1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. Over two point one 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: million migrants have crossed the United States southern border this year. 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: In August alone, there have been two hundred and three thousand, 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: five hundred ninety seven border encounters. The Mayor of El Paso, Texas, 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: Oscar Liser, was on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolis 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: on Sunday, September eighteenth, and he said the city of 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: El Paso has head between fifteen hundred and nineteen hundred 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: migrants coming into their city per day, and he estimated 9 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: eighty percent of the migrants were coming from Venezuela. The 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: City of El Paso and the US Border Patrol are 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: working together to manage the huge influx of migrants. The 12 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: city of El Paso is busing migrants to their destination. Remarkably, 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: fifty percent of the migrants do not have a sponsor 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: or the money to get to their final destination. So 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: I want to talk to some people who are on 16 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: the ground in El Paso managing the migrant crisis on 17 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: a day to day basis. So I'm really pleased to 18 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: welcome my guest, El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez and 19 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: Deputy City Manager of Public safety, Mario Augustino, thank you 20 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: both for joining me on News World. Thank you, sir, 21 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: thank you for having us. Tommy, if you don't mind, 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: I thought I would start with you. You've been El 23 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: Paso City manager since June of twenty fourteen, and you've 24 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: had I think twelve thousand migrants went through in fourteen 25 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: and so far this year two hundred and fifty eight 26 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: thousand migrants. How long the things changed? And how are 27 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: you coping with this extraordinary scale of people? What is 28 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: the normal population of El Paso. We're seven hundred thousand 29 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: people and this has been going on since late twenty eighteen, 30 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: so we've been managing this crisis for quite some time. 31 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: And the reason why it's been more of a manageable 32 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: situation is a lot of these folks that have been 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: crossing have had sponsors, meaning to have family members that 34 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: have networks within the interior to connect to different destination points. 35 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: It was until recently that we had a big influx 36 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: of Venezuelans who were not sponsored, and that's been the 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: big concern or the fine, the ointment, so to speak, 38 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: in that it's really impacted the operational flow of how 39 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: we've been managing this crisis, and so when we had 40 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: that influx, we really looked at reimagining how we would 41 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: accept the different migrants that we were receiving, and we 42 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: really looked at how we welcome process them and more 43 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: of a triage center, and then how we were able 44 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: to shelter them, given food and water, and then transport 45 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: them to their final destination. And we have been doing 46 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: that for some time now. I mean we were transferring 47 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: some to Dallas, some to Denver, some to Albuquerque, just 48 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: by a matter of course of the operation flow and 49 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: how we were doing things. And it wasn't until recently 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: that when the Venezuelans crossed they wanted to go to 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: New York. They requested that, and so we chartered at 52 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: US in order to move them on out. Because we 53 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: don't have a long term sheltering process here. What we 54 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: do for sheltering is we put them up in hotels. 55 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: In terms of how that's impacted our organization, you know, 56 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: we have over a hundred people that we had to 57 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: pull from other departments in order to run this operation, 58 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: and so that does impact us because during COVID, just 59 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: like everywhere else, we have had an impact on the 60 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: number of people that worked for us. We're over a 61 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: thousand positions down at the city and then when you 62 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: add another hundred plus positions that you move from other departments, 63 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: it does impact how we provide services to our city 64 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: and so that has been a challenge. So this is 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: a national problem, but who's paying for others? So what 66 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: we have been doing is enacted at local emergency ordinance 67 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: and we have had costs that we've incurred and we've 68 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: submitted to federal government. We just got reimbursed for requests 69 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: from December of twenty twenty one, which six several months, 70 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: and then we've been told we're going to get reimbursements 71 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: for the first and second quarter of twenty two, which 72 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: those weren't that big in terms of dollars, I mean, 73 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: they weren't insignificant, but we haven't gotten that reimbursement. We're 74 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: told we're going to get that this week as well, 75 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: and then we recently heard that we're going to get 76 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: two million dollars for the future costs, and then we 77 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: still are going to submit for another three million that 78 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: we've incurred since that second and third quarter. And where 79 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: we're at today in terms of dealing with the crisis 80 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: and does that cover both housing and feeding them and 81 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: transporting them out of the city. Yes, we submit all 82 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: of those charges and then when we get those reimbursements, 83 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: we find out what got reimbursed. In So far, so good. 84 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: I mean, there was one question on one set of 85 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: expenses and we're resubmitting those. But that's the plan. The 86 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: plan is for us to be reimbursed because right now 87 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: we're holding on to three million dollars worth the costs 88 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: that we had to front load. You've been city managers 89 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: since Junior twenty fourteen. How is all this impact of 90 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: the city. But like I described, and how we pull 91 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: from other departments the one hundred plus positions, and we're 92 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: moving from other departments in order to stand up this operation. 93 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,799 Speaker 1: That Trio center, that processing center, and we have lots 94 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: of people there on staff that are our staff that 95 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 1: are processing the individuals and or processing the ones that 96 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: are sponsored. The migrants that are sponsored, and they get 97 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: onto a shuttle and they get on their way to 98 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: where their final destination is. And then they're working also 99 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: with the non sponsored and then working with the NGOs 100 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: in our area. And we have several dozens of people, 101 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: almost fifty people embedded into the NGO process so that 102 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: we don't lose the NGOs because the NGOs are at 103 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: their wits end. Shouldn't the processing be done by the 104 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: federal government just as a matter of theory, I mean, 105 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: this is a national problem, a crossing a national border. 106 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: Shouldn't the federal them and be staffed up enough that 107 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: they could do all the stuff that it's currently being 108 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: handled by the city. So they are doing the processing 109 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: and then releasing them to the community. That's as far 110 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: as they're going. So we've asked if we could be 111 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: actually embedded in the process so we can kind of 112 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: filter out who's coming, who has sponsorships, where their destinations are, 113 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 1: so we can schedule more timely and kind of look 114 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: at that. But they won't let us into that process. 115 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: And so they are doing the processing as far as 116 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: the giving them their permission to stay in the country 117 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: and wait their next process in whatever they're hearing date 118 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,559 Speaker 1: might be, or whatever else they have to do next. 119 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: They're doing that type of processing, although it's rapid processing 120 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: from what we understand right now. When we're talking about 121 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: bringing them into the welcome center and processing them. From 122 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: our end, that's to determine whether or not they have 123 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: a sponsor. You know, in eighteen nineteen, the vast majority 124 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: all had sponsors, so it was just a matter of 125 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: making sure they connected and got onto their travels. This 126 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: issue right now that we're seeing over the past month 127 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,679 Speaker 1: has been really highlighted by fifty percent of the people 128 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: being released in the community. Those they don't have sponsors, 129 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: so they don't have a means to get on. Those 130 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: are the ones we're actually processing to find out how 131 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: do we get them to where they're going? And then 132 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: if they say to you, I want to go to 133 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: New York, for example, you get them on a bus 134 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: or a train. That's exactly what we've been utilizing, buses, 135 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: charter companies. So we contracted with some charter companies and 136 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: they're actually making the transports for us, and that's what 137 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: the federal government then reimburses you for. That's on a 138 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: reimbursement basis. Yes, sir, Has there been any kind of 139 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: side effect in terms of crime or disruption or are 140 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: the people processed through so quickly and cleanly that essentially 141 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: is a pass through, but they're not actually affecting the 142 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: quality of life in El Paso? You know, well, that's 143 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: where we also hit in the past few weeks, there 144 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: had been several community releases and what I mean there 145 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: is to the streets and so customs in border patrol 146 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: they reach that capacity point. We told them what we 147 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: could process for the day, what our local NGOs could 148 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: take care of, and that's the number we work with. 149 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: They still had access numbers, so they actually release people 150 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: to this street. So that caused people camping out in 151 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: the street. Let's say they're gathering in our downtown community. 152 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: They set up tents around the Greyhound bus station, and 153 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: that's where it has those difficulties in those security concerns, 154 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: both for their security and residents people in the area. 155 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: And so from that where we're having to send our 156 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: resources out and roving teams to try and connect them 157 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: to what they need, whether it's transportation or housing until 158 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: they can get their transportation. So that did have an 159 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: effect on our community the rest of the time when 160 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: they're brought to our welcoming center, those four hundred they 161 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: come in every morning, as we go through them, fifty 162 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: percent of them have sponsors. There's a good portion of those, 163 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: you know, maybe twenty to thirty a day. Once we 164 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: give them connection capabilities, because they have cell phones, they're 165 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: actually calling their uber and they're moving on on their own, 166 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: and so that does occur. Then the rest of them 167 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: that one hundred and seventy might have left, of those 168 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: that have sponsors, that are using the connectivities so they 169 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: can reach out to their families, they arrange their travels, 170 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: and then we're actually providing shuttles from there to the 171 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,719 Speaker 1: local transportation, whether it's Greyhound or the airport. And it's 172 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: the remaining two hundreds are the ones we're putting on 173 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,679 Speaker 1: those charters. As I understand that you now have a 174 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: very significant share coming from Venezuela. Has that been a 175 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: change in terms of point of origin that really is 176 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: and that this is the first group we've seen to 177 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: this size focusing on coming through El Paso that doesn't 178 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,079 Speaker 1: have the sponsorship I remember, I guess it was in 179 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: the late seventies under Carter they had a boatlift out 180 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: of Cuba and Fidel deliberately released criminals out of jail 181 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: and put all of them on the boatlift. They've been rumors, 182 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 1: but are you seeing any significant effort by the Venezuelan 183 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: government to send people they think are dangerous into the US, 184 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: or is that just a passing thing. It's just a 185 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: passing thing, and you know, CBPS doing the checks on 186 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: thatur end, so we don't have all of that intel. 187 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: We have been in a lot of communications with them 188 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: trying to understand what the process is so we can 189 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,079 Speaker 1: better serve once they're released in the community. And so 190 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: we're being told they are doing rapid processing, that they're 191 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 1: doing like an international check, but we have no cooperative 192 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: with the country of Venezuela, so they're not able to 193 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: reach out to them to see what kind of record 194 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: they have. So if they have something that was just 195 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: handled within their previous country, that information is not privy 196 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: to CBP. So all they're able to pick up on 197 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: when they're doing these checks from what we understand, is 198 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: anything on the international I noticed that you do provide 199 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: some meals, snacks and meals for people. Is the system 200 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: now so sophisticated that they're actually arriving at the border 201 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: in relatively good shape? You know, some are, some have 202 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: taking a long trek. We saw some photos just the 203 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: other day where charter bus pulled up on the Watta 204 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: side of the border, on the Mexican side of the 205 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: border that are exiting a charter. They literally walk across 206 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: the dry riverbed and then that's their trek where that 207 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: charter come from. We don't have that intel, but you 208 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: can see. I mean, they're getting dropped off in large numbers. 209 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 1: Some are flying into Watts and making their way over, 210 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: and some are taking that long journey. From what we're 211 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: hearing just communicating with them as they're passing through our community, 212 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: that they took that long journey through the Jungles and 213 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: up through Mexico. I was really surprised when we talked 214 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: with them. Of him a couple of months ago, he said, 215 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: the range of people you'd have. People show up, for example, 216 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: from India with luggage flown into a recent local airport, 217 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: came across the border, paid their own way, got on 218 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: the airplane. We've already had a reservation, and it was 219 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: just like travel. It had nothing to do with the 220 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: imagery we have of coyotes coming across the desert and 221 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: the kind of things they used to make movies about. Yeah, 222 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: it's a little bit of both nowadays. And so we 223 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: saw that early in the year, we actually saw a 224 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: lot of people from Russia, from the Ukraine. They were 225 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: actually flying in through ending up in Wattas and then 226 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: crossing over at that point, So we did see those 227 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: numbers spike. Right now, it's mainly those Venezuela and population 228 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: that we're seeing, so in some parts we're seeing deaths. 229 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: In Brooks County, Texas, the sheriff Martinez said that his 230 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: county had seen more migrants this year than Martha's Vineyard. 231 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: Just counting dead bodies. He had some seventy eight migrants, 232 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: all victims of the journey that have been collected from 233 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: ranch lands in the county, and they had one hundred 234 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: nineteen bodies last year. I gather that's a totally different 235 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: situation the way you're seeing in El Paso. I mean, 236 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: we do have a lot of injuries. We've had some 237 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 1: fatalities when they're crossing and when the river is flowing 238 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: at certain types of the year, it really does. It 239 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: has a lot of currents here in downtown El Paso 240 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: where it's flowing through the channels, so we do have 241 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: a lot of water rescues, water recoveries. Unfortunately, we're getting 242 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: a lot of injuries in this region and so it's 243 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 1: not specific the city of El Paso, but it's the 244 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: border patrol sector here in El Paso. So that goes 245 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: from Arizona border down through West Texas, and so along 246 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: this border we're getting a lot of injuries. People are 247 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: making a lot of calls to people who are falling 248 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: off so they're actually climbing up defence and as they're 249 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: trying to descend their way back down on this side, 250 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: they're falling. And so there's those kind of injuries, you know, 251 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: fractured legs and arms, and that is being seen a lot. 252 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: So when the river is high, I mean, can people 253 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: come across the bridge? Yes, right now they are taking 254 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,559 Speaker 1: the path of illegal entry and getting process at that point. 255 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what the process is when US Customs 256 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: is they have some capabilities to process, but I think 257 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 1: they're limited by the number they can do just because 258 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: the restraints. They're narrow bridges, they have small offices on 259 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: those bridges, and so they're limited to how many they 260 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: can do. People don't want to wait, so they're choosing 261 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: that other path, which is that illegal entry, because border 262 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: patrol will get them at that point and they just 263 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: go straight to the processing from there. When you look 264 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: at this total situation, how important are the nonprofit organizations 265 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: in helping the system function. They're extremely important, you know, 266 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: and they've been carrying this lift for decades. And like 267 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: mister Gonzalez just said, City Manager, COVID did a number 268 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: on the country of the entire globe. And so we're 269 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: having trouble filling our employee seats. NGOs are having trouble 270 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,719 Speaker 1: finding volunteers, so they don't have the same volunteer base 271 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: they had when we had that big surge in twenty 272 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty nineteen. They don't exist. That's why we went 273 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: and hired staff so we can embed them with the 274 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: NGOs just to keep their capacities up and running. It's 275 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: more efficient for us to do that than to open 276 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: other shelters on our own. We're just augmenting them because 277 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 1: this is truly what they're used to handling. HI, this 278 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: is newt We have serious decisions to make about the 279 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: future of our country. 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What do you think 292 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: has happened that broke with COVID so that it's so 293 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: much harder now to get people to come back to 294 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: work or to get people to come back to be volunteers. 295 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: It's almost like there's been a significant change in the 296 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: culture of the country in the last two years. And 297 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: I'd attribute to that, and it's just those isolation factors. 298 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: Most of their volunteer pull was elderly people and more 299 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,359 Speaker 1: senior people, and they hurt the fears and the lockdown 300 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: and to keep isolated, and so that really disconnected them 301 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: from them. We've had a lot of issues here in 302 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: our own community, you know, we had to close down 303 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: the senior centers and so it puts a strain on 304 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: that population, and some of those that's their only outcome 305 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: is getting out there and meeting people and talking to 306 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: them at those places, whether it was volunteering or at 307 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: one of the senior centers. And so when you take 308 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: that away, as it happened during COVID, they just disconnected 309 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: and so they're not getting that group back. Tommy, this 310 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: is so important to the whole country. Ask your opinion 311 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: as you look at it, both and trying to staff 312 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: up for the city and then trying to help work 313 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: with the angios. What's your sense of what change culturally 314 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: that has made it so much harder. Mean, we're still 315 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: the same country, and yet we clearly have some behavior 316 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: patterns that are different than they were three years ago. Well, 317 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: I'm retired military and I look at it from the 318 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: standpoint of like what occurred and what COVID really did. 319 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: I mean, it was almost like a bio attack on 320 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: the whole world, and it impacted everyone's psyche. I think 321 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: he got into everyone's living rooms and a lot of 322 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: people are working from home. They like that, and they 323 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: have different options today because there's different organizations giving them 324 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: different options, and the pay has changed considerably as well. 325 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: I know that this current year we gave a seven 326 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: percent increase in pay, and then next year we're doing 327 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: nine percent increase in pay, and that's still not enough. 328 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: We're also doing a thousand dollars sign on bonus and 329 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: we're still over a thousand people short. So it's just 330 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: a change of mindset, and I do agree with the 331 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 1: same country, but I think that the mindset has definitely 332 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: shifted and made it more challenging. One last question about 333 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: the process of getting to the United States. What's the 334 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: role of the cartels and how much Since you're literally 335 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: on the border and next to a major Mexican city, 336 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: to what extent are you all affected by the reach 337 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 1: of the cartels and their potential for violence. So our city, 338 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: if you think of like the Dallas area, they call 339 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: that a metroplex, this is a metroplex as well. A 340 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: lot of folks that doesn't register with them that we 341 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: are on top of the border and the borders on 342 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: top of us is right next door. Literally, And as 343 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: I told you, I was a city manager in Irving, 344 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: but also was a deputy c manager in Dallas and 345 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: then a city manager in Harlingen in South Texas, and 346 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 1: the border in Harlingen is not right next to the city, 347 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: it's miles away. And so the fact that we're a 348 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: metroplex here and we have one point six million people 349 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: one point seven million across the border that really shop 350 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: and play and work here and Opasso and some have 351 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: houses in both cities that have the means, and you 352 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: have seven hundred thousand, and with the county and with 353 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: Los Cruises another million, we're like two and a half 354 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: two point seven million people. And so we work very 355 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: closely with one another. So whenever there's a surge on 356 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: the water side and the cartels have anything to do 357 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: with it, it obviously has an impact on our economy 358 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: and our way of life so to speak. And just 359 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: by the Intel reports we have received, you know, the 360 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: cartel in terms of how they're moving some of these folks, 361 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 1: because some of these folks are involved with them, because 362 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,280 Speaker 1: they have to pay a fee in order to get 363 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: some help. And then when we've talked to some of 364 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: the migrants, they've had to pay in every country they've 365 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: been in. Because I've had them, how are we treating 366 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: you here as opposed to how you're treated in other places? 367 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: And they're not treated very well in their journey, and 368 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: so once they get here and once they get processed, 369 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: this is really just a great environment for them. Do 370 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: you think those of us who are further away, do 371 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: you think that we exaggerate the potential danger of the 372 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: cartels and the level of potential violence or is it 373 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: something people just get used to living with. I believe 374 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: it's very dangerous when the cartels are fighting for position, 375 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: to reposition themselves whenever there's a change in leadership and 376 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: of those kinds of things. But in terms of does 377 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: it impact Opasso, it absolutely doesn't impact us from a 378 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: crime standpoint, and very little, if any, And because we're 379 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: one of the safest cities in America for our size, 380 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 1: and a lot of people are refuddled by that because 381 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: we live right next to Watts. But a lot of 382 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: the violence that does take place from time to time 383 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 1: there with the cartels really stays there. So I don't 384 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: know that I'd say people exaggerated, would say that it's 385 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: just starting stops kind of thing. It's sporadic. You've had 386 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: various systems. Let me ask the two of you, what 387 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: would you estimate your number of people per day coming 388 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: across the borders. Now, CBP does send us these numbers 389 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: on the daily, and I think the number this morning 390 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: was a little over seventeen hundred, and so we reached 391 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: over two thousand just this last weekend. The significance here 392 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: is back in twenty eighteen nineteen, it took about six 393 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: months to build up to those levels and they were 394 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: never that high. Two these are unacceptable numbers. It was 395 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: nowhere near that back in that timeframe, but it took 396 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: six months to get to the peak. And so those 397 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: are the ones that are apprehending. What they're releasing to 398 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 1: the community today is a little over a thousand. That 399 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: those are a thousand day marks. That was the peak 400 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: of twenty nineteen. It took four to six months from 401 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,960 Speaker 1: when we started seeing that search until we started seeing 402 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: those daily releases of a thousand this time right now, 403 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: this has all been the months. So over the last 404 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: three weeks we've seen a lot of movement. If you 405 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: go back into early August that we're probably seeing two 406 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: to two hundred and fifty people released to El Paso 407 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 1: a day. Now, we're well over a thousand. Apprehensions back 408 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,239 Speaker 1: then was probably five to seven fifty. The average was 409 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: today almost two thousand. When you take those numbers and 410 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: we're just talking now about El Paso, and then you 411 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: think of the whole border. What do you think Vice 412 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: President Harris meant when she said on NBC that the 413 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: border is secure. I mean, what would an insecure border 414 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: look like. I'm not trying to put you in the 415 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: spot politically, I'm just saying part of the reason we 416 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: wanted to do this podcast is the gap between what 417 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: Washington says and what seems to be happening. And we 418 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: want to make sure the average American has a chance 419 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: to understand from people who are living it what's going 420 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: on out there. And it's very different, I think than 421 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: the sort of political talk you get up here. I 422 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: would say that there's a process for the migrants. I 423 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: think once they hit the CBP area, they're really being detained, right, 424 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:11,360 Speaker 1: and they're being processed. As the chief said, Once they 425 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 1: get processed and they get above a certain number, because 426 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: they're at the limit as well, they're very overcrowded at 427 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: CBP and so they have to then release. So when 428 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: they release onto the streets, meaning to the NGOs, sometimes 429 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: just directly to the streets and or to us in 430 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: the Triash Center that I referenced. It is an orderly process, 431 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: and so once they go and get to us, that's 432 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: whenever we do what I said. We triage them, we 433 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: shelter them, we feed them, we give them water, and 434 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: we transport them to their final destination and then seek 435 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: reimbursement from the federal government. So I guess the way 436 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: I would answer to your question is that there is 437 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: a process that is taking place, and it's orderly in 438 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,359 Speaker 1: that respect. So all we have is an orderly open 439 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: border rather than a disorderly open border. But it's essentially open, 440 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: isn't it. I do think that the people that are 441 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: seeking refuge are trying to get away from their country 442 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: for financial reasons or other reasons. They are being given 443 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: an opportunity to be processed. What was your reaction to 444 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: sort of almost panic and Martha's vineyard work, I mean, 445 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: fifty people, let them actually call out the National Guard. 446 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: Do you think it's just the total lack of experience 447 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: of dealing with any of this, because you guys are 448 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: dealing with based on your numbers, fifty people every half hour. 449 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: We are the postile of the North, that we are 450 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: the pass of the North. People have been migrating through 451 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 1: this region for hundreds of years. We all know that. 452 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: So we see that flow when you're getting these higher numbers, 453 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,360 Speaker 1: it is concerning. We are working around the clock. We're 454 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: working tiresly with the rations that mister Gonzalez has talked about, 455 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: from feeding, sheltering, welcoming, processing and getting them on charters 456 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 1: or assisting them their travels onward. And so it's just 457 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: a constant flow if we do not focus our efforts 458 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: on making sure they connect. Because they're not wanting to 459 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: stay here in El Paso. Their destination is the United States, 460 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: but they're not looking to stay in El Paso, Texas. 461 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 1: They're looking to move onward. The vast majority from talking 462 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: to our NGOs and what we've seen since we've been 463 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: heavily involved with this processing center is they want East 464 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: Coast and that's where they want to go. We're providing 465 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: that route to them because that's where they want to be, 466 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: because you can't sustain it. When we talk about this 467 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: community in this size population seven hundred thousand, we might 468 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: be that metroplex, but remember the vast majorities is in 469 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: another country, and so we cannot sustain those numbers here 470 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: and that's the best way we can utilize our resources 471 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: to connect them with those travels. And I also think 472 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: that what's being lost in this whole conversation is the 473 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: fact that before we had the Venezuelans come through the 474 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: did not have the sponsoring, in other words, the network 475 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: in the interior of the United States, a lot of 476 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: the people they were crossing and being processed, and then 477 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: that we're triage through us, they were going into these 478 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: major cities anyway or just throughout the country because they 479 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: had the means. And so once they got processed by 480 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: CBPN and we're let go either to the NGOs or 481 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: onto the streets or through this triage center, they then 482 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: were going onto their final destination. And so it's been 483 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: happening the last three or four years. Like I said, 484 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: we've been working through this since late twenty eighteen, and 485 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: so it hasn't really gotten to this bubbling point because 486 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: we had a good process, and now the process is 487 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: being challenged because we have over fifty percent of what 488 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: we're receiving from Venezuela and they are not sponsored, meaning 489 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: they have no network or they don't have as big 490 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: a network, and they don't have the funds at least 491 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,959 Speaker 1: not all of them do with respect to the sponsor 492 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 1: versus the non sponsored migrants that we've been receiving before. 493 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: But they instinctively, if I understand you correctly, the Venezuelans 494 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: instinctively want to go to New York. That's the vast 495 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: majority that we've talked to. That's their destination choice. Walking 496 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: through the processing center and trying to talk to them 497 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: and kind of get a feel of where they're going 498 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: and why they want to go there and why they 499 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: choose there, I'm hearing a lot personally is that, Well, 500 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: people they were traveling with who've already been processing, came through. 501 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,199 Speaker 1: That's where they went. They want to go reunite with 502 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: those people, whether they knew them from before or they 503 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 1: met on the journey. That's their connection to choosing the 504 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: East Coast. And I've eve been asked the chief to 505 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: tell our folks, you know, tell them do you want 506 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: to go to this city? To that city? And just 507 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: list to different cities and show them a map. And 508 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: they still all the chiefs said, want to go to 509 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: the East Coast. This to me is real news in 510 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: this sense. Well, there's been a lot of publicity about 511 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:51,159 Speaker 1: Governor Abbot's sending bus loads. The fact is there are 512 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: lots of busloads going north to New York or Chicago 513 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: or what have you, because that's where they want to go. 514 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: And so actually the total number of busloads that are 515 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: showing up dwarfs the political news coverage of the occasional 516 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: governor sending somebody somewhere, because the fact is we're sending 517 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: them anyway. If I understand you correctly, we have a 518 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: system for helping people move to where they need to 519 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: get to. That means that there's a steady stream. I'm 520 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:23,439 Speaker 1: just from a pass alone. Let's say of the nineteen 521 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: hundred a day or seventeen hundred a day, eight hundred 522 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: or a thousand want to go to New York, so 523 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 1: you have a steady stream of buses going to New 524 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: York anyway. So what he was trying to explain there 525 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: is this process has been going on for years. It's 526 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 1: people with sponsors. That's where they're telling us they're going 527 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 1: is to the East coast already. So they've been utilizing 528 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 1: commercial airlines, commercial greyhound buses, and they get to travel 529 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,120 Speaker 1: on their own they're sponsored. So that flow has been there. 530 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: What's highlighted now is all these unsponsored, So now it's 531 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: actually us, the municipality, chartering these buses to transport them 532 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: to where they want to go. So the flow has 533 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 1: always been there, now it's just coming in another I 534 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,160 Speaker 1: think the next phase of the operation. Also from a 535 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: national standpoint, as a city manager, I would want to 536 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: start doing this if I wasn't one of those cities, 537 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 1: I would want to start looking at programs and how 538 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: are you going to assimilate the migrants, how are you 539 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: going to work through housing, work through jobs, work through something. 540 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 1: Because they have been processed about the CBP and they 541 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: have dates in some cases with the court system, and 542 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: they've acknowledged it's going to take a long time because 543 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 1: of the court system being so slow for a lot 544 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: of reasons, lack of staffing, just like we've been talking 545 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: about lack of staffing because of COVID, So that's simply 546 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: exacerbated it. I think that that process has always been slow, 547 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: that has been exacerbated by COVID. So that's really the 548 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: next step in this whole process. If we're going to 549 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: continue to be receiving the numbers like we have been receiving, 550 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: and that's only growing when you get to a place 551 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: like New York or Chicago or Philadelphia, they're just getting absorbed. 552 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: I mean, New York doesn't have the ability to then 553 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: take them and ship them somewhere else. At least that's 554 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: my understanding. We don't as a municipality, and we don't 555 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: normally have that. It's not part of our portfolio. It's 556 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: not something we do on the normal. This is our 557 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: response to the influx that we have coming through our community. 558 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: They're giving us a destination in York. That's where we're 559 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: sending them, and we're seeking reimbursements. So there was nothing 560 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: upfront for us. So I'd suspect that New York has 561 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: those same options. But nobody in New York has tried 562 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: to ship them back to you and said, gosh, we've 563 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 1: already accepted fifty thousand people, find someplace else. We have 564 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: not seen that yet, But I keep getting the questions. 565 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: One last area, if I could just for a second, 566 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 1: I have to say, you guys are very very impressive. 567 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a much healthier, much better managed 568 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: story than I expected when we first set it up. 569 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:51,160 Speaker 1: And I'm very proud of the work you guys are 570 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 1: doing and how calm and methodical, and the way you 571 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: integrate non governmental organizations and charitable organizations and the federal 572 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: government all into one thing. But that one other thing 573 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 1: I want to ask you about is that there's a 574 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 1: sense that's certainly part of the national news stories that 575 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: with the border this open, we're getting a staggering number 576 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: of drugs coming across the border. Not necessarily no passo, 577 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: but I think so far in twenty twenty two, we've 578 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,959 Speaker 1: seized six hundred and one thousand pounds of drugs on 579 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: the southern border, eleven thousand pounds of that being fetenyl, 580 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 1: which was more than a feedenyl to kill every person 581 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: in the country. The cocaine seizures have increased by one 582 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: hundred and ninety three percent in the last year, Methamphetamine 583 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: decreased by forty four percent, heroin decreased ten percent, feedanyl 584 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: increased six percent. Are you seeing a significant flow of 585 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: drugs in El Paso or is that mostly in other 586 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: parts of the border. You know that they do when 587 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: they do see customs and border crowl will announce when 588 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: they have those large seizures along the border. They do 589 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: kind of go different areas of the border, So We 590 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,800 Speaker 1: just saw some big ones come out this week alone, 591 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:59,719 Speaker 1: I believe was in Arizona, and so they are doing that, 592 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: and what we're hearing from the intel is it's just 593 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,959 Speaker 1: that so the people are moving, they're not actually crossing 594 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 1: through a border point, they're coming in a legal point 595 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: that focuses all the federal issue forces on there. And 596 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:12,959 Speaker 1: that's why they're trying to use it our bridge systems 597 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:16,320 Speaker 1: to actually transport. They have subdisticated systems on the bridges, 598 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: but we still see it all the time. We're hearing 599 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: about these numbers. As far as here locally, I haven't 600 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: seen any large not that I'm aware of, in recent times. Now. 601 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: What we did too in talking to the federal government 602 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: not only in these reimbursements, in different ways where we 603 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: can continuously improve the process, because they're interested in doing 604 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 1: that as well. We've had the discussion about efficiency versus 605 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: just shifting the paradigm. If we make it more efficient, 606 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: then the flow might increase, and they see that as well. 607 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: So that's a concern of there's also so that's I 608 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: think a better approach and a pragmatic way of looking 609 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,959 Speaker 1: at it. So one of the questions we asked of 610 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: them just this morning was you know, if the numbers 611 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: continue to this degree, maybe the Afghan model needs to 612 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 1: be put in place where you did have a sheltering 613 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: process at Fort Bliss, and that would help us long term, 614 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: and that could be augmented to what we're doing so 615 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 1: that we can just add to what we're doing and 616 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 1: making that process better if indeed we want to make 617 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: it better, because the flow, like the Chief said, this 618 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 1: is not sustainable long term for us as a city 619 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: operation because it will impact other operations that we provide 620 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: to our citizens here. But that's another option that we 621 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: threw out there. And then the second option that we 622 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: threw out for their consideration was add more CBP officers. 623 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 1: I know that's a very simple type of recommendation, but 624 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,479 Speaker 1: adding more CBP officers would not only help them with 625 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: the flow, but it would also help with processing not 626 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: only from a security standpoint, but from an operational standpoint. 627 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: So it would really address a lot of issues that 628 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: have been raised by both sides in America. Have either 629 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: you or your mayor actually talked with Mayor Adams in 630 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: New York In a way, he's sort of your biggest customer. 631 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: He sent a delegation down too, Al Paso, and so 632 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: we did actually meet with his delegation. We had some 633 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: conversations about it. But going back to that original charter 634 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: that we sent, we didn't just send them. We actually 635 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: made contact with the watch desk for the New York 636 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: City Emergency Management Office, and we also made contact with 637 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: the local NGO. So I believe it's Granny's respond out 638 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 1: of New York City. We did contact them, let them 639 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: know who, give them a manifest These are the people 640 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: on the bus, These are their ages, general information like 641 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: that and an estimated time or arrival. Since then that 642 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: mayor's delegation came down, we had conversations. We now make 643 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 1: sure that we also include them in those email notifications. 644 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: It's a lot of texting back and forth, but it's 645 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: letting them know what's coming. As far as them saying 646 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: that they have capacity, I understand their concerns. We're just 647 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: trying to connect the people passing through our community where 648 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,479 Speaker 1: they want to go. Well, listen, Tommy and Mario, I 649 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: want to thank you for joining me. This has actually 650 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 1: been very educational and you clearly are right on ground zero. 651 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: It's amazingly complex and I think your point that you 652 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: have this two country metroplex that is astonishingly right at 653 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,479 Speaker 1: the center of an amazing number of things going on. 654 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,479 Speaker 1: So I hope that the federal government and the Biden 655 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:15,359 Speaker 1: administration will consider things like this podcast and rethink the 656 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 1: scale of investment we need to make at the federal 657 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: level to keep this thing manageable, because if we're not 658 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 1: going to find a solution which closes the border, we're 659 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,760 Speaker 1: going to have to have a lot better orderly process 660 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: of managing the scale of people. Gallop once did a 661 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: whirlpole and said, you know, how many of you would 662 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: like to move to the US, and one hundred and 663 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,760 Speaker 1: sixty five million people, so they thought that would be terrific. 664 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,960 Speaker 1: So the more the borders open, the more people are 665 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: going to say to each other, you know, I've always 666 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: wanted to go and visit my cousin, and as you 667 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: just pointed out, they think they're cousins in New York. 668 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,240 Speaker 1: So Mayor Adams may have a bigger interest in getting 669 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: this solved than you do. But I really appreciate the 670 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,399 Speaker 1: two of you taking the time to help educate us, 671 00:34:56,400 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 1: and I thank you for your commitment to citizenship, your 672 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,360 Speaker 1: commitment to making the city work. Thank you, Thank you 673 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: for the opportunity, well, thank you for having us. We 674 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: really appreciate the opportunity to talk about what's going on 675 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 1: in Opasso. There's a lot of great things going on here. 676 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: This is something that has to be managed and we're 677 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: stepping up to do that. But there's also a lot 678 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: of other great things happening here that I think people 679 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 1: need to know about as well. But thank you for 680 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,960 Speaker 1: making time for us into sharing our story with everyone. 681 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: Thank you to my guests, Tommy Gonzalez and Mario d Augustino. 682 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: You can learn more about the migrant crisis in Opaso, 683 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: Texas at newtsworld dot com. News World is produced by 684 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: Gingwish street sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Garnsey Sloan, 685 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: our producer is Rebecca Howe, and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. 686 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: The artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. 687 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: Special thanks to the team at Gingwish three sixty. If 688 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,320 Speaker 1: you've been enjoying news World, I hope you'll go to 689 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 1: Apple Podcast and both rate us with five stars and 690 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:04,480 Speaker 1: give us a review so others can learn what it's 691 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:07,959 Speaker 1: all about. Right now, listeners of newts World can sign 692 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: up from my three free weekly columns at Gingridge three 693 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm Newt Gingrich. This is 694 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 1: newts World.