The next is a transcript of an interview with former Homeland Safety Secretary Jeh Johnson that aired Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: And now to the visitor you heard the congressman speaking about, Jeh Johnson. He served as homeland safety secretary underneath former President Obama and he joins us this morning from New Jersey. Mr. Secretary, your insurance policies are being endorsed right here. I do not know if you wish to reply, although, to what the congressman mentioned by way of a stronger message needing to be despatched by this administration, going to nations and displaying that expelling of migrants is occurring.
FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON: Properly, thanks for having me on, Margaret. First, I do know that following me is Professor Robert Pape, who will current some findings on his analysis. I have been a giant proponent of his analysis now concerning the considerations round white nationalism for a while. And I urge your viewers to pay shut consideration to what Professor Pape has to say. Data- unlawful immigration is an info delicate phenomenon. It reacts sharply to info within the market about perceived adjustments in enforcement coverage on our southern border. This administration, I consider, unfairly, is perceived as lax on border enforcement. Actually, we're sending again over 100,000 folks a month and have been for the final two years, over 2 million folks. The lesson I discovered managing this problem is you have to repeat your self perhaps 25 instances earlier than anyone will take heed to you. You need to present that we're, in actual fact, sending folks back--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why is not that taking place?
FORMER SEC. JOHNSON: --and most likely about as quick as- effectively, that is an excellent query. My pleasant recommendation to the present administration, DHS and the White Home, is we've got to repeatedly stress that we're, in actual fact, with the equipment of presidency about as quick as we most likely can, given the present authorized assemble and the assets we've got, sending folks again at effectively over 100,000 both expel expulsion or deportation. That is lots of people. Now, there is a bigger drawback right here that, frankly, we didn't face once I was in workplace. We have been dealing principally with the Northern Triangle nations Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico. This drawback has develop into hemispheric. Along with these nations, you now have Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela who usually are not cooperating with us. Their nations are actually imploding and there's migration to the north and the south. Our- our Border Patrol capabilities, our assets are larger than they have been eight, seven years in the past once I was in workplace. However they do battle to maintain up with this- with this disaster.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
FORMER SEC. JOHNSON: And from my standpoint, we have to stress that we're, in actual fact, returning folks as quick as we are able to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So in terms of shifting migrants across the nation proper now, you are a lawyer. The federal authorities strikes migrants from the border to different elements of this nation very often. What is the distinction when a state governor does it? Albeit, I do know, with out warning.
FORMER SEC. JOHNSON: Properly, there is a proper approach and a mistaken approach to do this, Margaret. The mistaken approach is on 20 minutes discover to ship folks by bus or airplane to the Edgartown Airport or to mass [avenue] in entrance of the vp's residence with out giving native assets, NGOs, shelter's native authorities a possibility to plan for the way they intend to feed and dress and home migrants. What the governors of Florida and Texas are doing, frankly, is a political stunt and treating folks like livestock. The suitable solution to transfer folks to the inside, and I believe it is one thing that we must always do, 8000 a day into McAllen into Henry Cuellar's district in Laredo or El Paso, I have been saying for a while shouldn't be sustainable. And so we do want to maneuver folks to the inside. However via a effectively coordinated effort in coordination with NGOs, Catholic charities, state and native authorities and the federal authorities. There's a proper approach to do this. It requires coordination and cooperation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why is not that taking place, I assume, is the query we maintain coming again to. And as you are saying, it is turning into politicized. The Wall Avenue Journal had an op ed saying it is exhausting to think about an even bigger spectacle of American political failure than the histrionics over migrants. They slammed Republicans for staging a political stunt. However in addition they say Democrats are simply making an attempt to deflect away from their very own border coverage failures. Is that a honest evaluation, in your view?
FORMER SEC. JOHNSON: Frankly, Margaret, the politics at present are such that politicians, elected officers, discover it extra advantageous to easily scream on the different aspect and complain about how evil or lax the opposite aspect is. It does take political braveness to come back collectively and put collectively laws on complete immigration reform. It handed the Senate in 2013. It failed within the Home in 2014. However that is merely the one approach we'll cope with this drawback via visitor employee applications, via stronger border safety, via making an attempt to handle the issue on the supply. It takes political braveness, however proper now, the politics of this problem are all mistaken. And I am afraid nothing's getting finished.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However- however we've got a disaster, so it requires motion. Do you see a transparent, coordinated planning or technique from the White Home that controls Customs and Border Patrol and Homeland Safety and the folks on the entrance traces of this?
FORMER SEC. JOHNSON: I do know DHS is working very exhausting. They've they've they've ramped up the assets to cope with the- the inflow on the southern border. It- it is a lot bigger. The flexibility to maneuver bigger volumes of individuals is way bigger than it was seven or eight years in the past. However there must be a extra complete federal, state, native, govt and legislative department effort at this. And we are able to do that if we're prepared to cooperate, work collectively, train some political braveness, have the governor of Texas prepared to work with the governors of some northern states to- shifting folks in a extra coordinated, cooperative trend into the inside of our nation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary Johnson, thanks to your evaluation this morning. Face the Nation. We'll be proper again. Stick with us.