F JO.. UNIVERSITY.

AMNA: IMMIGR.. BE A TOP ISSUE THIS ELECTION YEAR AND FOLLOWING OUR REPORTING FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER WE ARE JOINED BY THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

MR. SECRETARY, WELCOME BACK.

EIGHT I WANT TO BEGIN WITH WHAT WE FOUND IN OUR REPORTING OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS IN SOUTHERN MEXICO AND THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP.

WE SPOKE THE WAY PLANNING TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE UNITED STATES.

THIS I.. COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN.

SOUTHERN MEXICO AND UP AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.

EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA AND SO ONE WOULD ALSO PEOPLE FROM SENEGAL, CHINA, BANGLADESH.

WE KNOW AS THOSE FOLKS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE BORDER, THE ENCOUNTER NUMBERS HAVE BEEN RISING.

LOOK AT THE TREND, RECORD HIGHS.

FISCAL YEAR, 21, 1.7 MILLION.

2.4 7 MILLION IN 23.

WE KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN WEIGHING EXECUTIVE ACTION.

UNDER SOME KIND OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY THAT COULD BRING DOWN THOSE NUMBERS BY RESTRICTING ASYLUM ACCESS IF PEOPLE EN..

ILLEGALLY.

WILL THE.. EXECUTIVE ACTION?

>> WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING.

THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DISPLACED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD SINCE WORLD WAR II IF NOT BEFORE THEM.

WE MENTIONED THE DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES OF THE INDIVIDUALS ARRIVING AT OUR BORDER.

IT IS WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC ARE EXPERIENCING AND AROUND THE WORLD.

NUMBER..

NUMBER TWO, THE ANSWER IS EXACTLY WHAT THE BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS PRESENTED TO CONGRESS.

AND THAT..

PROVIDES FOR MUCH-NEEDED FIXES TO WHAT EVERYONE AGREES IS A BROKEN SYSTEM AND MUCH-NEEDED RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE FIXES.

LEGISLATION IS WHA.. THAT IS WHAT IS ENDURING.

EXECUTIVE ACTIONS IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED IN THE COURT AND EXECUTIVE ACTIONS WITHOUT THE ACCOMPANYING RESOURCES WILL NOT MEET THE MOMENT.

AMNA: AB.. ACTION BECAUSE WE KNOW THE BUILD AND NOT HAVE A PATH FORWARD IN THE REPUBLICAN LED HOUSE, DOES THE PRESIDENT HAVE AUTHORITY?

THERE IS A SECTION OF THE IMMIGRATION ACT THAT HE CAN SUSPEND ENTRY IF HE FINDS AT THE ENTRY OF MIGRANTS DETRIMENTAL TO THE U.S. SHOULD HE USE THAT AUTHORITY TO BRING DOWN THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU KNOW OUR TAXING RESOURCES IN OUR SYSTEM?

>> WE HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON CONGRESS IN TERMS OF ITS ABILITY TO FULFILL ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

WE ARE ALWAYS CONSIDERING WHAT WE AS AN ADMINISTRATION CAN DO IN THE SHADOW OF THE FAILURE OF CONGRESS TO ACT BUT WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT CONGRESS MUST AND CAN ACT.

WE MUST HAVE THEM DE..

SOLUTION RATHER THAN LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM.

AMNA: NO PRE..

IMMINENT?

>> I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO TALK ABOUT THE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS.

WE DELIBERATE EVERY DAY HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE CONFRONT.

WE HOPE THAT CONGRESS DOES THE SAME AND MEETS THE MOMENT AND PASSES THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS BIPARTISAN IN NATURE.

AMNA: HOUSE REPUBLIC.. QUICKLY TO IMPEACH YOU ON THE BASIS OF THOSE NUMBERS.

THAT WAS NEARLY A MONTH AGO.

THEY HAVE YET TO SEND THOSE IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES TO THE SENATE.

HAS IT B..

WHEN AND IF A TRIAL MIGHT MOVE FORWARD?

>> IT HAS NOT AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I AM FOCUSED ON THE WORK.

THE WORK INCLUDES THE VERY CHALLENGE ABOUT WHICH WE SPEAK NOW AND THAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF WORLDWIDE MIGRATION FROM WHICH OUR HEMISPHERE IS NOT EXCLUDED.

AMNA: YOU HAVE INDICATED THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO TESTIFY IF THERE WAS A TRIAL.

>> I WILL HONOR MY OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE LAW AS I HAVE DONE EVERY DAY FOR 22 YEARS AND MY FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE.

AMNA: RELATED EMIGRATION.. SEEN A RISING NUMBER OF PEOPLE FLEEING HEIDI -- HAITI.

RICHARDSON SAID YESTERDAY THAT U.S.

FORCES AT GUANTÁNAMO B.. CUBA ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT MIGRANTS FROM HAITI IF THEY START TO FLEE EN MASSE WHICH WOULD MEAN U.S. OFFICIALS INTERCEPTING THEM BY SEA BEFORE THEY REACH THE U.S. AND TAKING THEM TO GITMO.

IS THE U.S.

PREPARED TO DO THAT?

>> EARLIER THIS WEEK WE INTERDICTED A VESSEL AT SEA AND WE REPATRIATED 65 HAITIANS TO HAITI.

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI TO HEAR.

AND THAT IS, ONE CANNOT ..

THE SEAS.

IT IS FAR TOO PERILOUS.

WE HAVE SEEN TOO MUCH TRAGEDY.

THE WORLD IS FOCUSED ON THE INSTABILITY IN HAITI.

WE ARE VERY FOCUSED.

WE HAVE PLANS FOR IT AND WE HAVE CONTINGENCY PLANS BUT THE DANGER OF THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE SEA IS SOMETHING AN INDIVIDUAL SHOULD NOT UNDERTAKE.

AMNA: HOW CAN THE US.. BACK TO HAITI, ALREADY THE POOREST NATION IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE UNDERGOING VIOLENCE RIGHT NOW?

THE JOURNEY AT SEA WAS PROBABLY THE BEST OPTION IN THOSE PEOPLE'S MINDS.

>> I WOULD RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE THAT IT IS THE BEST OPTION.

WE ARE NOT INSENSITIVE TO THE CHALLENGES THAT THE PEOPLE OF HAITI ARE SUFFERING.

WE ARE WATCHING THE SITUATION AND WORKING WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO ADDRESS IT EVERY DAY.

AMNA: I WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT SEVERAL INTELLIGENCE LEADERS HAVE SAID WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE GLOBAL GROWING THREATS TO AMERICA.

THE NORTHCOM COMMANDER SAID THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST ATTACK IN THE HOMELAND HAS INCREASED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT.

CHRIS WRAY SAID WE HAVE SEEN A VERITABLE ROGUE GALLERY.

DNI AND AVRIL HAINES SAYS IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL BUT IT IS LIKELY THE GAZA CRISIS WILL HAVE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT ON TERRORISM.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THEIR ASSESSMENTS THAT THIS WAR HAS MADE THE U.S. LESS SAFE?

>> WE ARE IN A HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT.

WE HAVE REMA.. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

IT IS IN.. ARE IN A HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT.

I HAVE SPOKEN OF THIS TO CONGRESS AND PUBLICLY.

THEY ARE RIGHT.

IT DEMANDS VIGILANCE ON THE PART OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THEMSELVES.

AMNA: IS THE HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE OF THE WAR?

>> THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF OCTOBER 7 AND THE CONTINUING CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST CERTAINLY HAS EXACERBATED THE SITUATION AND HEIGHTENED THE THREAT LANDSCAPE.

AMNA: I WANT TO .. AND ACTED AFTER 9/11, SECTION 702 ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT COMMUNICATIONS OF FOREIGNERS ABROAD TARGETED FOR INTELLIGENCE PURPOSES.

IT EXPIRED IN DECEMBER.

CONGRESS HAS PUNTED AN EXTENSION TO NEXT MONTH AND IT HAS STALLED IN THE HOUSE.

ARE AMERICANS LESS SAF..

LAWMAKERS FAILED TO RENEW 702?

>> YES.

I AM HOPEFUL THEY WILL MEET THEIR OBLIGATION TO GIVE US THE TOOLS TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

702 IS A VITALLY IMPORTANT TOOL.

THERE ARE OTHER TOOLS WE HAVE THAT ARE ALSO EXTENDED FROM TIME TO TIME AND WEEKEND INDOOR PERIODS OF UNCERTAINTY.

WHETHER WE MAINTAIN THOSE TOOLS, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

OUR ABILITY TO USE OUR COUNTER DRONE CAPABILITIES WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY AROUND DRONES AND THEIR UTILIZATION BY OUR ADVERSARIES IS INCREASING.

WE HAVE TO HAVE THE COUNTER DRONE OF AUTHORITY.

IT IS EXTENDED ON SHORT-TERM EACHWE HAVE TO BE EQUIPPED WITHE TOOLS THAT ARE USEFUL IN THE PROTECTION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

AMNA: HO.. SECRETARY, THANK YOU.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

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