge that required regional solutions. It is not unique to the seventh of the state has spoken about this before. And therefore about three weeks ago i was in panama with colombian we urge and forced him up operations to prevent individuals from entering the very dangerous at the hands of smugglers. Earlier this week the president s Homeland Security advisor met with on enforcement south of mexico to prevent individuals from being exploited by smugglers as those of vulnerable individuals are misinformed by the smugglers and brought to the southern border only to be returned. A regional challenge requires regional solution. Let me give you a brief overview view of our approach as we indicated last week building lawful pathways that will provide a safe and orderly way for individuals who qualify for relief under United States law to reach the United States safely. We are building on the success of our processes we announced on january 5 for the cubans patient nicaraguans and venezuelans. Psalm 95 drop in the number encounters the southern border we built lawful pathways for them to access. That is the model that we are building upon. Last thursday at secretary of state tony blinken and i announce the development of regional processes centers in different parts of south and Central America to enable individuals to access a lawful pathways from regional Processing Centers whether they qualify for refugee processing by the qualified for our existing and expanding family reification programs. Whether they present acute vulnerabilities they may qualify them for humanitarian parole on a casebycase basis. We are reaching people where they are. Its not only our security obligation its our humanitarian responsibility to cut the smugglers out that is indeed what we are doing. We are building pathways. Deliver consequences for individuals who arrive at our southern border here regularly. That is our commitment and our obligation as with cutting the smugglers out taking care of the safety and needs of individuals qualify for relief. In a post title 42 environment we will use our expedited removal authorities under title eight of the United States code. That allows us to remove individuals very quickly. We will buy it may 11 finalized the rule we published in a proposed format that provides individuals who do not access our lawful pathways will be presumed to be ineligible for asylum will have a higher burden of proof to overcome that presumption of ineligibility. We are building lawful pathways and we are delivering consequences for those who do not use those meaningful accessible pathways. The message is very clear. We are coming with the relief our laws provide to the individuals in need. The border is not open. It has not been open and it will not be open subsequent to may 11. The smugglers that exploit vulnerable migrants are spreading this information they are spreading false information, lies in a way to lure Vulnerable People to the southern border and those individuals will only be returned. To the individuals themselves who are thinking of migrating, do not believe the smugglers. Please access the official government publications. Please access the official government information on the department of Homeland Security website for accurate information. You are being deceived. You are risking your lives in your life savings only to meet a consequence you do not expect at our southern border. To meet our objectives we have been and continue to surge resources, personnel, transportation capabilities airplanes to affect a greater number of removals every week. Additional facilities the remarkable facilities Border Patrol set up here in collaboration with the brownsville. This was set up in 72 hours we are surging resources. Earlier today we also announce the distribution of additional funds to border communities nonprofit organizations and several interior cities to meet their needs and their partnership with us to address the situation at our border and to address humanitarian needs of migrants. We distributed approximately 330 million more dollars today for the benefit of those organizations we have a plan. We are executing on them plan. I have come to mcallen and brownsville to see firsthand that plan in action. Fundamentally however we are working within a broken immigration system that for decades has been in dire need of reform. That is a fact out about which everyone agrees. We urged congress to fix our broken immigration system. And until then we will do everything that we can within our authorities to provide it orderly and safe pathway for individuals who qualify for relief from the blobs of the United States of america. With that ill turn over too Deputy Commissioner of customs and Border Protection. First off her likes and very glad to be here with the secretary, chief ortiz we are facing a very, very challenging time to later show what where they spend the time this is a priority for him to pray for government drifting we can. We are facing very challenging times or no question about that. for these challenging times for quite some time. We are ready for this number team to faces which is a good example of the preparations the ability for the sector to set up this process in three short days build upon the lessons we have learned in preparation we have done that make us ready to take on the situation. We are surging resources quickly all across the board different places we need it. Weve increased our capacity by one third over the past one to four help us be prepared for this. We are working hard to do this for focused getting as many agents back on the line for weave and harm for the last year contractors not uniform personnel to do jobs border places to get back them on the line. Its very important to do that. To followup on what the commissioner said on may 11 it will still be in this awful country we relied upon are decades old processes previous time and time again in the past to enforce the law and protect the border. That coupled with increment increasing thats our goal theyre facing. Exactly how proud i am on the work youve done and continue to do. Ive traveled this country at many different stations many different locations talking about workforce to better understand the challenges they are facing perimeter of the secretary would agree we cannot be more prouder than the work they do in the communities. Which is further identified in the risk they take. Making one moment of the work of our team and how they reset the community with that wanted a murderer whod been on the run for several days will keep that committee safe. Thats the quality of a personal you have working the border situation. Thats the quality of people in your community and i cannot be more prouder of them im going to turn over the chief to give more details whats going on with our preparations, chief. Good afternoon. Thank you Deputy Commissioner secretary for coming down here to see firsthand the great work that is unfolding south texas and for your leadership. Outside a couple weeks ago the secretary asked me wording to go first chief . I said before may 11 indigo south texas paris Newburgh Newburgh going to see some increases down here thats transpired over the past two weeks. Brownsville area of forest we have seen has unfolded here just south of us as migrant populations for venezuela and he froze a data sheet for spot of medical assets and resources, we have asked for support from other agencies resolve Texas Department of Public Safety personnel working sidebyside at our partners with local partners. As a team effort we are continuing to move these migrants into our processing facilities as quickly as we possibly can. Tremendous capacity here in south texas. He fed for six or seven years. Were going to continue to leverage that to the best of our ability but as a secretary meant to write about setting its Border Security mission set going to keep as many Border Patrol agents are on our processing coordinators and our volunteers dod personnel going to help us on the adamant functioning agents back on patrol for ultimately our goal is to keep these committees safe make sure our agents are safe and theyre out there performing their duties each and every day so mr. Secretary, thank you for your continued support of the Border Patrol. We appreciate the fact you guys continue to cover the story because it is an important story. Thank you. Can you explain why youve seen this big surgeon last couple of weeks . Can you explain a wife and the big surge in the last couple weeks . If youre seeing this big of a search ahead of may 11 or may 12 when you expect coming may 12 . Books the surge of the past couple of weeks is really focus on one particular demographic. We have seen an increase in number venezuelan nationals coming to our border. It is very difficult to identify the cause. The challenge of migration in one aspect is dynamism. The very complex phenomenon. We saw the tragic fire in mexico. And the impact domestically within mexico. Since it was over the past two weeks a significant surge of venezuelans. We have reached an agreement with the government of mexico to address that surge will see that agreement very shortly. If so how prepared are you first surge in processing people. Just to make sure everyone heard the question, do we expect a surge and if so how prepared are we . As a commissioner we have been preparing for well over a year it was september of 2021 we first develop a six pillar plan of 42 we updated that throughout the calendar year. 2022. We are ready. What we are expecting is indeed a surge. I got ready. Secretary take action. Topical request rate, how confident are extremely cap. This area wait action on the part about it with a community of action set of our border but not only with their mexican partners with other countries throughout the roach to an international challenge. What i have seen on the ground in my visit to mcallen and brownsville is no different than what ive seen in my more than 15 prior trips to the border as a secretary of Homeland Security. I have seen an extraordinary workforce. Berlin blue uniform and u. S. Customs and Border Protection, across the expanse of the department of Homeland Security and quite frankly the entire administration for this administration addresses challenges as one team in all of government approach. Chief, thank you for taking my question. Back in march and mcallen utah republican lawmakers the u. S. Does not have an operational control of the southern border you still stand by that statement and if so do you need to gain control of the border . The question was posed during my hearing was the congressional legislative definition of operational control were nobody crosses the border but ive been doing this job for 32 years. We have never had operational control when various levels of control . Yes most certainly. Even was the acting chief or deputy for five and half years. This side of the valley was very secure. Out on my west side we had surges quite often. Place out across the entire stretch of the 2000mile border we share with mexico. I have some sectors i have greater levels of confidence and just because the flow isnt what it is. But this morning she steam apprehended 2300 people in this sector. That requires an awful lot of capacity but certainly poses significant challenges for us. I stick by my comments made during the hearing. But we have never had that. An odd rebate type at the pathways and plans in place obviously for majority of venezuelan migrants and nicaraguan migrants. Why isnt that policy being enforced right now questar for the migrants im meeting are swimming in between the ports of entry as you have mentioned if that happens they are supposed to be returned for their not being returned they are single adults without family here, why is that happening . Ask you are actually mistaken. The parole process for cute cubans, haitians, nicaraguans and minnesotans we first announced and implemented on january 5 is underway and continues to be underway. If i make. It does. And if i may we continue to parole individuals of those four nationalities program established and announced. That requires a sp