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More Migrants Arrive As Pandemic Border Expulsion Rule Ends In Hours; Yellen: U.S. Default Would Spark Global Economic "Catastrophe"; Today: Public Health Emergency For COVID-19 Ends; Trump Raises Legal Risks With Several Comments. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired May 11, 2023 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[15:00:50]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Forget bracing for a surge, it is already here. We are just hours away from the expiration of Title 42 and we are live on the border with thousands of migrants are gathering desperate to cross into the U.S.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Three years later, the COVID public health emergency officially ends today, what this means for testing and treatments, and crucially are we better prepared for the next one?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Plus, did former President Trump just open himself up to even more legal jeopardy? Why his comments at a CNN Town Hall are raising new questions. We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: And we start at the border where the DHS Secretary just said it is about to get a whole lot worse. There are just hours now until the end of Title 42. That is the public health rule that the U.S. used nearly 3 million times to immediately expel undocumented people to help control COVID.

Ahead of this policy change, resources at the border communities have been strained trying to respond to the arrival of thousands of migrants. A source says the U.S. government estimates at least another 150,000 people are waiting to cross. And a short time ago, the Homeland Security secretary explained once Title 42 ends at 11:59 pm Eastern, U.S. reverts back to using Title 8, which means people risk years of being barred from the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: An individual who's removed under Title 8 is subject to at least a five year ban on re- entry into the United States and can face criminal prosecution if they attempt to cross again.

Smugglers have been long hard at work, spreading false information that the border will be open. They are lying.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: CNN's Nick Valencia has been following the story in the border town of Brownsville, Texas. Nick, you've been talking to a lot of people. Are they getting this message that government officials and the secretary are trying to get through?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is an awesome question, Brianna, because I don't think that they are. They're not tuned into the news. They're not listening to officials. They're not really asking us questions about what's going on. They're just really catching their breath after making - in some cases - a two-month long journey to get here.

And mostly, most of those folks that I'm speaking to are focused more so on reuniting with their family members. They have not seen their family in some cases for days. They've just recently arrived here. They're mostly Venezuelan nationals, but we've seen people from as far away as China, Haiti other Central American countries.

And right now, the crowd is sort of thinned out, but it's been very active. I want to show you these buses. These are the immigration buses that are driven by border patrol agents after individuals are detained in the open fields. They're released in some cases on humanitarian parole.

So that's what we're seeing here and all of these individuals who are lined up waiting here are waiting for news about their loved ones.

I want to give you a little tour around what we're seeing. The crowds have really thinned out earlier this morning. We did see dozens of people sleeping on the streets that's because the respite centers here have been at capacity and they've been at capacity for weeks.

There's no line outside the center right now, but it really comes in fits and spurts - I'm sorry, fits and spurts. There's long lines throughout the afternoon. People are trying to get basic goods, supplies, shoes in some cases. I saw a man walking around, he said he made the journey without shoes, if you can believe that.

The city of Brownsville has also going around here making sure that the journalists are being respectful of interviewing the migrants and not perpetuating any stereotypes. We've heard in some cases of individuals trying to climb the fence to get into these centers where they're being processed, to try to interview migrants who just want a better future.

I interviewed this young man a little while ago. He said he - his journey was about 20 days. He's waiting for news about his wife. He doesn't want to go on camera because he's scared about what he fled from Venezuela. He said the violence that he fled there and the crisis, the economic and humanitarian crisis because of the dictatorship of Maduro.

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And the city of Brownsville says that they're working hard hand in hand with these nonprofits to try to make sure that these migrants get on to their next destination. We've been reporting that they're working in cooperation with buses and airlines to send migrants to cities like Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami, Denver, Dallas, Houston.

All of these migrants have a plan to try to meet up with loved ones, family members, all that we've spoken, I should say anyway. And the city of Brownsville says that this for them is sort of business as usual, that they've been on the front lines of the immigration issue for decades and that Title 42 may bring an influx of migrants. They're prepared for it, they say. We'll see if that plan works. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes. We see some little ones behind you who've also made this journey.

Nick Valencia, thank you for that report from Brownsville, Texas. Jim?

SCIUTTO: All right. So big picture for a moment here, even Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas has called the current system broken, so what exactly does it look like? What are the facts? The numbers are just staggering and many challenges, we should note, have persisted for years through multiple administrations.

According to a data collection service hosted by Syracuse University, there is a backlog now of more than 2 million, 2 million pending asylum cases. And there are only 600 immigration judges to hear those 2 million cases.

So the wait time to get a case heard and processed, averages more than four years. The long wait could be one factor in the number of asylum seekers, who then never show up for their court appearance. According to the Justice Department in the first quarter of last year, that number was 18 percent, so just under one in five who do not show up for those court appearances.

Beyond that backlog, there are other factors impacting a person's ability to properly apply for asylum, including trauma from the long journey, language barriers, of course, as well as the complexity of the legal system and what's required.

We should note the Biden administration is making changes to the current rules to reduce the number of applicants who enter the country. It has raised the threshold for approval of asylum petitions, made it harder, and it has actually re-amped the Trump administration's Remain in Mexico plan, which sends applicants back to Mexico as they wait, including those from countries other than Mexico.

So a lot of these questions they've endured for years, they've been difficult to change, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Indeed, they have, Jim. And as we heard from DHS secretary, Mayorkas, he's pointing the finger at Congress saying something has to be done.

Onto another major story now, the U.S. is potentially three weeks away from a default. The White House and congressional leaders can avert that disaster, but so far, the two sides have a long way to go before striking a deal to raise the debt ceiling. And that stalemate has led the Treasury Secretary to ramp up her warnings about the consequences of a default. Listen.

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JANET YELLEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: A default on U.S. obligations would produce an economic and financial catastrophe. It would spark a global downturn that would set us back much further. It would also risk undermining U.S. global economic leadership and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.

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SANCHEZ: CNN's Matt Egan is here to break it all down for us.

Matt, this has never happened before, a default. So it's fair to say that nobody knows exactly what's going to happen. But even when the United States has come close, it has had really bad consequences for the U.S. economy and the U.S. credit rating.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Boris.

I mean, it is easy to see why this would be a nightmare, and not just an American nightmare, really a global one. I think when you talk about a default, it's really important to remember that U.S. debt has long been considered among the safest assets on the planet. I mean, treasuries are a cornerstone of the global financial system.

So if you take that away, things would get real messy real fast.

Now, if there is a protracted default, the White House estimates that the unemployment rate in the United States would spike by five percentage points, going from this half century low today of 3.4 percent to well above 8 percent.

That translates to a loss of millions of jobs. And the financial ripple effects would really go around the world, because America is the biggest player on the world stage. The U.S. has the biggest stock market in the world, the biggest bond market, and yes, still has the biggest economy as well.

If you rank the biggest economies in the world, the U.S. has a bigger economy in terms of GDP than the number two and number three countries combined. So the stakes here are clearly massive. And I talked to the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today, Rohit Chopra.

And he told me that he is concerned here about the impact on families. He talked about how borrowing costs would likely spike, that means higher mortgage rates, credit card rates, car loans.

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He said there's this risk of job loss that we've been talking about.

Rohit Chopra said a lot of things that we assume are a part of our financial fabric would get ripped away. Every family should be concerned. And Boris, look, the clock is ticking here. The June 1st deadline is approaching and the longer it takes to get a deal here, I think the greater the risk to the economy.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and it's important to point out this is a disagreement over money that's already been spent. It would be as if a household just decided we're not going to pay the light bill. Matt Egan, thank you so much for breaking that down for us. Brianna, over to you.

KEILAR: More time and more weapons. Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says his forces are ready to start their long-anticipated counteroffensive in the east and south, but are waiting for more military supplies from the west. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through interpreter): Yes, we're still expecting some things. They will reinforce our counteroffensive. And most importantly, they will protect our people. We're expecting armored vehicles, they arrive in batches. We can advance with what we've got and I think we can be successful, but we will lose a lot of people. I think that is unacceptable. We need to wait. We need a bit more time.

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KEILAR: The U.K. confirmed today that it has delivered these to Ukraine. You can see them there on that airplane. These are long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

CNN Senior International Correspondent, Sam Kiley, is joining us now from Kyiv.

Sam, how are these Storm Shadow missiles going to be in this counteroffensive?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they're absolutely vital for the Ukrainians, great scoop from our own Jim Sciutto there, to break the news that the U.K. is going to be supplying state-of-the-art cruise missiles capable, but unlikely to be used for striking inside Russian territory.

Now, the importance for the Ukrainians is that these can be used to reach deep into Ukrainian territory that is held by Russia and go after the logistics chain, which is so important in supporting the frontline efforts.

If they can combine that with the ground attacks coming from infantry and armor and artillery, then I think the Ukrainians definitely would see themselves as having a fighting chance of driving the Russians out of their territory. And it's fear of that that could certainly, according to this country's head of the Atomic Energy Authority here, the man in charge of but not in possession of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power station told me today he believes that the Russian officials there are also practicing their packing-to-leave processes. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PETRO KOTIN, PRESIDENT, ENERGOATOM: They are probably right now trying to be prepared for quick getting out of there. And also personnel of Rosatom recently made this drill on the very quick packing of everything and just getting into the cars and get out of the plant.

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KILEY: Now, victory, Brianna, is far from guaranteed in this offensive. The Russians have dug in, they've had plenty of time to prepare for it. This is going to be, when it does begin, even with Storm Shadow and other NATO-type technology a very bloody and bitter fight, Brianna.

KEILAR: Sam Kiley, for us in Ukraine. Thank you for that report. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Coming up, the end of an era. The COVID public health emergency is officially over today. Are we, though, any better prepared for the next pandemic?

Plus, he's already facing a slew of investigations and possible charges, why Donald Trump may have a new legal headache after his comments at last night's CNN Town Hall?

And later, an encouraging update on the heroic police officer who was shot in the head trying to stop the Louisville bank shooter. We're following these stories and more on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: Died from COVID-19 since the virus began to spread three years ago. And today, state and federal emergency declarations are officially coming to an end. What that really means is that some government programs are going to go away. You're going to have to pay for COVID tests and treatments with insurance or out of pocket, though vaccines will remain free for most people.

We want to discuss now with Dr. Chris Pernell. She's a public health physician.

Dr. Pernell, thank you so much for being with us, for sharing part of your afternoon with us. Walk us through the real world implications of the end of this public health emergency.

CHRIS PERNELL, PUBLIC HEALTH PHYSICIAN: Good afternoon, Boris. So this really is a mixed bag. It is good that we are finally at a point in the pandemic where we're not at peak crisis mode, right? That should be celebrated.

But where I do have cause for concern is that data reporting or compulsory requirements around reporting data specific to COVID will change. We will no longer have a daily tracker that allows us to know what the caseload is. That information will be given more so on a monthly basis. Testing will not be mandated by insurance to be free for certain persons under certain governmental insurance programs or even private insurance programs. I'm really concerned for those who are uninsured. While government supplies last, we will have access to free prevention, so vaccine, treatment, and texting. But when those supplies are exhausted, those who are uninsured will unfortunately have to fare on their own. So good that we're out of crisis (ph) mode, but not so good for everyone.

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SANCHEZ: Yes, certainly cause for concern that you outlined there, especially among susceptible populations. So what would you say to folks that have those concerns about COVID or those that are simply more at risk, perhaps, because they're older or they're immunocompromised?

PERNELL: Don't let your guard down. There is never a time that we should not be vigilant. Look, we need to practice group accountability. We need to think about what's in the best interest of the collective, right? That's what health equity and health justice require of us.

So if you have a family member who is older, if you have a family member who has chronic health conditions, even if you have a family member who is uninsured, ensure that everyone gets boosted with the latest bivalent booster.

In addition to that, if you're in a high risk scenario, ensure that you have access to masking, ensure that you know what's in your purview to keep yourself in the healthiest and the safest point.

SANCHEZ: Doctor, I also want to share with you something from CNN's own Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He writes about one of the greatest lessons we got from the pandemic.

"While we had tremendous resources to combat this pandemic, our collective poor health put us at a tremendous disadvantage."

As you reflect on everything that we've endured as a nation and as a globe, what are some of the lessons you're taking from the COVID-19 pandemic?

PERNELL: Wow, Boris. Racism kills. It's just not our collective poor health, but it's the inequalities in the United States of America, that led to a disproportionate impact on black and brown communities. I lost my father on April 13th 2020. I lost two cousins.

The hospital that I worked at, I saw our beds filled with black and brown patients. My sister is a long COVID survivor. That is not normal. And while we were able to shine a light on these distressing disparities, I don't know that we have a firm enough understanding of what needs to happen for health equity and health justice to be at the center of all of our public health actions.

And finally, what are we doing to cultivate connectedness across communities and across groups. That's information sharing. That's being able to elevate people's concerns and to connect them to the resources they need in order to be healthy and safe.

SANCHEZ: Some very important points there. Dr. Chris Pernell, Our thoughts are with you and your family, and all the other folks that have lost loved ones during this pandemic. Hopefully, something will come of the difficult lessons we've had to learn. Thank you so much, Doctor.

PERNELL: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Jim - or rather Brianna.

KEILAR: Boris, still ahead, he told a myriad of lies at last night's CNN town hall and did Donald Trump just set himself up for even more legal scrutiny.

Plus, the widespread consequences of Senate Republicans holding up military nominations and promotions. The nation's highest ranking military official warning it could have an impact on the readiness of the U.S. armed forces. These stories and more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:27:59]

SCIUTTO: Sparks, they were flying at the CNN Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire. In one corner, Donald Trump. In the opposite corner, Donald Trump. The GOP frontrunner may have left himself bruised and battered and in greater legal jeopardy after some of his remarks in that town hall.

With us now, CNN Legal Analyst, Norm Eisen. He was also the House judiciary special counsel in Trump's first impeachment trial and thanks so much for joining us, Norm.

So I want to play some of the sound yesterday and get your analysis on each of these issues as to why you believe he put himself in further legal jeopardy with some of these comments. Let's begin with what he said when he was pressed about his role on the day January 6th and what he did and did not do to stop the assault on the Capitol. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: When it was clear to you that they were not being peaceful, you saw them rushing the Capitol, breaking windows, they were hitting officers with flag poles, tasing them, beating them up. When it was clear they weren't being peaceful, why did you wait three hours to tell them to leave the Capitol? They listen to you like no one else, you know that.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They do, I agree with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Why does him saying - why does him granting that he has special great influence over them give him trouble?

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Jim, the January 6 Committee issued a criminal referral to the Department of Justice that Donald Trump was implicated in the insurrection. Special Counsel Jack Smith has a grand jury investigating ...

SCIUTTO: Yes.

EISEN: ... was Donald Trump a part of this insurrection. When he concedes that he has special influence and we also know he pointed to some tweets last night ...

SCIUTTO: Yes.

EISEN: ... none of those said leave. He didn't do that for three hours. He's helping Jack Smith make his case. So this is not the last time we're going to see this footage played. I think it could very well be in the grand jury and if there's a trial played before the jury.

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SCIUTTO: Okay. So that relates to the DOJ's investigation of his role on January 6th.