kaiser permanente. - lift the clouds off of... - virtual weather, only on kpix and pix+. welcome back to "face the nation." we go now to georgia, democratic senator raphael warnock. he is part of president biden's re-election campaign. good morning and welcome to

"face the nation." >> thank you very much for inviting me. >> senator, your state of georgia was so key to president biden's win back in 2020. our polling now, though, shows donald trump with 51% of the potential 2024 vote, biden at 48%. when it comes to black voters, support has dropped since the last election. why do you think that enthusiasm has declined? >> well, listen, it is still relatively early in the campaign. and i could tell you, as someone whose name has been on the ballot five times in less than three years, that the polls don't tell you nearly as much as the people do. i think that at the end of day, black voters, georgia voters, will see that this is a binary choice. and the more donald trump talks, the better our fortunes will be and in the end i believe that georgia voters are going to do for joe biden what they did for me.

>> but in states like georgia, democrats have been campaigning on action on voting rights, safeguarding democracy, police reform, the administration hasn't been able to legislate on any of those things. trayvon martin's mom was at an event this past week and said the people are not understanding what the politicians are doing. and the politicians don't understand what the people want. she was talking about the state level. but at the federal level, how do you explain the inaction on these issues? >> well nobody has been more vigilant and focus on the issue in voting rights than me. i was john lewis's pastor and i saw up close his courage, the depth of his commitment, his understanding that change is slow. that is the nature of politics and history. we often take one step forward and we take another step back but we keep pushing. in a real sense it is the history of this country. there are moments when the

democracy expands, there are moments when it contracts. and a donald trump part two would represent a contraction that we could not bear. when we think about the threat, the threat on voting rights, the threat on women's reproductive rights, their ability to decide what happens to their own body, and so we remain vigilant. >> you have been outspoken on the issue of the humanitarian crisis in gaza. according to cbs polling, it is 61% of black adults polled by krbs said biden should encourage them to stop the actions and the feelings are strong among young voters and we saw a thousand black pastors from congregations issue a demand for a cease-fire. sir, of all of the issues facing the black community, why do you think this particular one is

resonating in the way that it is? >> well, you know, we in the african american community understand human struggle. we know it when we see it. and i called for a negotiated cease-fire just a couple of weeks ago on the floor of the united states senate. look, the state of israel is our ally. and they are our most important partner in the middle east. but right now we are having an important conversation about principles, about american values, and a real sense that is what is at stake. we cannot forget about the awful attacks of hamas on october 7th against innocent people including americans. we can't turn away from that. and at the same time, we cannot turn away from the scenes of

awful suffering and human catastrophe in gaza. and so, we will continue to fight for a negotiated cease-fire. i have said very clearly that i think for mr. netanyahu to go into rafah, where some 1.4 million palestinians are now sheltering, would be morally unjustifiable, it would be unconscionable and i would hope at the end of the day cooler heads will prevail and one day we could get to a two-state solution. >> in terms of what the u.s. can control, the question of u.s. military support spore -- support for israel is being weighed. 11 organizations that operate in gaza, including the church, issued a letter saying the humanitarian response in gaza

including humanitarian assistance has been consistently denied and restricted and impeded by the israeli authorities. do you worry that continuing to provide american weapons to israel will sacrifice moral authority? and do you believe that the biden administration should suspend arms transfers? >> israel lives in a dangerous neighborhood. and it is -- the enyemis are more than just hamas. they are serious and geopolitical concerns that we have to pay attention to. but, look, we could walk and coup gum at the same time. we could be consistent in our support of israel's right to defend itself. and at the same time, be true to american values and engage this catastrophic humanitarian situation that is on the ground.

we have a secure supplemental right now that is already passed the senate, and it hasn't been put on the floor of the house. that security supplemental will provide humanitarian aid to the people of gaza. it will support our partners in the indo pacific arena. >> yes. >> and it will also check russian aggression in ukraine. >> okay, but i hear you stopping short of saying it should stop transfers. 17 democratic senators have said that the administration should reject israel's claims that it is not violating international law. you're not comfortable with that statement? >> i am saying that we have to continue engage our partner. and to ensure that humanitarian aid gets to the people of gaza and ultimately we need a cease-fire. >> okay. sir, i know it is palm sunday and you will be headed to church. and to preach today. thank you for sharing yourime

this morning with us. we'll be right back. richment dir at independence village, the senior living community in waukee, iowa. everybody here really, really make you feel like family and that they love you. our goal with tiktok was to enrich the lives of our residents and just to be able to show people what senior living can be like. i think i am a tiktok grandma. my kids think i am. i mean, we're the ones that are being entertained. time goes faster when you're having fun. [cars honking] i'm a guy who lost a bet. and my dignity. get out of the way! as if watching my team lose wasn't punishment enough. what are you looking at huh... it's a one speed. hahaha. hahaha. and if you have cut rate car insurance, odds are you'll be paying for that yourself. so, get allstate and be better protected from mayhem... like me. hey, i'm walking here!

(vo) welcome to lobsterfest. is your party ready? ready to tango with tails like me. on tails on tails? try lobster lover's dream with two lobster tails and lobster & shrimp linguini. it's one of ten next-level lobster creations. but lobsterfest won't last, so hurry in. salonpas, makers of powerful pain relief patches for 89 years... believes in continuous improvement... like rounded corners that resist peeling, with an array of active ingredients... and sizes to relieve your pain. salonpas. it's good medicine. when you need to prepare for unpredictable adventures... (gasp) you need weathertech. [hot dog splat.] laser measured floorliners front and rear. [drink slurp and splat.] (scream) seat protector to save the seats. [honk!] they're all yours! we're here! hey, i knew you were comin'... so i weatherteched the car! can we get ice cream? we can now. kid proof your vehicle with american made products

at weathertech.com. we turn now to the u.s. southern border with mexico. where the number of border apprehensions ticked up last month. about 16,000 more apprehensions from january. our immigration and politics reporter camilla galvez spoke with the chief of border patrol, jason owens, who said the agency is on track to record over 2 million migrant apprehensions this year and that most crossings are being aided by a criminal network of smugglers. >> are the smugglers setting the rules of engagement here? >> yes, they are. they dictate what the flow is going to look like and we respond to it. we try to get out in front of it and deny them the areas to use, especially ones that are dangerous for us and for the migrants. but at the end of the day, there is over 1900 miles of border with mexico. now, when you talk about 20,000

border patrol agents that sounds like a lot, but when you multiply that across the year, that number dwindles and that is what they're going to do. and knowing that they're safe and while we're tied up and occupied doing this, what are they doing a couple of miles down the road. >> are you concerned about the potential dangerous people or terrorists who may be infiltrating the country because you are so phfocuses on processg those in distress. >> absoluely. you ask any law enforcement officer, someone that works in border security, that is what keeps us up at night. we're closing in on a million entries this fiscal year alone. but what is keeping me up at night is the 140,000 known getaways. >> that is not part of the

tally. >> is that a national security risk? >> border security is a big piece of fanational security. and if we don't know who is coming into our country and their intent, that is a threat and they're exploiting a vulnerability that is on our border right now. >> you menged there have been a dramatic shift in the demog demographics among the border. we met migrants from nepal and africa, how are they coming here. >> so far this fiscal year eve had people from 160 countries or more come across our border illegally. we have people from all points across the globe making that same journey. and they're using smuggling routes. every country and every region has smugglers that try to facilitate a pipeline for them to get to where they're going and they're connected with one another. so they may, if they're coming from europe or asia, they find ways to get to maybe south

america and then they make their way up through central america and find their way to decision points that take them to different points along our borders depending on what smuggling organization that they're using. but it doesn't matter when they're coming from. >> former president trump said we have people coming from jails and principles. is that accurate? millions an millions? >> i don't know. i don't know if other countries are releasing people from jails and those folks that got released are making their way up or not. i don't know what the numbers would be. it is the unknown that scares us. >> by enlarge, though, are the vast majority of folks good people, if you will? >> yes, i think they absolutely are by enlarge good people. i wish they would choose the right way to come into our country and not breaking our laws. there are still people in the groups that have criminal backgrounds that have been

convicted sexual predators or gang members. a very small amount in that population. but their still there. most of the folks are turning themselves in, they're either fleeing terrible conditions, or they're economic migrants looking for a better way of life. it doesn't make them bad people. they're not being respectful of the laws that we've established as a country and they're actually putting people in this country in harm's way because they're pulling the border security apparatus off of task. >> and we're joining by politics reporter camilla montoya galvez. great interview. it is pretty shocking to hear an official of his level say essentially that the cartels are in charge of the u.s. border. what are the risks that he's referring to? >> we should point out that at a very basic level, the situation at the u.s./mexico border is mainly a humanitarian crisis fueled by record numbers of

desperate people who are fleeing desperate circumstances. but what the border patrol chief is telling us, it has national security implications because he's mainly concerned about the so-called got-aways. these are migrants trying to evade law enforcement and who are captured on cameras or sensors but are not apprehended for different reasons but since october 140,000 people have been essentially snuck into the country without being apprehended by border patrol along the u.s./mexico border. border patrol chief owens is concerned whether their national security threats and that is a national security threat that he is outlining. i do have to underscore that statistics that are available do show that most of the migrants encountered by border patrol are not serious criminals but it only takes one bad case for this to become a serious challenge for law enforcement. >> and this is one of the most nuanced and complicated issues and you are touching on that. but i know you spent a lot of time in texas and in arizona.

how prepared are the border communities for the uptick that is expected to happen in next month? >> that is right. well we traveled to the tucson sector in arizona which is now the busiest border patrol. more are crossing in california and arizona than in texas. a dramatic shift from last year. and the main shelter system there is telling us they may have to reject migrants including families with small children from border patrol because they're running out of federal funds. >> even with when government funding just approved. >> which includes a reduction of funding to housing and ngo, at the request the republican lawmakers and that will not get to people in time. so border patrol, may have to release people into the streets of tucson, the border patrol chief fold us that is a possibility. while washington and congress bicker over there, the communities at the border are bracing for another kries. >> and you're getting back to

congress that provides the resources an the president tries to set the policy. i want to ask you about a video we will show to our viewer because it is widely circulated and i think it needs some context. what we are seeing here are national guard forces in uniform trying to prevent migrants who are already on u.s. soil from texas from being able to claim asylum. what do we need to know about this? because it is getting very politicized. >> what we've been told is a group of several hundred migrants, most of them venezuela men broke through the texas border including in el paso to deterrill legal drossings. one migrant was arrested for assaulting a national guard soldier deployed by greg abbott. we don't know what prompted this incident and the migrants to do this. but i do have to under score that the texas national guard is there in el paso and other parts of the border to physically block migrants from being

encountered by federal border patrol agents because border patrol agents have to process them in their on american soil and to refer them to an asylum hearing. they were already on international soil because the boundary is the nidal of the rio grande. >> and that is the subject for another conversation about the confrontation between federal and state officials. thank you for bringing us that interview. we'll be back in a moment.

we're joined now by cbs contributor samantha vin grad, from the department of homeland security under the biden and serving in the obama administration. good to have you here again. >> thanks, margaret. >> so i want to get to you with, let me first start, u.s. law enforcement, to be clear, said there is no credible imminent threat to the homeland that we saw isis carry out in moscow. but how concerning is this the terror environment right now for americans? >> well i will say from a

counter-terrorism perspective, the attack near moscow was tragic but it was also unsurprising. the intelligence community has been warning that isis, despite territory leadership losses has conducted operations largely through regional affiliated like isis k. we've seen isis k attack american interests outside of the kabul airport during the evacuation and attack the embassy in 2022 and increase the geographic scope of their operations in central asia and iran and now moscow. we also know that isis relying on its regional affiliates to atrack the interests in the west and from my time, i will tell you, that we were concerned about the threat that isis k posed to the american interests and to the homeland and we took certain steps to mitigate them. >> can you tell us what those were? >> well without getting into

operational details, the counter-terrorism partners gets the intelligence possible and then using travel patterns to inform screening and vetting, to inform cooperation with other par partne partners globally and having adequate resources from screening and vetting from a information standpoint and a personnel standpoint becomes critical. >> and that is where we hear some of the political talking points about the porousness of the southern border and making a connection to the terror threat. we heard from the border chief here, 140,000 known got aways but he's worried about what wasn't detected. what is needed to fill the blind spots? >> well just t put this number in contexts.

between the trump administration and the biden administration is basically equal. but when we think about terrorist travel to the united states, we're talking about travel via air, maritime travel and land travel. now the federal government has the opportunity to position resources overseas to again try to prevent terrorists from getting on a plane or a boat here in the first place. but at border, we have to remember that every migrant is screens against terrorism and criminal history data sets but at the same time vetting is only as good as the underlying information that a migrant's identifies are being vetted against and that is where i'm concerned that we are underresourced in terms of having the information available to make important vetting decisions with our withdrawals in afghanistan and iraq, we have lost certain intelligence capabilities because of other intelligence priorities like power competition with china and russia and we've seen a resource

shift and in light of the expansion of onlyin showing up at the border, we feed to rethink the kinds of criminal history and terrorist related arrangements we have with other countries so the vetting team, not just dhs, could make the most informed decisions possible based on timely and accurate information. >> but to put a finer point on that, when you say it is only as good as the information available. not all of the countries if the world hand over their prison registries to the united states government, right. >> there are certain places that we won't know. and that is where this has to be a mix of the best and most timely intelligence that we could gather and analyze and integrate into the vetting architecture in addition to the voluntary arrangements that we could agree to with other countries. >> are those being negotiated with venezuela, for example? that is the example that we've talked about? >> there are, based on my time at dhs and working with the department of justice and the department of state, there is an orn going discussion about how

to enhance our information arrangements with other countries while concurrently within the intelligence community, conversations about how to make the best use of intelligence collection and analysis resources. but we need to rethink the international information structure that we have to feed into our vetting architecture. >> and there is a time limit on how long someone could be detained for under federal law. so how quickly could you do all of this vetting? >> well vetting is a point in time check. vetting is based on the best information you have at that moment. if the federal government had additional resources, the federal government could vet migrants on an ongoing basis. so even after they were released, if new information did enter the system, there is a vetting process and that is where technology and the federal government would benefit from additional vetting resources so that all migrants could be vetted on an ongoing basis and that would help improve homeland security. >> and then the border chief did

ask for more tuechnology and agents. quickly, in terms of what is happening in texas, the state of texas doesn't have all of the vetting equipment that you're talking about either, do they? >> the immplementation of hb-4 would be hugely detrimental. the vetting architecture at the federal level replies on classifies and unclassified texts. they have none of that structure. if they put someone into jail, they could be holing a transnational organized criminal without even knowing or having the proper security to ep sure that there is not a threat em mating from that individual to the homeland. it wo it would be catastrophic. >> important context. thank you. we'll be right back. [thinking] why always the couch? does he need to go to puppy school? get his little puppy diploma? how much have i been spending on this little guy?

when your questions about life turn into questions about money... there's erica. the virtual financial assistant to help you spend, save, and plan smarter. only from bank of america. (luke) so... i hear some of you are concerned about the fact that i'm taking over the company.lan smarter. well, rest assured, company's in great hands. marci, hit the vid'. (both lukes) homes-dot-com. we've done your home work. (luke) now, that is worth celebrating! (brad) i love it. (luke) thank you. (brad) home...work... very clever. (vo) ding dong! (luke vo) homes-dot-com.

that is it for us today. thank you all for watching.

for "face the nation," i'm margaret brennan.

it's the work behind the scenes, let's take a look at this knee. that truly matters. [ physical therapy staff discusses results ] for your mind. for your body. and for the community. -team! kaiser permanente. ♪ >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." good evening. i'm christine johnson. jericka is off. and we begin tonight with