will give his first address to a joint session of congress wednesday. our live coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. online at c-span.org orlisten live on the c-span radio app . >> here on c-span2, waiting for the white house briefing to begin here in the brady briefing room with white house press secretary jen psaki. in two hours the senate will gavel in to resume debate on the nomination of the office of management and budget and expect work to begin on a bipartisan water infrastructure bill. find live coverage of the senatehere at 3 pm eastern. again, just waiting for the white house briefing to begin . >>. [silence]

>> just waiting for the white house briefing to begin with jen psaki, until then will take a look at some of today's washington journal. >> joining us from el paso texas is angela tortuga, news director for kt tep public radio. thanks for being with us.

let's begin with the situation on the border. >> we continue to see large numbers of people come across families and what the border patrol calls unaccompanied minors. these are children in some cases but often teenagers who are coming over, looking to ask for asylum so a large number of people and real concerns about overcrowding in some of the border patrol holding stations that were not designed for long-term holding of adults but now we got children crowded into these facilities and we are seeing a real ramp up very quickly by the biden administration to open more health and human services shelters so that the children can be moved into those locations and then reunited with a family member or a sponsor while their case is going through immigration court and we had a facility open here in el paso at our large military installation here can have up to 500, i

mean 5000 beds, we have 500 children enter that facility yesterdayfor the first time . >> wended the rising numbers occur ? >> it's been going on for months now getting back to when the trump administration was still in office . we did have a slowdown during the pandemic because a lot of countries had their own lockdowns. people can move around but we started to see it pick up in the winter and then of course leading into the election. we see these seasonal searches or spikes, i want to get away from the sound search, it sounds like we have towards of people coming across. these are numbers we've seen in the past of families and children and others coming, often to look for work but also fleeing situations in central america from violence, corruption, gangs and of course poverty now we have climate change so we saw it dating back several months and starting to build and now

as secretary mayorkas says if the change doesn't happen it's on pace to be the largest increase in two decades. >> from the washington times in washington dc, biden team was warned on border policy. team officials say huge migrant search to come as no surprise to them . >> these warnings also went out. they go out to all administrations as a new one comes into office. we see before a new president takes office months leading up to a search, we saw that increase in people before president trump took office as people tried to get in quickly because you were worried about a hard-line immigration policy taking effect and we saw that before president biden took office as people tried to figure out is this my time to go? so the warning, i can't vouch

for that because i wasn't in those meetings but we do know also there was a slow transition and information the on a warning. secretary mayorkas has been part of the engagement for many years and i'm sure he was well aware of what's happening on the ground. >> when an unaccompanied child crosses the border, first of all how are they getting here and when they cross, what do they do? >> first of all, cobblers are not making their way up to the border on their own . weknow that . they are, there are smuggling networks that mobile search of people and people rely on what they call guides because it's dangerous to travel on your own. these areas are controlled by over organized crime groups and there's corruptionby local officials and these are dangerous journeys . so of course the children are brought up with the guides.

sometimes there with a different relative, not apparent, perhaps an aunt or uncle traveling with the child so they are not the legal guardians so they are not allowed to cross with the child but then the children are allowed to cross the border, they are taken into custody and we're talking about children but also a large number of young people are between the ages of 12 and 17 oh lots of teenagers. they are taken into custody and border patrol has holding cells for lack of a better word for all the people that they encounter. they're supposed to be in these holding stations for no longer than 72 hours . often this is taking longer to move them into health and human services custody because there's been a lack of bed space and facilities but once they are moved into these facilities there cared for in a much better environment. while health and human services and partner agencies

look for family members and or sponsors who are suitable to take care of the children while their cases move through immigration court and often these children must be noted are coming up to reunite with apparent was been in the us on authorized, often working and sending money home. >> too many of them have someone in the united states that will not for them? and then if they don't, what happens ? >> health and human services and advocacy organizations that work with migrants tell us the vast majority do have a relative in the us who can vouch for them and care for them. that's been through multiple administrations. there was a concern about people not coming forward during the trump administration because legal status was being checked and if they don't have someone there are sponsors who are vented and checked as with any child who is put into custody of someone who's not their parent and there are also foster care situations

where families will take in the children. we've seen that in the past and finally, there are a little bit longer term facilities where children can wait while their cases move through immigration court. >> if the person that is their sponsor or is vouching for them, if thatperson is not a legal citizen, they are allowed to go with them ? >> they are because these are parents and the goal is to, in the majority of cases you want a child to be with their parents unless there's extenuating circumstance and this has been going on for multiple administrations. that's been the common practice. >> what about families that we are hearing about that are crossing the border and claiming asylum, what happens to them? >> right now i just reported on this recently.

most of them are just turned right back around and sent to mexico. the biden administration is acknowledging. we have a health order that dates back to the 40s called title 42 of limited when the pandemic started and basically allows border patrol to quickly remove people from the country and send them back in this case to mexico which is where they crossed so they are sent back to mexico. there are some that are allowed him to stay a vast majority are not. they often they are returned to mexico seem very confused and distraught because people have the idea that if they came through andasked for asylum they would be allowed to stay . mexico is struggling to find shelter space. many of the shelters where i am across the border are filled to capacity and i met a young mother who was in

juarez will have been abandoned by her guide and run out of money and she was living on the street . thetwo but she would be able to come across and ask for asylum . he said husband had been murdered in el salvador and she was trying to get to maryland where she has had a daughter for a few years working but she was in her words trapped on the border and she was at the bridge asking mexican officials, the international bridge if they could help her find shelter and her little child kept crawling out there and i said does he understand what's going on and she said he just keeps asking mama, when can we go home? we have some real tragic situations unfolding individually and in multiple times with different families . >> the reason why they're not allowed to claim asylum is because of the pandemic. >> correct, that title 42 because you don't want a lot of people moving across and they're still moving across but they want people said back to mexico.

>> you said there are some that are allowed to claim asylum . what is the criteria ? >> the ones who are being allowed in, started last month are the people who were in the remain. migrant during the last administration that force people to wait while their cases fall. all asylum process and the biden administration that people allowed in anorderly way . they all have to have a negative covid test before they can enter the us and there are a few exceptions, it's unclear that criteria is for people who are crossing right now who are allowed to stay. >> what about unaccompanied minors, are they getting

covid testing or vaccination? >> they're not given vaccinations because they're not getting vaccinations to the children in the us but it's unclear. some we are hearing are being tested because they're very there are a good number who are positive . depends on which congressperson you talk to to get the statistics . others, we are told like the families who might bereleased , some of them are tested by ngos who have shelters and when they find someone who is positive, not children but families with children, they are isolated and quarantine until they are deemed to be enough to travel. but to be honest, it's unclear how many of the children are tested or the percentage of results. there are lots of children so i think it would be hard to test every single one of them right now.

>> robin in coleman alabama, you are up first forthis discussion, go ahead . >> caller: thank you. my comment is, my question first is how many migrant children died during the cold spell in texas this past season? i'd like to answer that question and i have a follow-up question. >> guest: we don't know how many children died. we haven't seen any statistics on that. we do know some of the migrant families coming through had to be rescued by border patrol and i think there were a few deaths from hypothermia. a very small number. we're still trying to get a handle in texas how many people died statewide cystic. but if any individual dies as

far as be tracked. order does have to report that we heard last week will who had died on the eagle pass stretch of border and the investigating that caused her death, she was trying to cross from mexico and she was a mexican child so still trying to get details on what happened there. >> host: do you have a follow-up? >> caller: 111 people were known to have died and you know of only one child i grant that died? that's all the statistics you have? arx said not to use the word search and i see you're trying not to use the word search and i just understand why that's a good word to use,why not use it ? >> you see me struggling because what i'm trying to do is, you notice the word crisis is another one, trying

to do a better job of as journalists describing the situation on the ground and giving people information so they can decide what they want to collect. unfortunately some of these words have become so politicized the minute they come out of someone's mouth able have a judgment call on what they think you believe so trying to give everyone the information so you can decide what you thinkyou want to call it . as far as the death statistics are tough. i'm not saying just one died. i'm saying we don't have to full picture of what happened and you're right, in texas are getting information about how many died still so that's a real problem. >> host: in sarasotaflorida. >> caller: thank you for taking my call . >> host: go ahead stephen. question or commentsplease? >> caller: i have a question and comment . why would the current president change the policies that were in place and stabilize the border, that's

number one. number two is a statement and aquestion . a lot of my clients and i work with or friends that are mexican they are in favor of the border wall in part because they said they had been exposed and their relatives were exposed to the dangers themselves and they work here legally and they filed their paperwork. they feel it's unreasonable that anybody else should keep coming in in this massive wave. it hurts their jobs and it hurts their income so i'd like to know why the president change allthese borders. it's like from derangement syndrome . >> i'm not going to speak on behalf of the biden administration. i can talk about some of the impacts of the policies. you can hear from the president's people daily about that change in policy and why they did it and again, it's been very limited the changes that of course had an impact on who's coming across. i can't address the border

wall question because i covered that for many years under different administrations. the wall, the fence, whatever we want to call it has been a tool for border patrol to deter some people, slow some people down. they'll tell you it's one of many tools, it's not the end-all be-allfor an immigration policy . people are still coming over the bigger better wall as the trump administrationdescribed . 30 foot steel class, i did a story a couple weeks ago about people who basically are just getting ladders and climbing over. some are calling to their deaths, many are just seriously injured and others are making it across and heading into the us so the wall sounds like a great solution to some people, especially those who don't live on the border. it's one of many tools and it will not you'll hear from many border patrol agents stopped everyone.

>> roger in nebraska go ahead . one last call for roger in nebraska. kathy in pool texas. >> caller: yes ma'am. thislady is not telling the truth . she must be, i don't know. she must be covering up for the biden administration these people are coming in surges. it is a border crisis. >> host: kathy, you've got to turn down your telephone. she saysangela it's a crisis, your response . >> kathy, you can call it that if that's the word you want to use and plenty of people do call it that. i'm not saying don't use that word and we are seeing numbers of people. i'm not disputing that were covering the period i'm covering that right now every day. i see the large numbers of people . they are coming and many are being sent back to mexico and

the last caller said we should send everyone back to mexico and people would feel comfortable on this side. that's probably true mexico is our neighbor and that's creating a humanitarian problem there real stresses and strains. we don't want the problems right next door with our neighbors either. i'm not trying to cover anything up, i welcome you to come down. it's very clear what's happening, we can see it. >> host: angela, what happens to the communities on the united states of the border when you have a humanitarian situation with mexico? >> humanitarian groups along this stretch of border work very well together and shelters that are connected on both sides and people here will respond to try and help

the best they can and mexico is getting some funding to help with that humanitarian situation but it is a real concern of courseyour where we live , mexico is not just a foreign country. economic ties, family ties, this is of concern for people. we have relatives on both sides know what happens on one side doesn't affect the other. >> harbor in oklahoma city. >> this border thing, i just wish that one day greta that trend c-span2 would have to show about trump, he has hired them immigrants his whole life. and while he's been president and twice before he was president he's had to pay 25 million for some reason, he lost, they sued him for their wages. he hired illegals, he doesn't

pay them and once while he was president he says they fired 20. unlike i thought you didn't hire them . no he hires them and he has for 50 years and i wish that would be said. also, his trump university that he steals money from this border thing, he's going to do something about the border. he does it all right, it's open to him and right now i don't even know. it's just crazy. >> let me go on to talk who is in new mexico. no ahead. >> caller: i had a question, i've been watching the news i guess yesterday and the media was allowed into the facility and i saw one of the worst things i've seen ever. i'm 35 years old and i saw these kids that the lady said

she was unsure about covid. these kids were lying down shoulder to shoulder head-to-head . the facility said it was supposed to take 250, there's 4100 people in this building and the lady willnot go to crisis . to me i saw that and i wrote to my senator because i thought it was horrific to any people and i was wondering if she has seen anything likethis. this is ridiculous . >> host: let's ask angela, have you been inside any of thesefacilities ? >> guest: i have, i'm hoping to get one into one this time soon and i have seen this before and that's unfortunate. i've seen these overcrowded polling stations. there's one in particular

that held children during the last administration these are not places for children. their crowded together and that's before covid-19 so there are concerns about the pandemic. these overcrowding situations causing such concern happened just about two years ago so it's very hard to forget those images and i did report extensively and others did so this is again a repeat of what we've seen no real attempt over multiple administrations to figure out rather than react to the problem if this happens again which it will calm down and probably happen again how are we going to handle the change in migration which is primarily children and now families sent to america. what are we going to do in a humane way instead of trying to do things in the same way we've always done them. >> host: south carolina, russell. your question or comment. >> caller: thank you for all