Lora Ries - Director, Border Security and Immigration Center, Heritage Foundation Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, let's welcome Laura Reese, as mentioned from the Heritage
Center's Border Security and Immigration Center, to talk a little
bit about what Joe Biden is trying to do to
President Trump on the way in.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Laura, thanks for the time this morning.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Why do you suppose it is that Joe Biden isn't
exiting gracefully and it appears as though he's trying to
make things worse than they are now, So the incoming
president has a bigger headache.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Well, the Biden Harris administration throughout the presidency has been
intent on nath migration two and throughout the US and
they're parting tactics that are no different the lines about
securing the border as they led up to the election.

(00:42):
Have stopped this course because they lost, and so now
they don't have to pretend anymore. And so we do
see the caravans resuming in Mexico. Keep in mind when
the numbers hit the all time high at the border
last December for Terry's Blincoln and majorcists of the State
Department and Homeland Security went down to Mexico and cut

(01:06):
some sort of deal which they were not at all
willing to discuss where it appears that Mexico agreed to
flow down the flow through Mexico holds many migrants in
southern Mexico to make the numbers look lower leading into
the election. Well, Mexico doesn't need to do that anymore,

(01:26):
so now we're seeing the caravans again. The other tactic
that's being reported is ICE loosening the requirement to check
in with ICE if you're in what's called an alternatives
to detention program. The left of whores immigration detention feels
no one should be detained in immigration, and so they

(01:49):
have abused what can be a useful program called Alternatives
to Detention, which normally uses various tactics for people to
check in. It could be an ACO monitor, it could
be you have to physically go into an ICE office
each month. It could be you have to dial in
and do a biometric check with your faith, your picture,

(02:12):
your voice. And this administration is loosening the requirements. You
just need to phone it in and they're not going
to do a biometric check. They're not going to do
a criminal check to see if you've got new warrants outstanding,
and so people could be anywhere in the US, and

(02:33):
this is very pro forma. The app is also very glitchy.
It's not working well, so it's not been a good
use of resources to create it.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Well, the idea that they created it in the first place,
you know, from a principal standpoint, is horrific. The fact
that it doesn't even work very well is just another
example of how poor the Biden administration has been at
developing anything that is sensible and workable on the Southern Porter.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
What does President Trump's response to all of this.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
I've heard them talking about a lot of plans and
a lot of things, and Tom Homan, of course, is
working very very hearties in Texas today is going to
be visiting Eagle Pass.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
But what about President Trump?

Speaker 1 (03:07):
I mean, because again it seems as though they're just
trying to stack more obstacles in front of him as
he comes in.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
Yes, I mean, I think that's one of the reasons
why Tom Holman has been out there so much talking
about this and basically warning illegal aliens you'd be better
off if he's self supported now, because they will be
looking for them. They're going to start with the worst
of the worst. They'll start with the national security for us.
This administration let into the country. They will go on

(03:38):
to the aggravated sellon's, convicted cellons, rapist murderers, gang members,
you know, the worst criminals. And we'll also carry out
the removals for those aliens who already have a final
order of removal from a judge but who have absconded
and didn't leave the country. So, I mean, this isn't

(04:02):
going to be super quick because the Biden administration let
millions of people into the country, But self deportation is
also a real aspect. If you aren't able to work here,
if you aren't able to spend money home, if you
just don't feel like the consequences are you know, if

(04:25):
you do feel like you might be caught and be deported,
then then people will go elsewhere or not come at all. Right,
So applying consequences, actually enforcing the law does send a
message that the risk is higher and behavior changes.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Laura Resa, director of Board of Security and Immigration Center
at the Heritage Foundation, laying it out for us as
the Biden administration stacks these obstacles in front of President
Trump on the way in only making things more difficult
for him work and it's Laura, thanks so much for
the time We appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Thank you for having me