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U.S. Officials Warn U.S.-Mexico Border In Texas Near Breaking Point Amid Record Migrant Crossings; Pope Francis Celebrates Christmas Eve Mass. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired December 24, 2023 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:32:18]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: U.S. officials saying the southern border with Mexico is near what they call a breaking point as record numbers of migrants arrive seeking asylum. December's 9,600 migrant encounters are the highest numbers recorded, according to a homeland security official.
While the U.S. officials wrestle to cope with the surge, Mexico's President Lopez Obrador has invited U.S. officials to discuss the crisis President Biden is sending Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Homeland Security Officials to the talks happening this week in Mexico City.
Let's now go to CNN national correspondent Rafael Romo who's on the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, for us.
Rafael, what are you seeing today?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim.
Well, at one point last night, immigration officials managed to empty this holding area where they bring immigrants to be processed once they surrender to the border patrol. And take a look at what's happening now, they have managed to do that again. If I were a betting man, I would say it's going to fill up again in the next few hours.
And, Jim, there are new groups of immigrants who arrived here overnight and in the last few hours.
Troy Miller, the interim director for Customs and Border Protection said that the influx of migrants they're currently seeing across the southwest border are presenting a serious challenge to CBP personnel. He also said that CBP is using all available resources to ensure the safety of agents and officers, as well as the migrants themselves, who according to Miller are often misled and victimized by transnational and criminal organizations. This new migrant surge is also putting a lot of pressure on local law enforcement.
Earlier I spoke with maverick county sheriff Tom Schmerber about this issue. Let's take a listen.
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SHERIFF TOM SCHMERBER, MAVERICK COUNTY, TEXAS: On the law enforcement side, we're suffering because we don't have the manpower to take care of what we call the local business, the criminal elements and the immigration problem. So, it's causing us a lot of manpower. And, of course, the federal government and the state troops, you know, they're not here at the river like they're supposed to be, to be processed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: And, Jim, when you talk to local officials, you get the sense that they feel abandoned. On the one hand, you have the political war between the state of Texas and Washington which they tell me it's not helping anybody, much less the local communities. On the other hand, this is one of the poorest counties in Texas, and they were short on resources even before the new migrant surge -- Jim.
ACOSTA: All right. Rafael Romo on the border for us -- thank you so much, Rafael.
Joining us to discuss is Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez of Texas. He represents the district along the U.S.-Mexico southern border.
Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it.
What is your sense of how communities in your district are handling this surge in migration right now?
REP. VICENTE GONZALEZ (D-TX): Well, it depends what portion of the border you're on. And there's surges at different times and different places. In the McAllen-Brownsville area, we do have about a thousand coming in this area more or less on average. Most of them, we're able to get them out within 24 hours, so it's been controllable.
But, clearly, we have a problem on the border that needs to be addressed. We're finally having conversations between -- right now the Senate and administration is talking about policy changes that can really make an impactful change on the southern border and slow some of this migration that's coming in, in a very disordered fashion.
ACOSTA: And it sounds as though there are going to be high-level talks between Mexican officials and U.S. officials. The Biden administration sending Secretary of State Tony Blinken down to Mexico City, it sounds like, in the coming days.
What responsibility does Mexico have in all of this? There's a lot of talk about, well, what can the U.S. do to handle this surge at the border. What are the Mexican officials doing to try to alleviate this situation?
GONZALEZ: Mexico is not doing enough. Mexico can do so much more on their southern border in holding the line of mass migration coming through their southern border. Over 70 percent of migrants that come and ask for asylum on our southern border are mostly coming from three Central American countries and now, Venezuela.
So, they're coming through Mexico's southern border. I've been advocating that we have places in Guatemala, Panama and Colombia where we can process migrants at a distance, where it takes the pressure off the southern border and eliminates the cartels from bringing people to our southern border.
And if we're going to send people back, we do it from that juncture. If you're going to allow them in, you can send them to an airport with a document where they can fly them to their final destination. But, clearly, what's happened on the border now for a long time is disgraceful. It's troublesome. I've been sounding the alarm now for six years.
And what we need is policy changes that ultimately stop the mass migration. It's very easy to come in and talk to an asylum officer and give a laundry list of reasons why you're running from your country. It's very easy to get in line here in the United States.
We need to change that. Those are some hard decisions the administration is going to have to do, and I think they're willing to do it.
ACOSTA: Let me ask you about something that happened in recent days. Perhaps you've seen this video. But it goes to the desperation that exists along the border these days. CNN obtained this stunning video showing a migrant woman holding a crying baby in her arms as she struggled to cross the Rio Grande. Member of the Texas National Guard watched from nearby boats but did not help her. They deny that they ignored her. That's what the state of Texas is saying right now.
What do you know about this situation and what was your reaction when you saw this?
GONZALEZ: Well, I'm not familiar with that situation. I would hope if the National Guard sees somebody struggling to survive and save their own lives, that they would assist. We need to continue having our American, traditional humane values on our southern border and do what's right.
I think one of the most critical members of Congress in dealing with the surge on our southern border. But I still want to do in a humane way. We're not going to rip children out of mother's arms or separate families. But we need -- we do need to enforce our immigration laws. And these mass migrations that are just coming across need to stop.
ACOSTA: Well, and the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, he wants the state to start doing enforcement -- start doing border enforcement. What's your sense of that?
GONZALEZ: Well, I mean, clearly, it's unconstitutional. I think Governor Abbott needs to read Article 1, Section 8, Paragraph 4 where the United States Congress and only the Congress has the authority to dictate immigration policy.
What we need to do is have laws that make sense. We need to raise our critical fear standard. We need more immigration judges along the border. We need faster processing of asylum claims. And I think just policy changes alone would stop the massive flow coming across the southern border.
We need to come to terms with the facts that over 70 percent of asylum-seekers that come to our southern border and get in never, ever qualify for asylum. That's just a fact. I don't care what side of the aisle you're on, we need to come to terms with that fact, we need to come to terms with what's happening on the border.
It's just not normal and it's not sustainable and it puts a lot of pressure on border communities.
[14:40:01]
ACOSTA: And, Congressman, is the Biden administration listening when you and other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus go to the Biden administration, talk about policy changes? You mentioned a number of times during this interview, you'd like to see policy changes.
Are they open ears over there, over at the White House? Do they -- are they listening? Are they getting the message from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus?
GONZALEZ: I'm thinking they finally are. I mean, tere are people in the Hispanic caucus and within my caucus that have different views of how to handle immigration policy on their southern border. But if you come out and see what's happening on the southern border yourself, and this my not be your district, you shouldn't have a strong opinion unless you come down and take a look.
It's disgraceful and it's wrong. It was wrong during the Trump administration and it's wrong now. We can do so much more.
Now, I think just policy changes alone and treat people humanely and deal with them 1,500 miles away from our southern border are great ideas on how to continue to handle asylum claims in a humane way, that will take the pressure off our border. I'm not against immigration. I'm just looking for an orderly path for these folks.
At the end of the day, if you follow these people for the next few months, they all get absorbed into our economy one way or another. So, there's a huge labor shortage in the country. We need the labor and they need the jobs. What we need is an orderly process for people to come here in an orderly and legal manner.
ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Gonzalez, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.
GONZALEZ: Thank you.
ACOSTA: We'll be right back.
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[14:45:53]
ACOSTA: This holiday season, there are plenty of issues that divide families near and far. So, we got CNN's Harry Enten to run the numbers on the great holiday debates.
And this is a more lighthearted look. We're not -- we're not talking about all the stuff that divides families right now. You know, honestly, let's not talk about that right now.
But, Harry, things are looking good there in New Jersey where you are right now as well. That's a very nice holiday backdrop there.
Let's break down some numbers on the Christmas industry, artificial or real? I'm a believer in the real Christmas tree. My mom always has the artificial -- it's been the same one for a long time. I totally get it why people go where the artificial tree. What do the numbers show us?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Essentially what we're seeing is movement toward the artificial tree over the last few years. It used to be everybody had the real tree. But if you look essentially at numbers dating back a few decades, you know, back in 1989, only 43 percent of trees in the homes were artificial. You saw that jump to a majority by the 2000s. Now about 7 out of 10 trees are now artificial.
That includes the tree at home which is artificial as well. So the fact is, I'm in the majority here. You are, in fact, in the minority.
ACOSTA: Wow. Well, I mean, Chris Griswold in Christmas vacation, they drove out to for chop down the tree and then he forgot the saw and had to bring the whole root ball and everything and load it on top of the family car. I can relate to all of that.
But anyway, let's move to the next slide. I know Santa is a big deal. I believe -- you believe. What about the kids and if there are kids who are watching, maybe they shouldn't be watching this particular segment right now. Oh, look at that pillow right there?
ENTEN: I believe in Santa. You know, though --
ACOSTA: Is that self-embroidered?
ENTEN: Of course, it's self-embroidered. Come on, Jim, you know me. Look, those 8-year-olds have to get on top of where the 4-year-olds are. The four-year-olds are 85 percent believe in Santa Claus, just 25 percent of 8-year-olds. 8-year-olds are wrong. The 4-year-olds are right, Jim.
ACOSTA: Yes, exactly. This is where little brother or little sister is right and big bro or big sis is wrong. Harry has it right there on his pillow. I love that. I love the commitment.
We're all watching Christmas movies right now. There's always a big argument. Do we watch "Christmas Story?" Do we watch "Elf?" Do we watch "The Grinch?" My daughter loves "The Grinch", Jim Carrey, that's a classic. I mean, do we have the metrics on that? Look at that?
ENTEN: Yeah, "It's a Wonderful Life" leads at 9 percent.
ACOSTA: Really?
ENTEN: But I believe this poll is fugazi because "Die Hard" is not on this list, Jim. "Die Hard" is not on this list. And, therefore, in my mind this is a bogus list.
"It's a Wonderful Life", though, at 9 percent, leads the group. "Grinch" is in there at 6, though.
ACOSTA: How can we forget the classic line "Now I have pa machine go, ho-ho-ho." "Die Hard", yes, is a Christmas movie, Nakatomi Plaza. I can almost recite that line by line. I'm a big Christmas vacation guy. That's just me.
Some of us get gifts we don't like. It's a fact of life. What do we do with those? What do the numbers say on that, Harry?
ENTEN: Apparently, 49 percent of us keep it. I'm with the 16 percent who try to regift and shove it off to someone else. But maybe the 31 percent who say return it, the correct number here. I can't believe 49 percent just keep it. My God, if you don't like a gift, get rid of it.
ACOSTA: No, you can't do that, not in my family. If you don't like a gift, you keep that gift, you don't return it, you don't regift it. There's generations of guilt that have been passed down in my family. You just don't do that, harry.
ENTEN: I get the guilt, Jim. I walk around with guilt every single day. It's something in my blood stream.
[14:50:00]
ACOSTA: And we're all going to get our fill in the next 48 hours. Happy holidays, Harry. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Great embroidery, by the way.
ENTEN: Thanks, bud.
ACOSTA: Be sure to check out Harry's podcast "Margins of Error". You can find it on your favorite podcast app or CNN.com/audio.
And this Christmas eve, with help from NORAD, we're tracking Santa Claus as he delivers presents all over the world. You can hear the chimes right there. I have my Christmas tie on. Santa is flying over Turkey right now. He's delivered about 3 billion presents already.
He's not even breaking a sweat, that's how Santa is. He, too, has that same embroidered pillow that Harry has. We'll be right back.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[14:55:15] ACOSTA: Happening right now, Pope Francis is celebrating Christmas mass at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in Rome. The ceremony started with the pope arriving in a wheelchair, he greeted parishioners and other priests as he was pushed down the central aisle. The pope's arrival was followed by the Sistine Chapel choir singing "Noel", kicking off the Vatican's Christmas holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.
Each year, thousands of Catholic worshipers gather at the church for Christmas, midnight mass and billions more Catholics watch the service all over the world presided over by Pope Francis. The mass offers the hopeful message of Christmas, and a morning prayer Pope Francis asked Christians to think of those suffering on Christmas due to war.
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POPE FRANCIS, CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Let us be near our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of war. Let's think of Palestine, Israel, Ukraine. Let's also think of those who are suffering because of misery, hunger and slavery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And tomorrow on Christmas Day, Pope Francis will also deliver his blessing from the balcony at St. Peter's Square, that traditional Christmas blessing will also be broadcast live all around the world.
And we'll be right back.
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