♪ This week on the wheelhouse community and fear-mongering community and misinformation.

♪ For Connecticut public on Frankie Graziano.

This is the wheelhouse show that connects politics.

The people we got a weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

We call last Tuesday's presidential debate.

We heard a lot about immigration.

To issue that both candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have prioritized in their political platforms.

But with so much information and misinformation flying around about immigration, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.

Our guests today are here to help us out with just that joined this morning by Maria Security reporter for The Washington Post covering immigrant communities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Maria, so good to see you there on Zoom.

Welcome to the wheel happened.

Thanks for having me.

Thank you so much for coming on.

And Charles Bennett or Santiago, Charles associate professor at the Joint apartment appointment in the Department of Political Science and L since the 2 of them.

Thank you so much for coming on at the University of Connecticut, Charles Bennett.

They're Santiago, I'm Frank.

We see it.

Questions.

You folks have questions about immigration or about some of the things you're hearing about immigration.

Join the conversation.

888-720-9677.

We really would welcome your phone calls.

And hello to our friends on TikTok as we are live on TikTok.

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Former President Donald Trump says that immigrants crossing the border are causing an uptick in crime here in the United States.

I want to better understand that their e so I talked to somebody about I talked establish Solis investigative border reporter at KPBS in San Diego.

Here's what he had to say about what Donald Trump calls migrant crime wave.

The reason so popular in this because it touches on people's really legitimate insecurities.

If thinking about what we care about during the election and what impacts us directly, I think our personal safety near the top of the list.

But the data doesn't really prove that right.

And we can look at multiple data points, right?

The first one is just looking at crime rates overall in the country that they're going down.

Study after study shows people born in the U.S. are much more likely to be arrested and convicted of crimes compared to people who are not born the U.S. Maria, Gustavo, saying that not only is there not a migrant crime wave, it's actually not even a crime wave it all.

Is this something you've looked into as well?

And can you respond to some of what he said?

We have looked into that of the Washington Post and where I used to work at the Boston Globe and there's there's different studies.

Any custom was right that the evidence doesn't show that.

And there's been multiple different kinds of studies.

One of issues is that police don't really collect this information.

It's very inconsistent.

And you know, it's it's difficult to say definitively, but also there's been just so many different kinds of studies trying to take a look at this.

And and, you know, scholars say just it just doesn't add up.

I mean, the immigrants tend to be self selected.

They can tend to come here seeking a better life, not to commit crimes.

There's always going to be people who commit crimes in any group, focusing on immigration as a cause of that.

you know, kind of take says it takes away from other issues that may cause things like drinking and driving or domestic violence things like that that are much more, much broader issues and more likely to come up.

It's a very good point.

I appreciate that perspective from New Mariah.

I just wanted to to ask Charles here since we he covers immigration and get some data and also works with students at the University of Connecticut locally.

We just heard from somebody on the West Coast help us understand how this kind of rhetoric is impacting folks in Connecticut.

Immigrants here in Connecticut people that are also not just let's talk about immigrants, but also people that might be here from a different country that are here legally.

Yeah, no, sir, it's it's really interesting.

And I agree completely with colleague said and this is the evidence is also an incarceration Just doesn't bear the evidence that immigrants are a particular at the time again committing crimes.

What are the problems that we're seeing in Connecticut is that this national rhetoric of the Mexicanas under American or Venezuelan rapist and murderer is now being used essentially to describe Puerto Ricans and that the We saw that case in Maryland some time ago where to landscapers were simply working and some presumably Trump U.S. the decided to accuse them of being undocumented immigrants because they're big speaking 5 Spanish.

So we see that sort of echoed across the state and different kinds instances.

It's a very difficult environment when you're all of a sudden in this show me your papers, Kai environment, which is obviously a scary place.

And Maria here locally, Connecticut has a significant Haitian population.

It's drawing former President Donald Trump made comments about Haitian immigrants specifically during the debate.

One comment stamped from this accident that happened over a year ago in Springfield, Ohio.

Just want to get into it a little bit.

11 year-old boy killed when patient immigrants minivan crashed into a school bus.

Donald Trump is running mate JD Vance of run wild with it using it as an example of the threat that immigrants pose.

Donald Trump infamously.

Now during that debate went on to repeat the false story that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are eating people's one.

Make sure I get this right.

Pet dogs and cats.

So that's I there's so many and other individual tragedies throughout the country that that people that some politicians, Trump included have have focused on this is part of his playbook.

This is something he did the 2015, 2016 when he highlighted individual crimes committed by immigrants.

Now, of course, other people commit those same crimes.

You don't see certain politicians bring those I is legitimate question for them?

I think I don't.

I'm not on the campaign trail, but I think those are the kinds of the questions that are important to The other thing is patients in particular are very diverse group among themselves, right?

So to focus on individual situations.

I think I think is challenging.

You know, Haitians have fled political persecution.

There's been U.S. intervention in that country.

They have.

This is for decades.

Most patients in the United States, there's about 800,000 of them.

Are U.S. citizens now?

And so, you know, there's a focus as always, you know, on the people who are newly arriving.

But, you know, these folks are Americans for the most part they're part of a much broader community of 45 million immigrants.

The United States, more than of them are U.S. citizens.

They vote.

These are out and juries.

They're doctors, lawyers, landscapers, what you know, doing all kinds of work across the country.

So enrich a much more complex group than what a lot of people are are seen in the or on the campaign trail.

Shout out to our Haitian friends in Connecticut, large Asian population in southern Connecticut.

I talked to Susan are who is the CEO and president of Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants earlier this week, Susan confirmed that Connecticut has a significant Haitian population.

As I said, Siri helps folks secure work, authorization cards, find jobs.

They offer an English language learning program.

Susan, address some of the rhetoric being used about Haitian immigrants and talked about how it impacts her work.

Part of that work is when we do have clients or hearing any type negative rhetoric about folks in their home country are others that relates to immigration is really talking through that with our clients and letting our clients know that just because a group or certain people are saying things that are disparaging.

That is not how we feel as a state.

That's not how we feel as a country.

And that's certainly not who we are as an organization.

Charles, any thoughts on what Susan just shared with us?

Yeah.

So when I look at Haitian migration, you have to think about this is a triangle or migration is license.

Go to the Dominican Republic.

Moving to dies a bigger jump.

I I sometimes think this a racial targeting.

other words, this the perception that Haitians are black immigrants and therefore they're more likely to be criminals.

Although we're seeing some of that with Venezuela's late in the Trump rhetoric.

But but I wonder whether this is just an exaggerated.

You know, persecution, not prosecution, but again, some ways persecution of patients because it's a perception that they're black immigrants.

Charles, though, as as you will know, that sometimes migration now is driven by the weather and we have climate evacuees as we did from.

But Rico in 2017 some folks that are coming here from Haiti came here after the devastating tsunami.

I spoke to folks in Stanford afterwards telling us that there's just no jobs down there.

So I mean, it's just people just might not understand the perception.

And sometimes we're not even talking about people that are immigrants.

Sometimes we as you're mentioning, poking fun people of color.

Yeah.

so there's climate.

This places is economic its base and there's a lot in security in Haiti right now.

There's been the stabilize government, but there's a lot a lot economic migration also get into the Dominican Republic.

And I don't want to minimize migration to the ice age, but but I think we have to set up in tech slice that the condition living conditions in Haiti have been the stabilize for not recent years, but rather for the past 30, 40 years in large measure because of our own policies supporting dictators in Dominican Republic, particularly pup of the baby doc and the list of other that big dinners that came after.

So some ways that I think we also have to own responsibility on how we create the conditions in some ways forced people to migrate to the United States which perceived this a safer space.

We have a phone call that like to get to right now.

We have Diana Mallett River Lou, who's going to join us right now?

Part of a group known as Haitian Community Center of Stanford currently with the Haitian American Collaborative.

And I also want to say a former council member in the city of Norwalk.

Diane, thank you so much for coming on the show this morning and talking with us.

I think you for having me.

and I thank you for having me.

Like what I would like.

Is it okay to describe?

Yeah.

Just come on.

Didn't react to some of the stuff that you heard.

Go ahead Yeah.

perfect.

what lot of what I I did appreciate you know about that.

We deeply ingrained in the American culture.

We are.

There's a lot of us who are American, but there's also station staged in place at a lot of all.

So even alot the ability to still Haitian right.

We've lived through this is America we've indicated before.

We've also removed from deep involvement in American history.

So I kind that that those double edge sword and what was originally said currently the provoking language maybe because a lot loans to reopen from back to being told that we were the that age came to America to now so chose hated on at moment.

It's just be situation that would even play that.

So what I would is quickly patients have a strong wish.

all right.

Although we asked for people to chilly persecute the word.

But just like the other communities around this was would have even became policy that would protect Asian community right.

Also and a broad-spectrum even coming into America becoming spinach and do whatever we have.

Probably the hardest humanitarian parole program.

situation to become legal in America and we still go through that process.

We have whole we have told meeting for again sponsorship.

When we do, we have the inability to return again to our homeland.

funding for it is completely disproportionate to our fellow immigrants.

such someone like came from the county.

All right.

So I please for the everyone in and you're out to understand that this doesn't just stop year and that you've heard about stories from Haiti that doesn't show that aspect of the Americans and the Haitians that we right.

So I ask everyone that at this moment now, if you're a enraged, don't just make it a moment to be mad to make it a moment to Your your policies, your practice your money, whatever and your However, you that bill to be that strongly impact as a whole.

But where income?

Where would we want in America for anyone to have to do situation.

That is not enough resources.

It would even be considered to each any type outlandish animal.

Like that's really the right?

Just like right now.

Food is a completely too high housing.

Hi, this is a bit of distraction on what actually constitutes his words or those even those ideals.

If we were in a situation that wouldn't even provoke a even even thought it was just a se.

Ha, ha, ha.

Right?

there's a lot of anger.

But I wanted to be not in DRA words can be just as powerful as they are damaging.

Right.

And also our early actions.

2 words, if you have someone who's next to you and for years has been a Haitian friend of yours and all of a sudden today, you look at difference.

I really want yourself and how you're looking at your graduate.

You know, how do we look at each other as Americans, right?

Because then then turning around and saying we need principles and practicing and someone one But we're not kidding ourselves.

How do we ourselves as Americans?

Would we be OK to anyone to call anyone anyone out as an American and this madness.

Diana revolutions is a formal city councilwoman in Norwalk.

Thank you so much for calling.

Thank you so much for years without a tie and a I appreciate you all have a great one.

Thank you so much for having me.

house is Thank you, Diane.

Our hearts are with you at this time.

I just wanted to come now kind of throw it to Charles about a 5th of Connecticut's population is Latino.

Have you seen examples of the quote, dangerous immigrant arming the Latino community.

Guess you shared it earlier when you were talking about those folks that were working down in Meriden, even maybe non immigrants, a kind facing this at all.

What it what he got.

So it's a Puerto Rican.

So U.S. citizens at birth.

And so it's know.

I find funny because we have these discussions all the time.

Charles.

That's But people get that that yes, the Puerto Rico as a part of the United States.

but but but this is a really important issue because I think there's a tendency homogenized Spanish speakers and we're seeing that and housing discrimination.

We're seeing that in lot of the complaints that it in the focus groups that work in comedic or people are essentially being described as Mexican criminals.

Regardless of their national heritage in regardless of their citizenship.

So this national rhetoric, it Pence is set to become representative of the some of this commission that a lot of looking experience in Connecticut.

Worry another common thing we hear is the idea that our country is being flooded through illegal border crossings.

The stats aligned with that statement.

I mean, we don't we don't use those terms.

You know, I mean, mean, are people crossing the border illegally?

Yes, you know, they have been for a long time.

And one of the issues just to be the.

But the flip side of that is one of the frustrations.

I think people have is people are coming 2 United and they're not eligible for asylum.

They're coming to work.

That's because and for example, even Haitians, you know, a lot of Haitians fled Haiti for South America after the 2010 earthquake, which was devastating.

And I covered that was absolutely perfect.

But but but they're coming.

They went to places like Chile or Brazil.

And now they're coming to United States.

Now there's real questions about whether they'll be eligible for asylum and that system so backlog right now takes years to get a decision.

So by the time they're rejected, yeah, they're they're already really part of the fabric of the society and so it's creating this this real conundrum for future lawmakers who are going to have to deal with it.

And they haven't shown that much willingness to solve the issue in the past for decades.

So it's there.

The folks who are here on this tenuous status.

It's really unclear what kind of future they have in this country.

But the past couple months, state aid more directly answer your question.

Yeah.

Water crossings have been much lower.

It's not 20 million, right?

I guess that's the point, Maria, that we heard but it has million has been.

I as you know, like month, the numbers we've seen, I mean, there are big numbers.

And know I know people downplay that.

But you look at the journey that people are making.

It's it's horrific journey.

It's a dangerous journey.

You're seeing more children than ever and that I you know, that's That's the big question is, is there isn't there another way?

And, you know, this Congressional Budget Office has found that unexpected unexpected influx of several million people has actually boosted the economy.

And the U.S. has had a more robust response to, you know, after COVID, you know, economic rebound than any other country.

And so they United States needed workers and people are coming to you.

you see the shelter's.

You see all these things.

I was talking to people met at the border, you know, during you know, in the aftermath of the pandemic and they they have more jobs and they can their plumbers.

They're they're laying tile.

They're doing all kinds of work.

and not I think is the thing to think about a lot of the Venezuelans.

We're getting a lot of attention.

Part the reason they're in the shelters, Haitians to particularly Venezuelans is don't have contacts in this country come from an authoritarian country.

There are waiting for the government to tell them what to do.

You know, 2019 when we saw tons of people crossing the border under the Trump administration, you can see this kind shelters situation and why was that?

It's because it was kind of a cell front operation.

People are riding with their cousins numbers like Britain on their arm.

They knew where they were going.

They were from Guatemala from Honduras.

Now have a lot of people here already.

And and that's what you know, Venezuela, because you didn't have as much maybe in the future now that so many people have arrived, you would have that.

But but there's you know, it's been a rebuild are really different operation this time.

appreciate you pointing out the fact that it's boosted the economy.

We're hearing that a lot in Springfield, Ohio, where we have this kind of national rhetoric we're hearing from local officials review hearing from the governor of Ohio saying that immigration seems to be boosting the local economy.

Just want to say again, hello to our friends at TikTok.

And I want to remind folks that if you want to talk with Maria Charles and I can give us a phone call 8, 8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 720-9677.

Charles.

I spoke with Gustavo Solis from KPBS about how geography can play a role in how we think about border issues.

For instance, up in Connecticut, we're pretty far removed from border states.

So here's what Gustavo had to say to kind of give you a little perspective there.

You know, it's one thing to to live in San Diego.

We see this issues day in day out.

I think.

There's a lot of fear in the unknown, right?

And if you're in a state that's not along the border, you can hear about these issues and you may not know them or be confronted by them and you're going maybe feel a little bit more scared than you normally would.

So I think doing a little bit of the work yourself going through.

Not just news reports, but organizations like Cato Institute, you know, independent think tanks and policy analyst who are viewing this stuff, just arm yourself with with knowledge and education and that might alleviate a little bit of the concerning side.

You're feeling about border issues.

You are go.

there mention the Cato Institute Public Policy Research organization think tank that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates.

Charles, curious to hear if you have any thoughts on what Gustavo said there.

But so let me say 1, 2 points for Murray Maria's comments that I think are really important to highlight.

Yes, you know, we took I mean.

Last time we looked at this, there was room to absorb almost 100 million more immigrants to prove the economy in the case of the United States, immigrants are actually creating jobs, poor under educated Americans will now become managers of a lot of these immigrants are coming to the country in the case of Connecticut, in particular, we have an aging population that's moving out of the labor force and immigrants are feeling particularly that the nose are filling that gap in the labor force in ways that that contributed incredibly to the economy because they don't they're not earning enough to save.

So they're spending whatever they're running indicate the geographical issues with.

I think it's really interesting because Connecticut a pastor state.

So we're hot.

We're seeing a lot more people that are coming to New York are finding the cost of living too expensive or arriving Massachusetts and then they're starting to settle in Connecticut.

So we're seeing an incredible growth.

The Latino population, but we're not seeing the crime rates that people's that or talk about what?

Yes, there is some crime.

And yes, there are some letting this go in crimes.

But overall, we're seeing a lot more serious economic stability and letting us trying to become small entrepreneurs trying to sort of join economy and contribute in whatever ways they can.

I appreciate that very much.

I appreciate that.

You made that you got me finally on speaking about point that he can use and immigration their I forgot that the people that you're mentioning in Meriden, I guess we're part that he can you write And yeah, so you got me there.

Finally, got so good to talk to Charles Bennett society, at least as they are for another segment.

And so is Maria Security.

We're exploring false narratives about immigration.

Frankie Graziano.

This is the wheelhouse.

After the break, we'll move from fiction to fact what's actually happening at our borders.

And where do our presidential candidates stand on major immigration issues?

Just a reminder for folks that are feeling targeted or disparage by misinformation out there.

There are resources you can turn to like the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and immigrants.

Their website is Siri DOT Org.

Siri CT Dot Org series CT Dot Org CI R I C T Dot Org.

Join the conversation.

Stick with us on the wheel house.

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This is the wheelhouse from Connecticut, public Radio.

Frankie Graziano this hour.

We're doing a deep dive into immigration.

Earlier we talked about some of the misconceptions now.

We'll talk about some of the very real challenges immigrants face when they reach the United States.

Joining me this morning, Maria security reporter for The Washington Post covering immigrant communities and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Thank you so much for being on the show today.

Maria.

And Charles Bennett or Santiago, associate professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science.

once the 2, though, Institute for Latino Caribbean and Latin American studies at the University of Connecticut.

If you've immigrated to the United States, if you're part of the the Aspirin may be you are somebody like me second generation.

We'd love to hear about your experience.

Give us a call.

888-720-9677, 888-720-9677.

Hey, we're going to a dive into pathways to citizenship.

Charles, what are some of the hurdles immigrants face in Connecticut and abroad as well?

So the economy, it's a hard place to live because the cost living is really However, Connecticut, unlike other states, has a little bit of support.

For example, we have Husky Health, which is a big sort support, although.

Immigrants are facing the challenge of getting public, got access to public health.

We had an amendment that allows kids up to the age of 15 to receive public health.

There is subject to discrimination and public housing.

Landlords pick get particularly undocumented immigrants.

Jobs don't pay enough for the cost of living, particularly their problems with language, suggesting there's enough translators or interpreters available.

And then there are others that are day-to-day issues around lack of housing, lack of transportation that make it hard for him because the center can you button up that conversation on Husky?

Because there's been a lot of discussion in the last few years about broadening that access to husky for undocumented immigrants.

Well, it's it's it's a public health issue.

If you have a sick labor force or children who are sick, they can't contribute to the economy and they can potentially contribute to spreading more delicious.

The access husky for undocumented immigrants.

So right now, children up to the age of 15, get access health.

Thank That was an amendment that was passed and last summer from 12 to 15. immigrants are saying please raise that age up.

The other option is for people to go to emergency rooms, which is fairly expensive.

Or some community clinics.

And I think some of the conversation there was to expand the H up to 26 just as they would have because I skier eligible up until you're 26 a if you're like a traditional resident of Connecticut here for a long time here where to each of the presidential candidates stand.

Maria on the topic of citizenship.

Do they have plans to improve that process?

I mean, it's that's That's a very kind of a complex question.

I mean, Yeah, no, no, that's okay.

I mean, that's the Trump administration, you know, I mean, they they not allies.

Lot of people.

I think that I think you mean like that giving citizenship to undocumented immigrants ride 11, more than 11 million people in the country.

And I think, you know, Trump wants to deport them things they should and been here for 2030, And Kamala Harris and Biden before her, you know, bones, believe that that people should you do have path to citizenship that they should be able to apply for it.

I But they haven't expended a lot of political capital on that meeting was one of the first things Biden did was follow Bill that would make people citizens.

And they just they haven't.

It's been pretty dead entire What about what the Trump administration of the backlogs.

We can all agree that there is a backlog and there are very real challenges that the border.

How are they talking about the backlog?

Well, I mean, that their point to the backlog is one of the one of the issues in this country.

And you can't get a fast response to your asylum claim.

And they're concerned that a lot of asylum claims are are not legitimate.

from from what you're seeking, new people are not eligible for asylum to be eligible for asylum.

You have to be have have a well-founded fear of persecution for very specific reason.

It can't be general, I'm afraid of crime in Venezuela afraid of the government of Venezuela.

It has to be that day that you're you've target.

You could be killed or harmed.

If you're go back to your sent back to your country your political opinion or your race or nationality.

And so it's a difficult case to win.

It's one of the reasons a lot of people don't want.

and so I've got that backlog is issue.

I mean, that the backlog can be some people.

You know, can look least you know, the argument is they'll be able to stay for a long time give them a foothold in this country.

You know, it's it's there's a real question about what kind of future have, you know, like right now, we hear so much about Dhaka and Dreamers and what's the future of those folks?

But the reality is the kids in high school right now are going and, you know, wishing they could go into college are not eligible for.

You're basically back to where we were except for this pool of maybe 500,000 people who you know for kids who are in high school are just aren't eligible for any kind of the protections the Dhaka offer.

So it's it's a really serious situation for the undocumented immigrants in this country right now.

I think that's an important point for Charles to address because you're talking about what happens now at that next level because we've talked to a Connecticut public, many Dreamers that want to go to school.

So what are some of the challenges you're seeing?

Charles, then in the United States or working in the U.S. after graduation.

But, you know, bringing it home here to I have a kind of brilliance that students because the process was suspended in 2022. cost have been ever normal.

Isis got it and I I can admit them to the graduate degrees or the unrest, but I can't give them financial aid are federally or possibilities to work as a grad or to work as a teaching assistant because they don't have a normalize a work schedule or the ability to work.

that's terrible because we're having we're seeing DocuSign is graduating from undergrad degrees in Connecticut.

State colleges care continue graduate, education and potentially contributed more ways to the local economy.

We have a call here.

We're going to sneak in here quickly die.

And because we got a couple of more things we got to cover before we let Charles Andrea go.

Can you just give us your thought here quickly, Diane, from Willimantic.

Good morning.

Yes, good morning.

A symbiotic solution.

People who need jobs and the elderly person like me who need someone to help.

Get them trained, get each of us screened.

That person can help me.

I can help them get on their way.

And for able-bodied people, the huge housing economic issues, get them working on affordable housing projects.

If if they need jobs and jobs need to be done.

Charles, I think you are kind of a looting to this earlier.

Can you address what Diane just said?

That the problems getting access to the permits that allow them to work and I mean, some people are working.

There's an informal economy here, but people are not necessarily making enough.

And when they go look for housing, landlords advantage of their fragile status engage in all kinds of discrimination.

So we have a systemic problem that could be address locally in some ways.

But these are also federal laws.

I can imagine Connecticut state that creates a number exceptions from the argument that immigrants started with driver's licenses, access to public health in different kinds of ways and more creative ways housing protections and something incorporating.

Latino immigrants or Latin American immigrants to the state of Connecticut which account for a 5th of the population and are becoming the largest labor force and the state as we see aging white population.

Former President Donald Trump told Time magazine earlier this year that he has not ruled out building detention camps and the United States soil for migrants in the country illegally.

real fear if he wins the second term, we're still talking about detention camps in 2024.

Yes, I think so.

I mean, you're at the idea that he's harping on idea of the so-called wet back where operation went back, which is to the port of the Mexican immigrants that were brought in to work during World War.

2.

And who would settle the make up for the labor shortage?

Just given the war, at least war.

2.

And now he's wants to amplify that argument in a, in my opinion, a very racist way.

And then a very non this commit way.

Now, again, part of the problem here is that Karma says has not allocated enough funding to create a detention centers that could facilitate this transition and it refuses And now the solution that Trump is proposing is to create the sort of the tension gaps that can be used to essentially the port.

Possibly 11 million or maybe more.

The pulse.

What any any quick response to that?

Maria?

I mean, based on what you're hearing, there's no evidence that the United States has the capability or the permission of other countries, which it needs to put people on a plane to add to those countries, especially at that volume.

I don't see that they have the money personnel to do it safely.

And you can't in the other country.

Foster agree to facilitate the deportation they're supposed to do at this post, take back their own citizens.

But a lot of countries don't such, as you know, China off and it has a history of not doing not easily, but as well.

certainly other countries.

So that's that's one issue.

There already are detention centers.

House and he on the Trump administration went upwards of 50,000 people a day.

But but certainly, you know, it, you know, for us to mention you could band that you could create camps and things like that.

And that is something.

And, you know, and Trump hasn't ruled out separating families again, either.

And so that has has also been a question.

What about Kamala and Vice President Kamala Harris and the President, Joe Biden, where they stand family separations?

Were they trying to prevent them?

I mean, they have poor it.

They it's it was a terrible thing, but they are deporting families, too.

And they have deported people to Haiti directly, even though they say that's a country that's too dangerous to depart people, too.

So then and it speaks to I the the mixed feelings about about the border Biden said before took office, he he campaigned on.

care as see campaign the most progressive immigration platform I've ever seen.

But you know, isn't as numbers start to tick upward at the border and that that happened before Trump left office.

lot of people forget, you know, that he also, you know, offer protections to Venezuelans before he left office.

He, you know that those that started to concern people, that it would create a political crisis that would hinder the administration from achieving other things like citizenship for people who have been here a long time millions of of undocumented people from Mexico.

By the way, most that he knows our or U.S. citizens, mostly are not immigrants right anymore.

And so.

Which is always on port, not just Puerto Ricans, of course, but but most in this country.

But you you see, you know, so many people.

Coming and yet you have a lot of people have been here for a long time.

They send their kids to college.

They on houses worth a lot of money.

Some of them in California and they just can't get their status sorted out.

This the wheelhouse on Frankie Graziano from Connecticut, Public Radio, tremendous testimony there from Rios, a catty, the reporter from The Washington Post.

Thank you so much for coming on the show this morning.

Maria.

Good luck covering this divisive issue during an election.

God bless you.

The University of Connecticut professor Charles Bennett r Santiago.

Thank you both for coming on the wheelhouse.

Good to see you again.

Charles.

Thanks having me.

After the break, more myth busting.

But this time on the local front, we shine some light.

Changes to your most recent electric Bill.

Thank you to Robin do an aching for that pun.

I love Ponce.

Call us if you're new rate, has you.

I rate that's another punt.

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Vice President Harris's proposal to give $25,000 to first time home buyers.

Is it just a Democratic giveaways?

Well, maybe not a similar program is championed by none other than Florida's Republican governor.

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Frankie Graziano State recently approved another rate increase on electric bills for customers using eversource energy or the United Illuminating company rate hikes went into effect September.

1st, announcement came at a hard time.

Many consumers are already expressing frustration with rising costs.

This morning, I'm joined by Dan are who will help us understand why rates continue to go up and how the state is responding to words from Do it great.

Great to be here.

Good.

You can fix your mic if you need right is numbers.

every where you could.

You could do that.

What are we on?

I think he said could hear Absolute all.

That's good.

What medium away on?

We're on.

We're on TikTok were on the radio everything.

You know, we're doing a lot.

I think we're I think we're stretching.

You hear a little bit, but you're gonna kill it?

Not on this.

Is it as as your energy bill got up as my I got check my energy bill But folks, if yours did go up make you want to blow a fuse.

Do you have any questions you want to stop here in our ponds?

I like Ponce.

If it folks want to connected to local politics stands can help us that.

Give us a call.

8, 8, 7, 2, 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, They want to get into the rate creases in a moment.

But we've got to start with the Y over the what here.

Why are we dealing with rate increases?

When did this start the whole thing?

Even the something?

Well, the crisis of this summer was the cause overwhelmingly of hot weather.

Yeah.

And so the numbers don't want to overwhelm the viewers and listeners with lot of numbers.

But the average usage in July for Eversource residential customers was 949 kilowatt hours right now.

That's up from an average over 10 years of 868.

And that's up from last July 835.

So we had a low year 23 than a higher and 24.

So you might say, well, those are big numbers, but that doesn't explain for people saying, oh, my bill doubled.

as paying $2000 right?

And it does not, in fact, explain that.

So the part of the reason is that the increase for the public benefits portion of still went up by about $0.06 We could quibble about sense.

You know, point to enjoy whatever.

But it's about $0.06 that it went up.

All right.

So that difference there accounts for about $56 of your bill.

Right?

Just that, that that one difference the $0.06 But your rate went down from the first 6 months of the year.

So that should have made up for a little bit.

What's really happening here is something called the tipping point.

All right.

To point I wanted to get it for yeah, let's get to it.

You you want to get to the tipping point our later.

I just don't want don't expose me as somebody whose past that tipping point.

go ahead.

You're not past point where you you got the bright So the tipping point says, if the numbers we have here show that the average bill in July was 273 up from 221 a year ago and up from what would have been night one.

91 without that Millstone based increase, right, which we've all talked about.

Okay.

So those are big numbers, but they're not the huge numbers that we're hearing about the huge numbers of because of the tipping point, which is that people who are accustomed to having they they have a God given right to have their their house be at 68 degrees.

24 hours a day from Memorial Day to Labor Day, right?

They're seeing a tipping point because they're they're not changing the way they live their life.

It their air conditioning usage for the weather, right?

They're not being a little hot during the day.

They're just using air conditioning and then they get the Oh, my God, it's the fault of Eversource.

Well, it isn't.

All right.

So that they've gone over that tipping point.

And that explains the really irate users.

I think these because we use that as upon earlier.

66 degrees, right?

But only at night, 66 degrees for me.

But only at night.

We do use it during the day that helped kind of if you got you got to sleep asleep, 66 degrees have that you're working on a comet says year over year, July 2024, wasn't so cost prohibitive.

Well, it's the 2023 2024.

Was $56.

As you outlined earlier.

Cat can be really hard for something I'm just saying like, yeah, just just help us out.

Yeah.

The there are a lot of numbers to keep in mind.

The bottom line is your usage is the thing that determines the overwhelming size of your bill.

Not public policy.

The public benefits portion of the bill on average at Eversource and it's not too dissimilar at United Illuminating Downstate was about $56 of your bill.

The bill in July of 23 on average was about $221 versus 2.73 That's not a difference that we like paying.

But that's not the reason for the summer of heat elect in energy The reason is people used way more because of that tipping point.

So you're ready talk to us about the tipping point, which is important.

We have the public benefits charge that that added a little bit to it.

We also have the change in the Millstone rate.

I think it went up like a half a cent per kilowatt hour.

What was the number from the deal that we have from 2019?

What's the well, the 2019 good offense.

We're going to guarantee that we're going to buy their power.

Half of their their power, half of their power at $0.05 A Kilo 5 sets up a lot.

And by the way, as Governor Lamont reminds people we made about 200 million dollars in the first couple of years of that deal and we may make more in the last 5 years.

We're 5 years in this past couple of years has not been good.

Where, by the way, on track to about break, even on that because it's a simple Heche.

It's just like any other hedge.

You're buying something for a fixed price.

If the price on the market is higher than that, you If the price on the market is lower than that, you lose.

And so it's a hedge against super spiking prices.

When prices spike, we buy at $0.05 and we make money.

So lawmakers, I believe have politicized that.

Do I have that correct?

No question.

And there are a number of swirling issues here and we haven't gotten to win.

Maybe we will get to wind right.

Wind accounts for an amount of your bill that we don't know right now.

It's small, but these contracts coming up could increase your bill significantly.

I just did a little back of the envelope is my is my back of the umbrella that thank you so much.

It could it could can these upcoming winds.

Got a white paper with some blue pen writing it for title read.

can't read write Bynes worse.

My my quick So but all kidding aside these upcoming win contracts which have also been in the news because Governor Lamont blocked on signing these contracts.

Unlike Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which which signed him they can increase your bill by quite a lot.

I thought it was trivial and I just did the numbers, depending on how much when we buy and what the prices it could be a. a 5% increase on your bill just from these contracts.

again, just back of the envelope on the problems here is we don't have the numbers.

So there's more that that was a calm that you can see at Hearst Connecticut media.

What what's the website?

It's a her seat.

He incited the insider that the inside is a CT insider dot com.

You can find.

Dan is the senior editor there and a columnist, terrific work.

We're still going here.

We got to talk about the lawmakers, though.

So help me with big event, a candle or is the minority leader in the House?

What's he saying about it?

Well, what he's saying is electricity.

If there are a number of things he's saying he's saying that it's outrageous that these bills have been able to go up and up and up under Democratic control.

What the Democrats remind him is that it was Republicans not overwhelmingly, but Republicans strongly supporting the Millstone bill.

Right.

And that's the piece.

That's the piece that we just talked about.

That's the 56th hours right now.

Why are rates going up overall?

It's 1000 cuts.

It's a lot of different things.

One of the things the Republicans oppose is that we are paying the bills of people who can't pay.

In larger measure since COVID.

All right.

And that accounts for somewhere between 8150 million dollars this year on the bills, which accounts for a little peace.

But it's not the biggest keys.

And Ryan Fazio is also talking about this.

He's a state senator out of the I think Greenwich area Senate.

That's right.

That's it.

36 or 37 think that's 36.

36.

Yeah.

The 37th senator used to be that, you know, the chief of staff there.

We don't know having a hard time.

Just 36, That's a great civics Case over Ryan Fazio.

Really quickly, what he's saying is that there needs to be a long-term thought out program here and he's not the only one saying it, but he's bringing a rational approach to this from the Republican side, which I think is admirable.

But Democrats are saying, hey, we could make out over the long term and are saying you agreed to specific Leawood saying let's not pay triple for wind power.

Let's wait for the price down and use Always been in a clean energy.

your problem.

He is into clean energy or the problem with that is that if you don't pay for wind power as the state of Connecticut who does and if you don't pay, if nobody buys wind power, the technology doesn't improve and the price doesn't come to.

What your next Qualcomm going to say and 30 seconds.

Can you help Lisa promoted for?

I don't.

I don't want to tip the cap, but you're going to be following up on when that's not going to be following up on a breakdown of what it what it is you're paying for, right?

I I will say this, governor Lamont, no matter what he does gets criticized and there was a certain calmness to criticize him for blocking on those wind fields, which I know for a certain fact had the governor signed those deals.

That same column that a former state senator slammed for being blind.

That's the reality.

The most controversial men at local colleges, Dan Haar.

Hey, he's happy.

I'm happy right now.

The Yankees are 4 spots ahead of the Orioles in the playoff race and Mets are games ahead.

We're happy right now.

Who knows what's going to happen column?

A senior editor with Hearst Connecticut, Public Media, Connecticut Media sorry, I can't help it.

Dan, thank you so much for stopping in the public.

Great to be on.

That's it for today's wheelhouse.

We got an announcement I said about social media next week.

and we're kicking off our candid interview series.

be live streaming on Connecticut, Publix, YouTube channel.

Hear from in Congress come.

But Congressman John Larson, Democrat in the Hartford Area and his challenger, Republican Jim Griffin.

It's your questions now.

That's right ask the candidates questions.

Wheelhouse at CT Public Dot Org or you can call us live next week today show produced by Chloe when mandate to do a great job today, edited by Robin do in a can technical producer is the maestro Dylan Reyes, Joe costs and Bradley O'Connor manager, livestream graphics for our live stream created by Sam Hockaday.

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