WEBVTT 00:00:03.433 --> 00:00:06.833 Well, good morning, everyone. 00:00:07.100 --> 00:00:10.066 Let me just say at the top that 00:00:10.066 --> 00:00:13.033 besides being delighted to be joined by Secretary Mayorkas, 00:00:13.133 --> 00:00:17.166 I also want to take this opportunity to say how thrilled I am that 00:00:17.566 --> 00:00:21.033 we have Matt Miller joining us as our new spokesperson. 00:00:21.633 --> 00:00:24.866 Probably have more to say on that in the days to come. 00:00:24.866 --> 00:00:29.866 But I couldn’t be more pleased, not just for me 00:00:29.866 --> 00:00:33.333 but for the department and, indeed, for our country. 00:00:33.766 --> 00:00:37.866 An extraordinary professional I’ve had the benefit of working with over many years. 00:00:37.866 --> 00:00:42.933 And I’m equally grateful to Vedant Patel, who’s done an extraordinary job 00:00:43.633 --> 00:00:48.666 as our spokesperson these past weeks. 00:00:48.666 --> 00:00:54.000 In two weeks’ time, the CDC’s temporary Title 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:57.500 42 public health order will expire, as required by court order. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.833 President Biden and agencies across our government 00:01:00.833 --> 00:01:04.166 have been taking robust steps to prepare for the effect this will likely 00:01:04.166 --> 00:01:08.066 have on our immigration system, our partners in the region, 00:01:08.133 --> 00:01:12.700 and the movement of people across our hemisphere. 00:01:12.766 --> 00:01:15.733 Secretary Mayorkas will speak about the immediate impact 00:01:15.766 --> 00:01:19.266 of Title 42’s expiration and our stepped-up enforcement efforts. 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:23.333 But first, I’d like to take this opportunity to put this 00:01:23.333 --> 00:01:27.233 in the context of our broader approach to migration in the region, 00:01:27.966 --> 00:01:30.500 which we’ll continue to build on in the coming weeks. 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:33.566 It’s an approach focused on making migration more safe, 00:01:33.633 --> 00:01:38.100 orderly, and humane, and on advancing the interests of the American people. 00:01:39.666 --> 00:01:40.500 If you step back 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:44.233 – and it’s really important to do that – globally 00:01:44.333 --> 00:01:47.566 there are more than 100 million people on the move today, 00:01:47.566 --> 00:01:51.133 compelled to leave their homes in search of security and better lives. 00:01:51.866 --> 00:01:55.200 That is more people than at any time in recorded history. 00:01:55.533 --> 00:01:59.666 And in our own hemisphere, we are facing an unprecedented migration challenge. 00:01:59.733 --> 00:02:04.300 Long-term drivers like violence, corruption, lack of economic opportunity, 00:02:04.300 --> 00:02:06.000 continue to push people from their homes 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:09.733 – problems that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, crises 00:02:09.733 --> 00:02:12.966 of governance, extreme weather events caused by the changing climate. 00:02:13.066 --> 00:02:17.366 Twenty million people are displaced across this hemisphere, 00:02:17.366 --> 00:02:21.133 and the strain on transit and host countries is high. 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:24.766 Migration is the definition 00:02:24.766 --> 00:02:27.100 of a challenge that no country can solve alone. 00:02:28.066 --> 00:02:30.233 The magnitude, the range of drivers, 00:02:30.233 --> 00:02:33.300 the push and pull factors – all demand that we work together. 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.733 That’s why last summer President Biden 00:02:36.733 --> 00:02:39.333 brought together leaders from nations across the Western Hemisphere 00:02:39.866 --> 00:02:42.900 to agree to the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:46.866 and Protection; 21 countries have joined that declaration. 00:02:47.933 --> 00:02:48.200 The LA 00:02:48.200 --> 00:02:52.000 Declaration is an acknowledgment of our shared responsibility on migration, 00:02:52.100 --> 00:02:54.433 and our shared commitment to work together 00:02:54.433 --> 00:02:58.066 and leverage the strengths of partners across government, civil society, 00:02:58.433 --> 00:03:03.200 the private sector, humanitarian organizations, multilateral organizations, 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:05.900 all coming together to address this challenge. 00:03:06.766 --> 00:03:10.666 So let me highlight some of the ways the United States is working 00:03:10.666 --> 00:03:13.666 with our partners in the region on migration 00:03:14.533 --> 00:03:17.966 so as to take, among other things, pressure off our borders by giving people 00:03:17.966 --> 00:03:22.433 alternatives to making a hazardous journey to seek asylum in the United States. 00:03:23.733 --> 00:03:26.233 Of course, fundamentally we’re working to tackle the root 00:03:26.233 --> 00:03:28.233 causes of migration so that people don’t 00:03:28.233 --> 00:03:30.333 have to leave their homes in the first place. 00:03:30.333 --> 00:03:33.133 That includes investing and redirecting and mobilizing resources 00:03:33.666 --> 00:03:37.200 toward greater economic opportunities, as we’ve done through the more than $4.2 00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:41.300 billion in private sector commitments that Vice President Harris 00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:43.700 has helped to secure for northern Central America. 00:03:44.633 --> 00:03:47.200 These investments by businesses and social enterprises 00:03:47.633 --> 00:03:51.033 will sustain and create jobs, connect people to the digital economy, 00:03:51.533 --> 00:03:55.066 expand access to financing, provide training and education for young people 00:03:55.066 --> 00:03:58.600 and workers, and improve economic livelihoods across the region. 00:03:58.666 --> 00:04:01.266 We’re also investing in economic opportunity 00:04:01.266 --> 00:04:04.666 through the nearly $1.2 billion that we provided in humanitarian 00:04:04.666 --> 00:04:07.800 assistance across the region last year, and through initiatives 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.700 like our commitment to work with our partners to train and equip 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:15.000 500,000 local healthcare workers across the hemisphere over the next 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:19.600 five years so that more people can get quality care in their own communities. 00:04:20.166 --> 00:04:23.100 All of these investments will help people feel that they have a future 00:04:23.666 --> 00:04:25.466 in their own communities. 00:04:25.466 --> 00:04:30.033 Now, of course many of these investments can take time to bear fruit. 00:04:30.566 --> 00:04:35.300 So we’re working in parallel on critical collaborations and initiatives 00:04:35.533 --> 00:04:39.100 with partners in the hemisphere to have a more near-term impact. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:44.300 First, we’re supporting host countries as they provide legal protections 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:46.600 and assistance to refugees and migrants 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:48.933 so that they can thrive in their new communities. 00:04:49.633 --> 00:04:52.800 We’re doing that by delivering funding to schools, health facilities, 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:54.633 and other providers of support to migrants, 00:04:54.633 --> 00:04:57.800 funding the staffing and capacity-building of local asylum centers 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.500 and systems, and supporting registration and documentation efforts 00:05:01.500 --> 00:05:05.033 so that individuals can gain and demonstrate legal status, 00:05:05.566 --> 00:05:09.700 which is critical for access to work, to schools, to social services. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:14.200 Our partners in turn are doing extraordinary work in this area. 00:05:14.233 --> 00:05:17.900 Colombia, for example, has given 10-year temporary protected 00:05:17.900 --> 00:05:20.566 status to approximately 2.5 million Venezuelans, 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:24.433 allowing them to work, to study, to access public services. 00:05:24.900 --> 00:05:28.566 Ecuador, Costa Rica, Belize are also undertaking similar efforts 00:05:29.100 --> 00:05:31.800 to regularize migrants from Venezuela and Nicaragua, 00:05:32.633 --> 00:05:34.233 as well as Peru. 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:37.133 We see 00:05:38.200 --> 00:05:39.700 efforts as well 00:05:39.700 --> 00:05:43.866 to forgive existing migrant overstay fines, effectively 00:05:43.866 --> 00:05:46.633 removing one of the largest barriers to regularization. 00:05:47.366 --> 00:05:51.566 Brazil’s “Operation Welcome” helped over 100,000 Venezuelans voluntarily 00:05:51.566 --> 00:05:54.466 resettle in places where they have greater economic opportunity. 00:05:55.333 --> 00:05:58.800 Mexico and Canada are increasing the number of people that they welcome on 00:05:58.800 --> 00:05:59.833 a humanitarian basis. 00:05:59.833 --> 00:06:03.700 We’re also working with partners in the hemisphere to accept repatriation 00:06:03.700 --> 00:06:07.600 flights, increase security forces along migration routes, provide 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.000 more assistance to migrants and refugees. 00:06:10.766 --> 00:06:12.466 We continue to surge assistance to host countries 00:06:12.466 --> 00:06:15.966 throughout the hemisphere to help integrate refugees and migrants, 00:06:16.033 --> 00:06:19.466 and increase humanitarian aid and protection for vulnerable populations. 00:06:20.666 --> 00:06:21.166 Second, 00:06:21.166 --> 00:06:25.500 we’re announcing a 60-day surge of urgent assistance to regional partners 00:06:25.966 --> 00:06:28.733 to enhance security, to counter smuggling – 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.733 an effort that Ali will share more about in a few moments. 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:33.866 We’re also working to counter disinformation 00:06:34.466 --> 00:06:37.300 being spread by traffickers and other bad actors, 00:06:37.700 --> 00:06:40.066 including by expanding our paid and earned media outreach 00:06:40.066 --> 00:06:43.066 to high out-migration communities and migrant routes 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.200 through channels potentially reaching upward of 85 million people – 00:06:47.266 --> 00:06:51.033 so that people who want to migrate have accurate information 00:06:51.666 --> 00:06:55.366 about how to do so legally and safely, 00:06:55.466 --> 00:06:59.333 and know the dangers of putting themselves in the hands of traffickers. 00:07:00.466 --> 00:07:03.133 Third, we’re significantly expanding access 00:07:03.400 --> 00:07:07.733 to lawful pathways for migration for those in need, including the U.S. 00:07:07.733 --> 00:07:10.600 Refugee Admissions Program. 00:07:10.666 --> 00:07:12.866 For too many people in too many places, 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.466 these pathways feel far from reach. 00:07:17.200 --> 00:07:19.466 So we’re working to create more opportunities, 00:07:19.533 --> 00:07:22.066 and to make them more accessible. 00:07:22.066 --> 00:07:24.900 The United States welcomed six times as many refugees from Latin America 00:07:24.900 --> 00:07:28.266 and the Caribbean in 2022 than during the previous year. 00:07:28.766 --> 00:07:31.833 We’re on track to more than double those arrivals in 2023. 00:07:32.700 --> 00:07:37.100 And in January, President Biden committed to welcoming 30,000 individuals 00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:40.900 every month from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, 00:07:40.900 --> 00:07:43.300 and Nicaragua through a parole program. 00:07:44.100 --> 00:07:45.900 Irregular migration from those four countries 00:07:45.900 --> 00:07:49.700 fell by more than 97 percent within the first month – 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:53.266 because people now have a legal and safe pathway. 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:56.266 That means tens of thousands of people 00:07:56.266 --> 00:07:59.500 are no longer making the perilous overland journey to our border, 00:07:59.566 --> 00:08:02.433 or putting themselves at the mercy of abusive smugglers. 00:08:03.733 --> 00:08:06.066 We’re partnering with both national and international NGOs 00:08:06.066 --> 00:08:09.300 to connect the most vulnerable populations – including religious 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:13.400 minorities, political dissidents, LGBTQI+ persons, and survivors 00:08:13.400 --> 00:08:17.600 of gender-based violence – to expedited resettlement processes. 00:08:17.666 --> 00:08:20.766 We’re developing new ways to increase 00:08:20.766 --> 00:08:23.400 the scope and effectiveness of our migration system, 00:08:24.033 --> 00:08:26.800 like Welcome Corps, which – for the first time ever – 00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:30.000 allows American individuals to sponsor refugees. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.133 And soon we will stand up 00:08:33.133 --> 00:08:36.500 Regional Processing Centers in select locations in the region. 00:08:37.533 --> 00:08:40.766 I want to thank Colombia and Guatemala specifically 00:08:40.766 --> 00:08:44.300 for their role as excellent partners of the United States in these efforts. 00:08:45.333 --> 00:08:49.100 These centers will be operated by international organization partners 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:54.066 and improve qualified individuals’ access to accelerated refugee resettlement 00:08:54.066 --> 00:08:59.100 processing, family reunification, and labor pathways in the United States. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:03.700 They will also be a referral point for lawful pathways as well, as well 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:07.733 as humanitarian and refugee protections in other countries, like Canada and Spain. 00:09:09.100 --> 00:09:11.500 These centers will take a hugely important step 00:09:12.133 --> 00:09:14.833 to prevent people from making the dangerous journey to the border 00:09:15.333 --> 00:09:18.800 by providing a much safer legal option to migrate 00:09:18.933 --> 00:09:22.100 that they can pursue in and from their own countries. 00:09:22.166 --> 00:09:25.433 It’s a new and innovative approach that does right by people 00:09:25.433 --> 00:09:29.266 who want to migrate, and that enhances security and stability in the region. 00:09:30.266 --> 00:09:32.733 Later today, I’ll have a chance to travel to Denver for the Cities 00:09:32.733 --> 00:09:35.433 Summit of the Americas, where we’ve convened leaders to talk about 00:09:35.900 --> 00:09:38.200 how governments can better deliver for their people. 00:09:38.800 --> 00:09:41.566 And that mission is at the heart of the migration challenge: 00:09:41.666 --> 00:09:46.933 How can we all work together, as we are, to provide the foundation for better, 00:09:46.933 --> 00:09:50.733 more secure, and more hopeful futures for all our citizens? 00:09:51.033 --> 00:09:53.100 With that, let me turn it over to Secretary Mayorkas. 00:09:56.100 --> 00:09:57.166 Good morning. 00:09:57.266 --> 00:09:58.900 Thank you, Secretary Blinken. 00:09:58.900 --> 00:10:03.500 As the Secretary described, this is a hemispheric challenge 00:10:03.800 --> 00:10:06.333 that demands hemispheric solutions. 00:10:06.333 --> 00:10:10.633 Working with our neighbors in the region, we can and will reduce 00:10:10.866 --> 00:10:13.400 the number of migrants who reach our southern border. 00:10:14.366 --> 00:10:17.900 The Regional Processing Centers announced today will be a critical addition 00:10:18.300 --> 00:10:21.900 to the programs and processes DHS has in place 00:10:22.166 --> 00:10:26.066 for qualifying individuals to obtain authorization to enter 00:10:26.066 --> 00:10:29.533 the United States before arriving at our borders. 00:10:30.333 --> 00:10:34.633 This is particularly important because we have a humanitarian obligation 00:10:34.800 --> 00:10:37.333 to cut the smugglers out. 00:10:37.333 --> 00:10:40.400 We have seen a dramatic rise in the reach, 00:10:40.666 --> 00:10:44.533 sophistication, and cruelty of the smuggling organizations 00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:48.566 over the past ten years and the challenges that presents. 00:10:49.866 --> 00:10:51.800 The comprehensive plan we have developed 00:10:51.800 --> 00:10:55.166 and are executing takes this reality into account. 00:10:55.700 --> 00:10:59.100 We are building lawful pathways for people to come to the United States 00:10:59.300 --> 00:11:01.366 without resorting to the smugglers. 00:11:01.966 --> 00:11:03.233 At the same time, 00:11:03.233 --> 00:11:07.433 we are imposing consequences on those who do not use those pathways 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:11.366 and instead irregularly migrate to our southern border. 00:11:12.266 --> 00:11:14.500 This plan has proven effective. 00:11:14.500 --> 00:11:16.966 Building on the success of Uniting for Ukraine, 00:11:17.366 --> 00:11:22.100 we created parole processes for qualifying Cubans, Haitians, 00:11:22.333 --> 00:11:25.833 Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and we expelled individuals 00:11:25.833 --> 00:11:29.333 from these countries who sought to enter at our southern border. 00:11:29.900 --> 00:11:33.400 We have seen a high degree of interest in these parole processes 00:11:33.633 --> 00:11:37.633 and a dramatic drop in encounters from these nationalities. 00:11:38.066 --> 00:11:43.833 Overall, the number of Border Patrol encounters in March 2023 was down 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.466 23 percent compared to March of last year. 00:11:48.400 --> 00:11:52.933 When people have safe and orderly pathways to come to the United States 00:11:53.233 --> 00:11:58.600 and face consequences for failing to do so, they use those pathways. 00:11:59.666 --> 00:12:00.500 After May 00:12:00.500 --> 00:12:05.066 11th, our court-compelled use of Title 42 will end and we will once again 00:12:05.066 --> 00:12:09.666 process all migrants under Title 8 of the United States code. 00:12:09.766 --> 00:12:10.900 This is a longstanding 00:12:10.900 --> 00:12:14.766 immigration enforcement authority that multiple administrations 00:12:14.833 --> 00:12:19.733 – Republican and Democratic alike – have used to process individuals. 00:12:20.300 --> 00:12:23.533 It carries stiff consequences for irregular migration, 00:12:23.966 --> 00:12:27.266 including at least a five-year ban on reentry 00:12:27.566 --> 00:12:30.966 and potential criminal prosecution for repeated attempts 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.966 to cross unlawfully. 00:12:40.233 --> 00:12:43.400 We have been preparing for this transition for more than a year and a half. 00:12:44.066 --> 00:12:48.233 Notwithstanding those preparations, we do expect that encounters 00:12:48.233 --> 00:12:51.933 at our southern border will increasing, as smugglers are seeking 00:12:51.933 --> 00:12:56.066 to take advantage of this change and already are hard at work 00:12:56.300 --> 00:12:59.566 spreading disinformation that the border will be open after that. 00:12:59.700 --> 00:13:05.266 High encounters will place a strain on our entire system, 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:10.300 including our dedicated and heroic workforce and our communities. 00:13:11.133 --> 00:13:13.900 The smuggler’s propaganda is false. 00:13:14.300 --> 00:13:17.366 Let me be clear: Our border is not open 00:13:17.666 --> 00:13:20.466 and will not be open after May 11th. 00:13:21.233 --> 00:13:26.200 Today, we are announcing the expansion of our plan to build lawful pathways 00:13:26.466 --> 00:13:30.733 and to impose consequences for failure to use those pathways. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.933 First, the Department of Homeland Security 00:13:33.933 --> 00:13:37.100 is proud to work with the State Department in establishing 00:13:37.333 --> 00:13:40.866 the Regional Processing Centers that Secretary Blinken described. 00:13:41.466 --> 00:13:45.500 We are dedicating specially trained refugee officers to the centers. 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.500 They will interview applicants for the U.S. 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:51.800 Refugee Admissions Program and provide for the swift 00:13:51.800 --> 00:13:54.400 processing of a greater number of individuals. 00:13:55.100 --> 00:13:59.300 In addition to refugee processing, migrants may be screened at these centers 00:13:59.566 --> 00:14:03.266 and referred to pursue additional pathways to the United States 00:14:03.666 --> 00:14:07.066 or to other countries for which they may be eligible. 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:10.733 Second, we are streamlining the long-established 00:14:10.966 --> 00:14:14.900 family reunification parole processes for Cubans and Haitians 00:14:15.166 --> 00:14:19.700 so that individuals from these countries with approved family-based petitions 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:24.600 can more quickly reunite with their families here in the United States. 00:14:25.333 --> 00:14:29.833 Third, I have directed my team to develop family reunification processes 00:14:30.133 --> 00:14:32.500 that will extend this well-recognized model 00:14:32.833 --> 00:14:38.133 to certain individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia. 00:14:38.866 --> 00:14:44.000 More information about these processes will be available by May 11th. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.866 Fourth, we will continue the 00:14:47.866 --> 00:14:51.000 successful processes we announced in January. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:56.033 Through our CPB One mobile app, we will enable individuals to schedule 00:14:56.033 --> 00:15:00.900 more appointments at ports of entry, consistent with Title 8 processing. 00:15:00.900 --> 00:15:05.366 The Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela parole processes, 00:15:05.700 --> 00:15:09.433 as well as the corresponding returns to Mexico for those 00:15:09.433 --> 00:15:13.100 without a legal basis to remain will continue. 00:15:14.433 --> 00:15:17.133 At the same time, we are imposing consequences 00:15:17.133 --> 00:15:20.700 for individuals who do not use our lawful pathways. 00:15:21.433 --> 00:15:25.766 Beginning on May 12th, we will be – we will place eligible individuals 00:15:26.033 --> 00:15:30.500 who arrive at our southern border in expedited removal proceedings. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.200 Those who arrive at our border and do not have a legal basis to stay 00:15:35.466 --> 00:15:38.500 will have made the journey, often 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:42.500 having suffered horrific trauma and having paid their life savings 00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:45.866 to the smugglers, only to be quickly removed. 00:15:46.433 --> 00:15:51.666 They will be removed most often in a matter of days in just a few weeks. 00:15:52.833 --> 00:15:53.933 Unlike the Title 00:15:53.933 --> 00:15:57.700 42 public health authority, the penalty for being removed 00:15:57.833 --> 00:16:02.400 from the United States under Title 8 through expedited removal 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:08.000 and other immigration laws we will be enforcing is not just removal. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:11.100 An individual who is removed is subject 00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:16.766 to at least a five-year ban on admission to the United States and can face 00:16:16.766 --> 00:16:20.066 criminal prosecution for any subsequent attempt 00:16:20.266 --> 00:16:22.266 to cross the border illegally. 00:16:23.800 --> 00:16:28.300 We will process eligible single adults for expedited removal while they are 00:16:28.300 --> 00:16:33.166 in our Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. 00:16:33.800 --> 00:16:36.866 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be conducting 00:16:37.133 --> 00:16:39.466 any credible fear interviews. 00:16:39.466 --> 00:16:43.633 We have expanded our holding capacity and set up equipment and procedures 00:16:43.900 --> 00:16:47.000 so that individuals have the ability to access counsel. 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:50.600 We have digitized processes, surged personnel, 00:16:50.766 --> 00:16:54.733 and with the cooperation of partner governments increased 00:16:54.833 --> 00:16:56.300 return flights. 00:16:56.300 --> 00:16:59.500 We are ensuring that removals are accomplished 00:16:59.666 --> 00:17:02.700 fairly, efficiently, and quickly. 00:17:04.100 --> 00:17:07.233 Families have always presented unique challenges 00:17:07.233 --> 00:17:12.500 within our immigration system, particularly for an administration 00:17:12.766 --> 00:17:18.500 like ours that priorities family unity and opposes family separation. 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:22.900 Like single adults, families will be placed in removal proceedings, 00:17:23.100 --> 00:17:25.333 including expedited removal. 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:29.800 We are currently focused on utilizing the full spectrum 00:17:30.166 --> 00:17:35.133 of our Alternatives to Detention Programs, including GPS monitoring 00:17:35.366 --> 00:17:38.133 and enhanced supervision, such as curfews 00:17:38.333 --> 00:17:40.700 and expanding case management services. 00:17:41.266 --> 00:17:44.466 This will be coupled with more stringent measures 00:17:44.633 --> 00:17:48.066 for those who do not comply. 00:17:48.066 --> 00:17:51.666 The same principle will apply to single adults and families. 00:17:52.100 --> 00:17:56.700 They will have an opportunity to seek protection or other relief from removal. 00:17:56.700 --> 00:17:59.733 If they receive a final order of removal, 00:17:59.733 --> 00:18:02.833 we will enforce the law, and they will be removed. 00:18:04.066 --> 00:18:07.433 In addition to our land border, we will continue to confront 00:18:07.433 --> 00:18:10.333 the challenge of migration on our seas. 00:18:11.266 --> 00:18:14.066 Since we announced our parole processes for Cubans, 00:18:14.333 --> 00:18:18.166 Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, we have made it clear that 00:18:18.166 --> 00:18:23.300 those who arrive at our southern border are not eligible for the parole processes. 00:18:23.933 --> 00:18:27.533 We are announcing today that that ineligibility 00:18:27.533 --> 00:18:30.233 will now extend to individuals who take to the seas 00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:34.833 and are interdicted trying to arrive at our maritime borders. 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.033 We have seen too many people – families, 00:18:38.500 --> 00:18:42.366 women, children – perish in the rough seas. 00:18:43.333 --> 00:18:45.666 We have increased the presence of our United States 00:18:45.666 --> 00:18:50.166 Coast Guard to interdict migrants trying to reach the United States by sea. 00:18:50.666 --> 00:18:54.400 We have saved countless lives, and we have returned the migrants 00:18:54.666 --> 00:18:56.266 to their home countries. 00:18:56.266 --> 00:18:58.433 That will continue. 00:18:58.433 --> 00:19:02.533 In addition, we are finalizing the regulation that the Departments 00:19:02.533 --> 00:19:06.800 of Justice and Homeland Security jointly proposed earlier this year. 00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:10.433 That proposed regulation will incentivize individuals 00:19:10.766 --> 00:19:13.466 to avail themselves of lawful, safe, 00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:19.800 and orderly pathways, and disincentivize dangerous border crossings by placing 00:19:19.800 --> 00:19:22.766 a new condition on asylum eligibility for those 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.366 who fail to use those pathways. 00:19:26.533 --> 00:19:29.100 The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security aim 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:32.066 to have the rule finalized by May 11 00:19:32.600 --> 00:19:35.933 and will swiftly implement it. 00:19:35.933 --> 00:19:37.733 The work we have been performing 00:19:37.733 --> 00:19:40.733 to prepare for post Title 42 continues, 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:44.200 as I have previously outlined in our six-pillar plan. 00:19:44.833 --> 00:19:48.966 We are surging resources to our border, modernizing processes, 00:19:49.266 --> 00:19:53.466 attacking the smuggling organizations with unprecedented law enforcement 00:19:53.466 --> 00:19:58.500 focus, strengthening our immigration enforcement tool of expedited removal, 00:19:58.966 --> 00:20:03.733 working to increase information sharing and resources - having distributed 00:20:03.933 --> 00:20:07.100 over $130 million this fiscal year 00:20:07.366 --> 00:20:12.000 with 290 more to be awarded in the coming weeks 00:20:12.066 --> 00:20:15.600 – for local communities and their non-profit organizations. 00:20:15.866 --> 00:20:19.833 We are partnering with nations in the region to address the challenges 00:20:20.100 --> 00:20:23.833 of unprecedented migration throughout the hemisphere. 00:20:25.133 --> 00:20:26.900 For example, 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:29.433 two weeks ago we reached a trilateral agreement 00:20:29.700 --> 00:20:34.066 with Colombia and Panama to attack the smugglers who falsely coax 00:20:34.066 --> 00:20:38.200 people into the treacherous terrain of the Darien. 00:20:38.300 --> 00:20:43.233 We initiated a 60-day coordinated campaign with Panama and Colombia 00:20:43.600 --> 00:20:47.266 to prevent the incredibly dangerous humanitarian situation 00:20:47.266 --> 00:20:50.533 of migrants traversing the Darien jungle. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.666 We have made more than 10,000 smuggling arrests since April of last year 00:20:55.666 --> 00:20:58.433 and seized more than $47 million 00:20:58.700 --> 00:21:02.000 in smugglers’ illegal property and finances. 00:21:02.566 --> 00:21:06.900 The Canadian commitment to accept an additional 15,000 migrants 00:21:07.166 --> 00:21:11.633 was part of a complementary effort to create lawful pathways. 00:21:12.733 --> 00:21:13.766 Everyone 00:21:15.533 --> 00:21:16.400 agrees – everyone agrees – 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:20.200 our immigration system is outdated and badly broken. 00:21:20.800 --> 00:21:24.200 We must tackle the challenges before us together. 00:21:24.766 --> 00:21:30.200 This includes the potential for increases in migration after May 11 and the strain 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:35.033 it will place on our communities, our workforce, and our system. 00:21:35.133 --> 00:21:40.833 That’s why today we notified Congress of our intent to reprogram funds 00:21:41.066 --> 00:21:45.933 within our budget to support other emerging requirements across DHS. 00:21:46.633 --> 00:21:50.633 This reprograming of existing funds will not meet our longer 00:21:50.633 --> 00:21:54.500 term needs for securing our border and enforcing our laws. 00:21:55.166 --> 00:22:00.266 The administration requested $4.9 billion for these requirements but received 00:22:00.733 --> 00:22:05.266 only $2.7 billion in the funding bill passed this December. 00:22:06.100 --> 00:22:10.566 While the department is prudently utilizing the limited funding Congress 00:22:10.566 --> 00:22:14.766 has provided to prepare for the post-Title 42 environment, 00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:19.033 this notification of repurposing existing funds 00:22:19.333 --> 00:22:22.400 is only a fraction of what we will ultimately need. 00:22:24.566 --> 00:22:25.666 We know 00:22:25.666 --> 00:22:29.000 smugglers will seek to take advantage of the end of Title 42 00:22:29.533 --> 00:22:32.533 and that the first few weeks will be challenging, but 00:22:32.533 --> 00:22:37.100 I have full confidence in the dedicated men and women of DHS. 00:22:37.866 --> 00:22:41.600 We will do all we can to manage our border and increased encounters 00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:44.766 in a safe, orderly, and humane way. 00:22:45.566 --> 00:22:47.766 We are working with our regional partners. 00:22:48.466 --> 00:22:50.800 We are going after the smugglers. 00:22:50.800 --> 00:22:53.233 We are surging resources to the border. 00:22:53.233 --> 00:22:56.000 But we cannot do everything that we need to do 00:22:56.566 --> 00:23:00.966 until Congress provides the needed resources and reforms. 00:23:01.666 --> 00:23:04.600 We call on Congress to provide the resources 00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:06.666 we need to continue our work. 00:23:07.266 --> 00:23:10.900 We stand ready to work with Congress to pass 00:23:10.933 --> 00:23:15.233 desperately needed reform to our immigration and asylum system. 00:23:16.066 --> 00:23:19.933 In the meantime, we will continue to do our part, 00:23:19.933 --> 00:23:23.333 implementing the approach we have described here today. 00:23:23.933 --> 00:23:24.400 Thank you. 00:23:27.233 --> 00:23:30.400 We will take a couple questions. 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:32.533 I see we have a special guest today. 00:23:32.533 --> 00:23:35.866 I don’t know if you want to ask the secretaries first. 00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:37.333 That’s right. 00:23:37.333 --> 00:23:40.433 It’s Take Your Children to Work Day, and we’d 00:23:40.466 --> 00:23:43.066 happy – happy to take a question from you, if you have one. 00:23:43.066 --> 00:23:46.300 (Laughter.) Or you can whisper to Matt. 00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:50.833 Well, I think she wanted to ask about the geopolitical 00:23:50.833 --> 00:23:52.966 and strategic implications 00:23:52.966 --> 00:23:56.733 of the U.S.-China-Russia rivalry, but that’s a little bit off topic. 00:23:57.033 --> 00:23:59.600 Instead, she had a joke she wanted to tell, 00:24:00.666 --> 00:24:03.000 but I don’t – not sure if she’s got a little bit of stage fright. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:05.200 So let me go ahead and start. 00:24:05.300 --> 00:24:11.633 One, for either of you, on the Regional Processing Centers, 00:24:11.733 --> 00:24:15.966 do you have a target, an estimate, of how many people will be able 00:24:15.966 --> 00:24:20.000 to – the capacity for these, like per week or per month? 00:24:20.433 --> 00:24:23.900 And whether you do or not, if you think that 00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:26.366 they will be so successful and are truly 00:24:27.566 --> 00:24:32.100 new and innovative, why hasn’t this been done before? 00:24:32.133 --> 00:24:33.800 And then secondly, for Secretary Blinken, I’m 00:24:33.800 --> 00:24:35.866 just wondering if there’s any updates on the Sudan 00:24:37.900 --> 00:24:40.866 evacuation or non-evacuation situation in terms of the State Department. 00:24:40.900 --> 00:24:41.366 Thank you. 00:24:41.366 --> 00:24:44.400 Do you want to start, Ali? Happy to. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:48.700 So this is a process that will scale up over time. 00:24:49.333 --> 00:24:53.566 We are going to begin in collaboration, of course, with the State Department 00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:56.633 and our partner countries 00:24:56.633 --> 00:24:59.400 to begin several thousand each 00:24:59.733 --> 00:25:03.200 month, 5-6,000 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:07.633 plus each month individuals processed, a material impact 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:12.700 on the decision-making of people who are seeking relief in a country. 00:25:12.733 --> 00:25:14.200 The whole model 00:25:15.233 --> 00:25:16.900 is to reach the people where 00:25:16.900 --> 00:25:22.133 they are, to cut the smugglers out, and to have them avoid 00:25:22.300 --> 00:25:25.400 the perilous journey that too many do not make. 00:25:25.600 --> 00:25:29.500 But we are beginning in Guatemala and Colombia. 00:25:29.733 --> 00:25:33.733 We are beginning at the level that I described and we will scale up. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.200 We are incredibly proud of the fact that we negotiated this agreement 00:25:38.433 --> 00:25:42.000 with those foreign countries and we hope to expand beyond there. 00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:43.800 Thanks, Ali. 00:25:44.366 --> 00:25:47.100 And Matt, just to add one point on that, I think 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:50.400 as this effort moves forward 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:52.900 and we establish it, 00:25:54.333 --> 00:25:56.800 my expectation would be that 00:25:56.800 --> 00:26:01.666 even beyond the numbers of people who might be processed in a given month, 00:26:01.866 --> 00:26:04.033 other people, having – seeing that this is now 00:26:04.666 --> 00:26:07.866 a way to access legal pathways to the United States 00:26:08.266 --> 00:26:11.133 that doesn’t require them to, again, take the hazardous journey to 00:26:12.100 --> 00:26:13.133 our border 00:26:13.233 --> 00:26:17.233 and to put themselves in the hands of smugglers, and then to 00:26:17.300 --> 00:26:20.666 come only to be turned away in any event, 00:26:20.666 --> 00:26:23.066 my expectation would be that 00:26:24.333 --> 00:26:26.833 many other people beyond those who are actually being 00:26:27.466 --> 00:26:32.133 processed in a given month will stay put and wait 00:26:32.133 --> 00:26:36.266 to avail themselves of this additional way of accessing legal pathways. 00:26:36.300 --> 00:26:37.100 So we’ll see. 00:26:37.100 --> 00:26:40.500 We have to build it out and we’re very actively working on doing that. 00:26:40.566 --> 00:26:43.133 As to why 00:26:43.866 --> 00:26:47.200 this hasn’t been done before, well, I mean, it’s like any good idea. 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:49.900 You can say, “Gee, why didn’t we think of this before?” 00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:53.200 But the fact is we’re working on it now, and we’re working to make it 00:26:53.833 --> 00:26:55.233 real and effective. 00:26:55.333 --> 00:26:57.600 On Sudan, just a few things. 00:26:57.600 --> 00:27:01.666 First, we are very actively working to extend the ceasefire. 00:27:01.666 --> 00:27:05.400 We’ve had a 72-hour ceasefire, which like most ceasefires 00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:08.466 is imperfect but nonetheless has reduced violence. 00:27:08.766 --> 00:27:13.966 And that’s obviously created somewhat better conditions for people in Sudan. 00:27:14.066 --> 00:27:19.666 It’s also enabled some humanitarian assistance to continue to move around. 00:27:19.666 --> 00:27:21.366 But we want to make sure that, 00:27:23.166 --> 00:27:24.700 if possible, this is extended. 00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:26.300 We’re very actively engaged on that. 00:27:26.300 --> 00:27:30.300 I hope and expect to have more information on that in the coming hours. 00:27:30.300 --> 00:27:33.400 And the focus, again, is on extending the ceasefire and making 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:36.866 sure there is humanitarian access. 00:27:36.866 --> 00:27:38.966 With regard to 00:27:40.100 --> 00:27:44.900 American citizens in Sudan, a few things to be said about that. 00:27:45.833 --> 00:27:49.666 We are providing the best possible advice that we can to anyone asking 00:27:49.666 --> 00:27:53.566 for our assistance about conditions, about safety, about security, 00:27:54.366 --> 00:27:57.533 so that they can make decisions with the most information possible 00:27:57.533 --> 00:27:59.666 about what they want to do, 00:27:59.666 --> 00:28:03.133 whether they want to stay, whether they want to try to go. 00:28:03.133 --> 00:28:07.700 As you know, the vast majority of American citizens who are in 00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:10.900 Sudan are dual nationals, most of whom have made their lives 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:15.100 and livelihoods in Sudan for years, decades. 00:28:15.800 --> 00:28:19.133 So these are very challenging decisions for people to make. 00:28:19.133 --> 00:28:21.100 But we’re in contact with 00:28:22.300 --> 00:28:24.200 Americans who have registered 00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:27.633 with us in one way or another, and very active contact. 00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:31.966 What’s happened over the last 72 or so hours is that the 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:34.733 reduction in violence that we were able to achieve 00:28:35.100 --> 00:28:37.233 through the ceasefires that we helped produce 00:28:37.766 --> 00:28:41.300 has allowed partners and allies, 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:44.900 in coordination with us, to conduct some aerial evacuations. 00:28:45.766 --> 00:28:49.166 We’re providing important logistical support to these efforts. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:52.900 This is a collaborative process and we have managed to direct 00:28:54.066 --> 00:28:57.500 many Americans who have – were seeking to leave 00:28:57.966 --> 00:29:02.533 to that evacuation process so that they could, 00:29:03.266 --> 00:29:05.333 along with other nationals, take advantage of it. 00:29:06.033 --> 00:29:07.533 And that’s ongoing. 00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:09.833 At the same time, 00:29:10.366 --> 00:29:12.466 what happens in these situations 00:29:12.466 --> 00:29:17.800 is you have people who are not all at once – everyone making a decision 00:29:17.800 --> 00:29:21.966 in a given moment, at a given time, about what they’re going to do or not do. 00:29:22.133 --> 00:29:23.566 This changes over time. 00:29:23.566 --> 00:29:25.433 So people who today 00:29:25.433 --> 00:29:28.833 think that they’re going to stay put may decide next week, next month, 00:29:28.900 --> 00:29:29.766 that they want to leave. 00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:33.400 What we need to do and what we’re working to establish 00:29:33.733 --> 00:29:38.666 is a sustained process for enabling people to leave, assuming that 00:29:39.266 --> 00:29:42.200 the conditions that we see now 00:29:42.533 --> 00:29:44.600 are maintained, by which 00:29:44.600 --> 00:29:49.966 I mean on the one hand, yes, a ceasefire, however imperfect, 00:29:49.966 --> 00:29:54.233 but also ongoing violence, confrontation 00:29:54.233 --> 00:29:59.033 between the two rival military groups, et cetera. 00:29:59.133 --> 00:30:02.766 As we’ve looked at this, we believe that the best way to have 00:30:03.333 --> 00:30:06.166 an enduring capability to help people 00:30:06.600 --> 00:30:09.500 leave Sudan, if that’s what they so choose, is overland. 00:30:09.600 --> 00:30:14.033 And we are working to establish a process that would enable people to move overland 00:30:14.766 --> 00:30:18.700 to a place where they can more easily exit the country – in all likelihood, 00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:19.800 Port Sudan. 00:30:19.800 --> 00:30:25.000 So that’s under very active development, and again, that will be the most effective 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:28.500 way to have a sustained process, a sustained mechanism, 00:30:29.233 --> 00:30:32.833 an enduring capability to enable people to leave if that’s the choice they make. 00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:35.300 Tracy? Thank you. 00:30:36.466 --> 00:30:37.766 A couple of technical 00:30:37.766 --> 00:30:40.900 questions and then something broader for either of you. 00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:44.266 Following up on the regional centers, how many more countries 00:30:44.266 --> 00:30:48.766 are you negotiating with to set up centers to add them down the line? 00:30:49.900 --> 00:30:51.800 You have set a goal, 00:30:51.800 --> 00:30:54.666 I think you said, of doubling the number of refugees to be admitted. 00:30:54.666 --> 00:30:59.066 Is that realistic given the huge backlog, the enormous demand, 00:30:59.066 --> 00:31:03.433 and how long it does take to scale up to the 6,000 a month or whatever it is? 00:31:03.433 --> 00:31:08.200 So I’m wondering how many more people will really be helped in these new measures. 00:31:08.800 --> 00:31:12.366 Secretary Mayorkas, you said something I didn’t quite get about family detention. 00:31:12.366 --> 00:31:14.200 Will entire families now be detained? 00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:15.533 Is that the idea? 00:31:15.533 --> 00:31:19.800 And finally, for Secretary Blinken, you mentioned the global 00:31:19.800 --> 00:31:21.400 aspect of immigration, 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:24.600 and so I wanted to ask about Russians who’ve been coming to the United States 00:31:24.866 --> 00:31:28.833 seeking asylum, saying they’re fleeing conscription. 00:31:29.066 --> 00:31:33.466 Many of them are minorities, and it seems like their cases are being turned down. 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:35.533 Many have been detained by ICE 00:31:35.533 --> 00:31:38.733 and a few that we know of have been deported back to Russia. 00:31:38.733 --> 00:31:42.200 So why is that not a – why do they not have a credible fear case? 00:31:42.533 --> 00:31:45.033 Thank you. 00:31:45.100 --> 00:31:48.900 So let me – I can take the questions, if I may. 00:31:48.933 --> 00:31:52.600 So the issue of credible fear, the determination of credible 00:31:52.600 --> 00:31:56.366 fear is a very case-specific, individualized determination. 00:31:56.366 --> 00:32:00.266 Our very experienced asylum officers 00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:04.400 make those determinations based on the facts presented to them 00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:08.166 as well as their background information with respect to the country conditions. 00:32:08.366 --> 00:32:12.466 And so they evaluate the claims based on the people before them 00:32:12.700 --> 00:32:15.333 and the case that those individuals present. 00:32:16.233 --> 00:32:20.500 We are indeed in discussions with other countries to expand 00:32:21.633 --> 00:32:25.900 the Regional Processing Centers, and 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:30.533 they will have a significant impact 00:32:31.566 --> 00:32:33.566 on the migratory decisions 00:32:33.566 --> 00:32:37.766 of individuals in the region, and our parole processes 00:32:38.133 --> 00:32:41.400 really communicate that fact quite powerfully. 00:32:41.933 --> 00:32:46.433 People don’t want to place their lives 00:32:46.666 --> 00:32:50.200 and their life savings in the hands of ruthless smugglers. 00:32:50.666 --> 00:32:53.400 If they have a lawful, safe, 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:57.066 and orderly pathway to come to the United States 00:32:57.366 --> 00:33:03.600 or another destination country – like Canada or Spain, as Secretary Blinken 00:33:03.600 --> 00:33:08.333 mentioned – they will avail themselves of those lawful pathways. 00:33:08.633 --> 00:33:11.300 That has proven true through our parole processes 00:33:11.533 --> 00:33:14.866 and other lawful pathways that we have implemented to date. 00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:18.666 That is especially true when, 00:33:19.033 --> 00:33:23.500 if they do take that perilous journey and happen to survive, 00:33:23.766 --> 00:33:28.600 because all too many do not, they will find that 00:33:28.600 --> 00:33:32.666 the border is not open and they are subject to removal. 00:33:32.666 --> 00:33:37.533 And removal will occur in the expedited removal context 00:33:37.600 --> 00:33:42.066 swiftly, in a matter of days or just a few weeks. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:43.766 The Regional 00:33:43.766 --> 00:33:46.733 Processing Centers will indeed make a big difference 00:33:47.133 --> 00:33:50.866 because we are surging asylum officers to work 00:33:50.866 --> 00:33:55.600 with the international organizations – the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 00:33:55.833 --> 00:34:00.933 the International Organization for Migration – to screen people very quickly. 00:34:01.300 --> 00:34:06.866 We are going to be delivering efficiencies in the refugee screening process 00:34:07.266 --> 00:34:11.566 to move that process more rapidly than before. 00:34:11.733 --> 00:34:15.800 This is going to have a material impact in a number of ways. 00:34:16.033 --> 00:34:21.466 One, we will provide relief for a greater number of people; and two, 00:34:21.633 --> 00:34:26.966 an even greater number of people will wait to avail themselves of this pathway 00:34:27.400 --> 00:34:32.266 because of its magnitude and the consequence of not doing so. 00:34:32.833 --> 00:34:36.200 We have no plan to detain families. 00:34:37.600 --> 00:34:41.766 As I mentioned, we will be employing alternatives to detention, 00:34:42.733 --> 00:34:45.300 including some innovations in that regard, 00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:50.333 and we will on a case-by-case basis 00:34:50.433 --> 00:34:53.433 use enhanced alternatives to detention 00:34:53.700 --> 00:34:56.466 as warranted. 00:34:58.933 --> 00:35:00.100 Thank you. 00:35:00.633 --> 00:35:04.466 The – my understanding is that the U.S. 00:35:04.466 --> 00:35:08.300 intends to continue deporting Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, 00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:13.266 Venezuelans to Mexico if they crossed the southern border unlawfully. 00:35:13.300 --> 00:35:18.100 So do you know how many migrants or deportees Mexico has agreed to accept, 00:35:18.100 --> 00:35:18.566 if any? 00:35:18.566 --> 00:35:20.800 I don’t think Mexico has spoken about it publicly. 00:35:27.033 --> 00:35:29.266 To date – to date, Mexico has agreed 00:35:29.800 --> 00:35:35.800 to accept up to 30,000 expulsions under Title 42 per month. 00:35:35.800 --> 00:35:37.833 That is a decision that they have made. 00:35:37.833 --> 00:35:42.266 We intend in a post-Title 42 environment, 00:35:42.433 --> 00:35:45.300 when we are using expedited removal – 00:35:45.300 --> 00:35:49.433 our Title 8 of the United States Code authorities – 00:35:49.433 --> 00:35:52.566 we intend to return individuals 00:35:52.833 --> 00:35:55.133 to Mexico from those nationalities. 00:35:55.666 --> 00:35:56.966 Final question, Leon. 00:35:56.966 --> 00:36:00.700 Just a technical question on these regional centers, if I may. 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:05.266 If I understood you correctly, you said they were being – 00:36:05.333 --> 00:36:08.066 they would be operated by international partners. 00:36:08.966 --> 00:36:12.366 Are you outsourcing the immigration process? 00:36:14.266 --> 00:36:16.233 I’m happy to start with that. 00:36:16.233 --> 00:36:20.033 No, the point here is to do the following: It’s 00:36:20.033 --> 00:36:23.866 to take advantage of the fact that international partners have 00:36:25.300 --> 00:36:28.333 physical locations in a number of countries where they are doing 00:36:29.466 --> 00:36:32.933 very, very important work, and to be able to bring some of our own 00:36:33.800 --> 00:36:37.800 officers and experts into these centers so that people can come to them 00:36:38.200 --> 00:36:42.333 and explore whether they are eligible for one of the various legal 00:36:42.333 --> 00:36:45.966 pathways to come to this country, whether it’s as a refugee, 00:36:46.766 --> 00:36:48.966 whether it’s for family reunification, 00:36:48.966 --> 00:36:51.500 whether it’s for a labor pathway. 00:36:51.500 --> 00:36:54.000 And that means that it’s a lot easier 00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:56.333 for people who are contemplating 00:36:57.400 --> 00:37:01.833 coming to determine from their own countries whether they have 00:37:01.833 --> 00:37:07.133 a legal pathway to do that, so it’s making legal pathways much more accessible. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:11.133 And as Secretary Mayorkas was saying, as this 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:15.633 gets up and running and as people see that there is now a more accessible 00:37:15.633 --> 00:37:18.400 way to determine whether they are eligible to come to the United States 00:37:18.766 --> 00:37:21.666 through a variety of pathways, we believe that that will take 00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:24.700 significant incentive 00:37:24.700 --> 00:37:27.066 away for people to instead 00:37:27.733 --> 00:37:30.966 make this incredibly hazardous journey to the United States, put themselves 00:37:30.966 --> 00:37:32.966 in the hands of smugglers, encounter all the 00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:35.833 terrible dangers that we know they encounter along the way 00:37:37.166 --> 00:37:41.266 in an effort to pursue asylum, and in any event not get in. 00:37:42.233 --> 00:37:43.600 So that’s the idea. 00:37:43.600 --> 00:37:46.300 But no, it is reliant on our own people 00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:48.966 to share the information 00:37:49.433 --> 00:37:52.833 and to do some prescreening of individuals who come to these centers. 00:37:52.900 --> 00:37:55.066 Have you discussed with Colombia about returning migrants? 00:37:55.133 --> 00:37:56.933 Thanks, everybody. Thanks, everybody.