The following is a transcript of an April 22 interview with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who he told CBS News his department is poised to implement a major policy change on the U.S.-Mexico border in May. The transcript was slightly edited for clarity.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ, CBS NEWS: I’ll be right back. Secretary, you have recently been to Panama to talk about migration and the administration’s regional focus on this issue. What exactly are you asking, Secretary, for Panama and other countries in our hemisphere to do differently to help the United States manage these levels, frankly, with unprecedented displacement and migration?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I think it’s very important to recognize that the challenge of migration, an increase in the level of migration, is not unique to the United States. It is something that countries in our region are experiencing. And I think this is very much demonstrated, for example, in the number of Venezuelans who now reside in Colombia; the number of Nicaraguans now living in Costa Rica. And so tackling a regional challenge requires a regional response. And what we are asking for, and not just the United States is asking other countries, but all countries are asking each other. And that’s one of the things that was pretty obvious. This is not a question from the United States to other countries. These are countries that ask each other. A collaborative and harmonized approach to increase migration across the region.
And we discussed the different elements of this answer. We have talked about the responsibility of managing borders throughout the region in a humane manner that follows the law, which means that those who meet the requirements to receive aid in a given country receive this relief and those who are not repatriated. For those receiving relief, develop stabilization efforts so that they have the ability to work and integrate into communities. Repatriation efforts must be carried out in such a way as to enable people to return safely to the countries of origin. We talked about the development of safe and legal ways because people, for example, who are looking for relief do not need to go through the treacherous region of Darién, which I saw first hand during my visit to Panama. And we talked about a collaboration in the repatriation efforts. And then, of course, fundamentally, and that’s why the wide participation was so instrumental, we have in mind the development banks, the international development banks. That we must also take a lasting solution. And that is to address the reason, the underlying reasons, why people leave their homes, their home countries, just to travel to other unfamiliar countries. Thus, we addressed a large number of issues involved in the complexities of regional migration.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: You just mentioned that, in your opinion, migrants who do not meet the requirements to receive aid under US law should be returned in a humane manner. This is not always the case, as you know, even due to the inability to return people to some countries such as Cuba and Nicaragua. This regional strategy also involves, secretary, asking and convincing these countries to accept the return of their citizens if they do not meet the requirements for asylum here in the US.
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: Of course. I think this is a challenge, Camilo. For example, it is quite difficult to deal with a country like Venezuela, where diplomatic relations, if they exist, can be strained. And so here we need to be practical in tackling realities.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: But you are trying to establish some kind of dialogue with these countries like Cuba and Nicaragua and Venezuela to see if they can recover some of their nationals who again do not meet the requirements for (relief) according to our laws. And I ask that because, as you know, Secretary, Cuba became the second source of migration at the border last month.
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: Yes, Camilo, that’s why regional migration talks were so important in Panama, because it’s not something we can do alone. And if we do not have the relationship with another country that allows this constructive dialogue, perhaps other countries can participate in the solution. And that’s why a regional approach is so vital, and as I know you know, yesterday we had talks with Cuba to start a dialogue on migration agreements, a process that has historically provided an orderly and safe path for a number of Cubans to get help in the united states.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: And also your commitment to accept the return of your citizens as well, right? That was another part.
MAYOR SECRETARY: An element of the discussion.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: It would be negligent, Secretary, if I didn’t ask you about the expected termination of Title 42. I understand it’s a CDC decision. But there are a growing number of legislators, and frankly, everyday Americans, who do not believe that your department, the secretary, is ready to implement this change. Can you assure them that they will not see dangerous overcrowding at the border facilities, that asylum seekers will be treated efficiently and that you will be able to manage these already very high levels of migration once this policy ends on 23 May?
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: Camilo, the statement that we have no plans is a statement that is not based on facts. We have been planning for months to address the increase in migration; those we have already experienced and those we could experience at the end of Title 42. And proof of this is the fact that we have deployed additional resources at the border in anticipation of the end of Title 42. The increase in staff, transport , medical resources, development of additional facilities to support border operations. These plans have been working for months. And so we do have plans, and I can assure the American people and their representatives that they do.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: And you are sure, Secretary, that you will be able to implement this change on May 23rd.
SECRETARY MAYOR: We are confident that we can implement our plans when needed. And we are also very aware of the fact, Camilo, that we are planning different scenarios. And some of these scenarios present us with important challenges. There is a key point, Camilo, that is so important to communicate every time we talk about these challenges, and that is that we are operating within the limits of a totally broken system, and that a solution has to be expected for a long time. legislative. .
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: In this regard, Secretary, will you go to Congress to ask for a change in the legal authorities or more funds to help you meet these challenges?
SECRETARY MAYOR: We are currently working on the funding they have given us, Camilo, but yes, I will continue to call for legislative reform to be implemented. There is unanimity that is needed. And President Biden proposed his first day in office a legislative package to fix what everyone agrees is a broken system in its entirety.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Secretary, if you’re in Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua, other countries in our hemisphere right now, and you’re thinking of emigrating to the U.S. border after May 23, after title 42 is lifted, because there is the belief that they will be able to stay here. Is this belief accurate, inaccurate?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: This belief is inaccurate. And Camilo, we’ve seen individuals embark on the perilous journey, we’ve seen them make that voyage by sea, and we’ve seen the fatal or disastrous consequences of that. I visited the Darién, an extraordinarily treacherous terrain, and learned first-hand the dire consequences of that endeavor. We are dedicated to building safe, orderly and humane roads. Individuals who do not qualify for assistance in the United States will be returned.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Okay. Last question, if I may. In March, Secretary, your department recorded 221,000 arrests along the southwestern border, a maximum of 22 years. Obviously, this figure is inflated by a very high recidivism rate among, especially among single adults. What kind of numbers are you seeing now in April, Secretary? And again, I want to ask you the question, if you think you can handle some of the projections that the agency has raised when the title 42 is lifted?
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: Camilo, I think you identify a very important point that needs to be emphasized, which is the number of meetings, not the number of unique individuals who are on the border. And we will continue to respect the laws that guide us. And that includes humanitarian aid laws and deportation laws that require deportation when you don’t qualify.
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: How do you reduce it? I’m sorry to interrupt you, Secretary, how you can reduce this recidivism rate which is very high at the moment. And is that significantly inflating those numbers?
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: Is that in the context of, Camilo, you’re asking in the context of Title 42?
CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ: Why so many adults try to cross several times.
SECRETARY MAJORKAS: So we are addressing this within our executive regime, Camilo. And those individuals who repeatedly try, who seek to defy the law, are prosecuted under the right circumstances. And we are working with the Department of Justice to do that.
- In:
- Alejandro Mayorkas
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