WEBVTT

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SECRETARY JOHNSON: I'm here with
some of our senior leaders of the

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Department of Homeland Security.

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The main purpose for my visit here today
which I want to talk to you about

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is what you see reflected in the statement
which we have handed out concerning

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border security.

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This is an effort on our part within the
Department, frankly, to be more transparent

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about our border security numbers, our
numbers of apprehensions. I want to, as

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we directed as part of our executive
actions to be more transparent when it

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comes to the numbers. So at the six month
mark, midway through Fiscal Year 2015,

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we wanted to provide you with a report
on apprehensions on the southern border.

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Thus far, in FY15, up to and through March
2015, there have been 151,805 apprehensions

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on the southern border. What is
significant about that in our view is that

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that number is down considerably from
where it was this time last year in 2014.

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It is 28% less than the number last year
as we were beginning to see the spike in

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migration on the southern border. The
number this year of apprehensions at

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the six month point is also lower than it
was in 2013, as well as 2012. The number

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is down considerably in all categories.
Total apprehensions, unaccompanied

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children, family units, as well as
single adults. The month of April, if

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we project it out to the end of month -
we're almost through the month of

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April - looks pretty much the same.
Apprehensions at a significantly

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reduced level. This is all despite the
improving economy in the United

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States, which typically operates as a
pull factor for illegal migration.