nicole, tha new congress, new leaders, watch it live on c-span, starting january 23. "washington post" im migration reporter maria sacchetti here to talk about immigration policy. of course we have to start with the shutdown, in day sex. where are we -- in day six. where are we on whether the president will give up on the wall? guest: the president has referred to a steel slatted wall , which is similar to what is currently at the border. the president has said he wants this money for it, and it is part of the money they need to really build the wall.

it is $5 billion. estimates have gone as high as $25 billion. but there is no end in sight as of this moment. host: where does the existing wall go, and how far? where would this part of the wall the president is talking about be built? guest: there are pieces of the wall along the border. the administration needs to shore up some of the pieces that are not very strong, and then they want to extend it. for example, there's a part in brownsville, texas where the wall just runs out in the middle of a field, and border patrol agents say it helps them where it exists, but people can just go around it. democrats have argued they are not going to give the president more money because the in ministry not spent the last allocation -- the administration has not spent the last allocation.

they have spent nearly all of it on border security. does that mean the wall? where and how is it being spent? guest: the administration has invested in border security and in improving the wall and fixing parts of it where it exists now. there is also been a lot of migrants costing -- there has also been a lot of migrants crossing the border, so that has taxed their budget. has been many more families crossing, and that has led to different kinds of expenses for the border patrol and immigrations and customs enforcement. host: what are you watching for next in this debate? guest: what the democrats will get in exchange for funding, if they even agree to that. if republicans agree to that. comeig question is daca people with temporary protected status. one million people are losing

their protection to stay in the united states that have been here for years. but there are others. the democrats are taking over the house, for me as an and immigration reporter, this is an open question. host: remind people what is daca and what is happening with those folks. guest: it is called deferred action for childhood arrivals, not the catchiest name. but it did help almost one million people who came here as children and either overstayed their visas or were brought here illegally. , that for all intents and purposes they are american, and they could lose that status. get mis-direction is still renewing it because of lawsuits, but there are people who are graduating -- the administration is still renewing it because of lawsuits, but there are people who are graduating who might not have that protection. president tweeting,

"have the democrats finally realized that we need a border wall? to the democrats realize that most of the people not getting paid are democrats?" guest: about the people crossing the border, the president characterizing them in the way he just did in that tweet, who are the people that are crossing the border? guest: for most part, the apprehensions the past couple of months have been families, parents and children and unaccompanied minors. that is a major shift from a couple of decades ago when it was mostly single men from mexico. these new groups are from central america, fleeing violence and poverty. advocates point out there risking their lives to do it. the trump administration's contention that immigrants are criminals dates before his campaign. that has been his characterization.

and some have been criminals, but the vast majority -- and according to the trump administration's own reports -- are not criminals and gang members. they are coming here in search of a better life for fleeing violence. this morningdlines on the same story. "the new york times," "migrant boy died after days adrift in immigration system." "sick migrants surge across border as diseases spread." a second child has died in custody of border patrol. what were the circumstances, and what happened? guest: this little boy, philippe felipe -- philippe a -- he had his family crossed and they were moved across the border as holding cells filled up. they were held for six days, double the time the border

patrol standards recommend, even for adults. they are austere holding cells with very minimal provisions. they are supposed to be transferred to ice custody. fell very sick. his fever spiked to 106. the hospital released him. we still don't know why. he was taken back into border patrol custody for hours, and then rushed back to the hospital and he died. host: "the washington times" says after he was released, he was given amoxicillin and ibuprofen, but his father refused more medical attention. guest: i don't know what the father's background is, but if he is not a medical professional, i think that raises questions about why the hospital released him, and also why he remained at a highway checkpoint for several hours

afterward. there are big questions. there are also security questions. in fairness, the trump administration, border patrol officials and immigration and customs enforcement, have to make sure he is not actually a criminal. that is an important part of the job. but there's real questions, to have two children die in border ,atrol custody, in any custody is as the border patrol itself put it, a tragedy. it is extraordinary in the border patrol's history. it has not happened in memory. a child has indicted more than a decade. host: what is the follow-up from the homeland security secretary? checks,he has ordered medical checks of children under 10 years old, to have an initial screening but also a secondary screening to make sure they are not sick. she's also dispatched the coast

guard, which is under homeland security, to the border. , andhave a medical corps there are teams down there helping out. she will also go later this week to see the facilities herself. host: you contributed to this front page story in "the washington post" this morning. what is this about, who it is about, and what happened? guest: the story is about a young man who came to the united states to seek asylum. he was, like many immigrants now , and also this happen under the obama administration, but now under trump as well, they are detained. host: he came from central america. guest: correct. he was detained for months as he tried to fight his case in immigration court. was pressured, according to his family, to give up. that he wasn't going to win his case. eventually he did. i listened to part of this tape

of his hearing. in the beginning, his voice is soft and he's not really sure of himself, and he's afraid. by the end, the judge is saying he wants to go home. he wants to get out of jail. the judges say and i can send you home if you say you are still afraid. soon after he returned home, he was murdered. host: by the gangs who had been threatening that they would kill him, these gangs in el salvador. guest: this is the understanding, yes. a lot of crimes are unsolved in these countries, and in this country as well, but particularly in central america. but yes, that is the understanding. his family pieced together funding to take into the united states three months after donald trump was inaugurated. let's take calls. mike is in janesville, wisconsin. independent scholar.

goa -- independent caller. go ahead. caller: yes, i would like your comments on the number of people that are coming for immigration. few years agoof a when we had a huge number of people come from guatemala, but it is nowhere near the numbers now. i don't have as much knowledge as you do, but i saw one saying on immigration where people maybe 10for asylum years ago was like 2900, and now is over 100,000. i know my figures are wrong, but do you think the people that are coming now because of the huge in relation to all the number of people from guatemala a few years back, the word is out that this is how you get into the united states? i will hang up and listen, but i would love to hear your comments. host: that is a very good

question -- guest: that is a very good question because back in the 1990's into thousands, the numbers were much, much larger of border crossings. right now we are having many more families from central america, not mexico. that is completely different. recently there was a historic high in the number of families and unaccompanied children at the border. inis notable the spike asylum, people asking for asylum. it could be because more people know about it. back in the 1990's, particularly in the 1980's, there were wars in central america. more people can apply for asylum, perhaps. but some say the spike is also a smuggling tactic because they know that the united states has followed international law and its own federal law and processes migrants differently than they would if they were just trying to deport them. shows, andfront page

we had another story a few weeks ago about this issue come a some of these cases are true and some immigrants aren't entitled to free lawyers and have to defend themselves against an immigration lawyer, and i can be very difficult to do. so sometimes immigrants are deported to their death. it is a very a student -- a very astute observation. host: i want to show viewers what homeland security secretary kristen nielsen had to say. -- today i am announcing historic measures to bring immigration of the control. effective immediately, the administration will invoke the process of the immigration and that, once act implemented, individuals arriving in our entering the united states from mexico illegally or without proper documentation may be returned to

mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings. they will not be able to disappear into the united states. they will have to wait for approval to come into the united states. a they are granted asylum by u.s. judge, they will be welcomed into america. if they are not, they will be removed to their home country. let me be clear him a we will undertake these steps -- let me be clear, we will undertake with our the military and commitments. mexico has informed us they will commit to implement essential measures on their side of the border to facilitate this process by providing humanitarian assistance. they have announced that affected migrants will receive humanitarian visas to stay on mexican soil, begin and the ability to apply for work, and be given other protections while they await a u.s. legal determination. in the coming days we will

discuss ways to ensure the implementation of our decision in a way that is transparent, effective, and ensures a safe and orderly flow. moreover, as was announced by the united states and mexico december 18, both countries are also committed to work on a conference of plan to reduce the regular migration across the region. this is something i have spent years pursuing behind-the-scenes. i've had dozens of meetings with leaders from the northern triangle am a convenient private sector executives, and put forth proposals to address the root causes of illegal migration. we look forward to addressing illegal smuggling across the border once and for all. i cannot overstate the significance of these developments. we are taking lawful, unilateral actions to stop illegal entry now. mexico is taking its own appropriate actions in response, and our two countries have committed to a major regional plan to solve this crisis. host: maria sacchetti, what has

been the response to this policy? guest: a judge has temporarily enjoined it. the judge said the way federal law works is if you cross the border or present yourself at a legal port of entry, you should be able to seek asylum. however, there have been some developments. apparently the united states and mexico have reached a deal where mexico would house asylum-seekers and the u.s. would adjudicate them. performed -- they prefer legal ports of entry. this is all a crackdown on what the administration considers to be asylum fraud. and it is true that some people come in and ask for asylum, are given a court date, and never show up. but as you can see on the front , somef our paper today people are deported to their

deaths. it is a really challenging situation with asylum. it is a life-and-death situation. host: let's hear from josh in connecticut, a republican. caller: hi. this woman keeps talking about the people killed when they go back to their countries. is she concerned about the people killed by illegal immigrants in this country? because that is a problem. host: are there any statistics on that? guest: i've actually investigated that, when i used to work at "the boston globe." one of the issues we raised was that ice was often releasing criminals in the united states without deporting them, and without notifying their victims, who are also often immigrants. i have looked at those issues in depth, but the facts, and the trump administration's records show this, the vast majority of people crossing are not

criminals. if that is the case, and these are folks coming to the united states to flee for their lives, they are also victims of crime. 16th congress will have over 100 members. there is home to major military installations. she is a naval academy graduate and one of the first women to attend the navy school. she and her husband own a boutique, which sells mere made and dolphins. the 5th district, representative-elect riggleman is a national security officer. he retired to open a discxds difficulties tellery.

and previously run for virginia governor but dropped out of the race prior to the republican primary. he other republican is ben kline served as chief of staff to the man he succeeds in the 6th congressional district, bob goodlatte. also once ran a sales and margetting firm. he is served in the virginia ouse of dell gates since 2002. ms. spanberger is a former postal inspector and c.i.a. officer. and helped colleges and universities to develop more diverse student bodies. and jennifer west ton was legitimated to the 10th congressional district and served as a public prosecutor.

elected to the virginia senate in 2013. new congress, new leaders. atch it all on c-span. >> two days after christmas and day number six of the government shutdown here in washington live on the east front of the u.s. capitol. the side that you would go into to go into the capitol visitor center. who is at the capitol, visitors and tourists, not many members of house and senate. they are in session. good afternoon, welcome to our cran span radio listeners, c-span 2 and half hour ahead of the two bodies coming into session. and we are not expecting much to happen in either the house or the senate. we would love to hear from you and open up our phones for the next half hour ahead of the house and senate coming