good morning. 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. breaking news. right now in ukraine, russia has confirmed it is launching a new phase of the war. ukraine's president vowing to fight as russia seeks full control of ukraine's donbas region in the east. also happening right now, in the u.s., masks are coming off planes, trains, and ubers after a florida judge voided the u.s.

mask mandate. and at our southern border, nbc news got an inside look at how border towns are preparing for an end of the pandemic era immigration policy, set to expire next month. t month. and happening right now in ukraine, heavy fighting in eastern ukraine. russia has now unleashed what is expected to be a bloody new phase of the war. and an intense battle is also underway in the besieged city of mariupol. ukrainians there are refusing to surrender after another russian deadline has now passed. at this moment, the commander of the volunteer azov battalion says hundreds of people of all ages, including women and children, are sheltering inside a steel factory inside of mariupol. they released this video, which nbc news cannot independently verify. they say the video shows children and families inside the factory. and they are accusing russian forces of firing on the factory

willingly, knowing civilians are inside. this as russian missiles have hit across cities in ukraine over the past 48 hours. the regional governor in kharkiv accuses russia of intense shelling, leaving at least three people dead and wounding others. also happening any moment, president biden is set to hold a call with top allies to discuss the ongoing violence. joining us now is nbc news foreign correspondent, raf sanchez, retired colonel mark cantsiene is with the center for strategic and international studies. and charles caruthers is a former adviser to the house homeland security committee and currently with cornerstone government affairs. raf, let me start with you. what are you seeing at this hour? >> reporter: jose, ukrainian officials say russia is attack along an enormous 300-mile front in the east of this country. they say the attacks begin all the way in the north in kharkiv,

they stretch through the towns and cities of the donbas, and they go all the way to that southern besieged port city of mariupol. now, the ukrainians say that their lines are holding, for now. they say the russians have made only minor breakthroughs so far along two different axes, but this is going to be a very difficult fight for the ukrainians. they have had a lot of time to prepare for it. they have sent some of their best troops to the east, but some of the advantages they've had in and around kyiv will not be available to them as the fighting shifts. this more kind of world war ii-style confrontation, the ukrainians have been very successful with guerilla-style hit-and-run tactics, but this is likely to be larger, pitched battles, tanks and artillery going up against each other. this is a fight president zelenskyy says his forces can win, but only if they get the heavy weapons they need from the united states, from nato allies.

as you mentioned, president biden is scheduled to be on a call as we speak, with leaders of nato countries, discussing what more they can do to try to support the ukrainian war effort, as we move into this new phase of the conflict. we were speaking last week to an officer with the azov regiment, leading the defense of mariupol. we have not been able get hold of him for days and days now. the last we heard of him, he was holed up in what remains of that enormous steel factory in mariupol along with a group of ukrainian regimes. the russians gave them until midday moscow time, about five hours ago to surrender, raise the white flag over that steel plant. that deadline came and went. and every indication is that those soldiers are going to continue fighting until the last

bullet, possibly beyond, continuing to try to hold on to that city, even as the russians continue to try to advance along that enormous front of the donbas. jose? >> and raf, there are hundreds of thousands of civilians, of people in mariupol, that really couldn't get out. >> reporter: that's right. they're still trapped there and the russians are sealing that city off. they are asserting their domination over a city they have destroyed already. there is a ring of checkpoints now at the main routes in and out of the city, and russian forces say nobody goes anywhere unless they allow them. an adviser to the mayor of mariupol says they have begun issuing passes to civilians still inside who are not being allowed to move from one to the other. the deputy prime minister has been trying in vain to get the russians to agree to a

humanitarian corridor, to at minimum get some of those women and children out of the city. she says she has not been able to. the u.n. has been trying from the other direction to get humanitarian aid inside. they say they are not being allowed either. and some ukrainian officials are suggesting that the reason mariupol is being so tightly sealed off is the russians do not want the world to see what they have done in that city, in the same way, they didn't want the world to see what they did in bucca and in other suburbs around keefe. jose? >> raf sanchez in lviv, thank you very much for your extraordinary reporting. colonel, what are you seeing and what are you watching for as this offensive in the east unfolds? >> one of the zwloirngs i'm watching for is where the russians concentrate their forces. right now, they're spread out over a wide front that's been consistent with their operational strategy up until now. and fortunately, for the ukrainians, it's meant that they haven't been able to force a

major breakthrough, because they just don't have enough strength. so what i'm watching for is whether they do focus, particularly if they try to pinch off ukrainian forces in the east, is an arm coming down from izyum in the north, and perhaps forces coming north from mariupol. that has a lot of danger for the ukrainians, maybe pinching them off and foring a withdrawal. >> and colonel, raf sanchez was talking about how the russians possibly don't want the world to see what they are doing and going to do in mariupol. what strategy or what battle will that look like in mariupol, which apparently is now one of the center focuses of the russian attack? >> well, unfortunately, the offensive of mariupol is coming to an end. the russians have taken over much of the city to push the

remaining defenders into a couple of enclaves. those will likely fall soon. the great thing for the ukrainians is that they have been able to stall the russian advance. russians have been hung up there for a month. they've taken a lot of casualties that's allowed the ukrainians to build up their defenses elsewhere. the downside is that when the russians do take over the city, that will free up some forces for the attacks up further north. >> reporter: and colonel, what about the united states saying that it plans to start training ukrainians on howitzers in the next couple of days? what about that howitzers are important. is this raining that could lead to anything in this instance? >> it's very important, but it's not going to help the immediate crisis. it's going to take weeks to get ukrainians trained. and we've said, we're training the trainers. these have to go back to ukraine and train the actual crews.

that's a several-week process. it's also going to take a wile for the equipment to get there. the howitzers not so much, there's only 18 of them. they'll get there pretty quickly. we've also promised armored personnel carriers. so for the long-term, i think this is going to help the ukrainians tremendously, but the short-term, they're going to be using that flow of equipment that we have instituted over the last couple of weeks. >> and charles, the u.s. is apparently looking at the possibility of labeling russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. what would that do? >> well, it's very important to keep in mind that only around 30 countries have imposed sanctions on russia. it's pretty much the united states, canada, and all of europe. but around 90 countries, so really most of the countries in the developed world have not imposed sanctions on europe. so labeling a country as a state sponsor of terrorism, that

designation could also potentially penalize, you know, individuals or countries themselves that engage in trade or economic trade with these state sponsors of terrorism. so what it does, it sends the message to the rest of the world that there will be consequences ultimately, there would be consequences in engaging russia, at the economic level. >> and charles, it's important that you mentioned that really much of the world has not had sanctions against russia, even as we're entering 50-plus days of this conflict. is there something that the united states could or should be doing to precisely reach out to much of the world that doesn't see russia needs to be sanctioned. >> i think it's just that. and i'm certain that these conversations are taking place behind closed doors. that certain levels of our

government in the united states are engaging their counterparts that have not imposed sanctions. that did not vote in the u.n. on resolutions condemning russia's unjust invasion of ukraine. i believe that those conversations are probably taking place as we speak, but these are robust dialogues that need to take place. there has to be a proactive approach in engaging the rest of the civilized world that we will not stand for russia's invasion, that we will not stand for their human rights abuses. and ultimately, there will be consequences. >> charles and colonel mark cantion, thank you very much for being with us this morning. a community kitchen run by chef jose andres' world central kitchen was struck by a russian missile on saturday in kharkiv. several staff members were injured, but they have already set up a new kitchen to keep

feeding those in need. joining us now, is chef jose andres. it's good to see you. how are you? how is your staff doing? >> reporter: well, the staff is in high spirits. they are a little bit wounded. the four members of these kitchen partner, we have outside kharkiv, but we have many more kitchens. the good news is that that kitchen that was damaged in that huge explosion by a big missile that destroyed a building across the street and many of the other buildings surrounding, you know, they are in high spirits, and my friend, we are cooking, we are feeding today, we are delivering around 300, 320,000 meals like we've been doing for the last many weeks. we are ready on the moving into 12 million meals delivered all across ukraine and the bordering

countries. and you know, those members of that kitchen, our partner, the owner of that restaurant said, what do you want to do? everybody said, we want to keep cooking. so i'm amazed. they said we are food fighters. we are going to feed scaling the people that need a plate of hot food every single day until the ukrainian people go back to the people and the liberty and the democracy that they are standing for. >> jose, this is -- this conflict is nearing two months now. i know that you've been there for pretty much almost all of these two months. what do you take away from this? what are the things that keep you up at night when you are living and experiencing through so much difficulty and the ukrainian people have been suffering so much for so long now. >> that is why we are here.

we are a kitchen, we are supported by people, mainly by the american people. even now we have people who support us from all around the world. and quite frankly, when you see what's going on in ukraine, the spirits are so high, in the terms of everybody is united behind president zelenskyy, behind these simple idea that they are fighting for the freedom, that they are going to -- that they feel that they are fighting the good fight. not only on behalf of ukraine, but all of the democracies of the world. that's why went we see that this is still so many countries, that they are not supporting an embargo on russia, that any country can be one day be attacked by another in a very unfair way, and especially, in the way this is happening. take a look how many civilians, how many women, how many children are dying, because they are attacking schools, attacking shelters, attacking train stations, when you simply, women and children are trying to go to the safety of the west or to

another country. what is happening here, we should be supporting in any way we can, all the ukrainian people again.again, they are not fighting alone. they should be fighting with all the countries of the world supporting this amazing country. >> i'm just wondering, jose. and i think about all the work you've done over the years. you were in puerto rico after hurricane maria. you were in the border areas here in the united states, when so many migrants looking for a new opportunity have been forced to live in camps on the mexican side of the border. you've been in places where hurricanes hit in the united states, tornadoes hit in the united states, and throughout the world. what do you need now, jose? >> well, you know, obviously, this operation takes a lot of, a lot of money. but again, the people of america and the world are supporting us. we are delivering food into ukraine by train, we're delivering by tracks.

there's more tracks. there's some like chernobyl, i was there, giving support. it takes a lot of time to pring the humanitarian aid. but we have the systems. we have tracks and trains going to every major cities. my good friend is in kharkiv himself. we are in odesa. we are even with restaurants that they decide that they are not going to be leaving, they're going to be there next to the people. so what we need is the support of everybody. everybody needs to rally this simple idea that being understanding, next to the ukrainian people is important. how do we do it? we're a group of cooks. we are more than 5,000 volunteers in our total network. we have more than 400 restaurants that they have only one very simple idea in mind. sometimes, to fight the good fight, a plate of food is used for the beginning of a better tomorrow. and until this war is real, this

war is right now, as you see what's happening in the donbas. many women and children are dying. we need to make sure that we are next to these men and women which children. because one day can be us in another country. that's what we have to be giving all the support that this country needs. >> the world central kitchen is doing extraordinary work. andres, thank you so much for being with us. >> let's pray for ukraine. >> gracias. still ahead, a federal judge strikes down the mask mandate on public transportation, but should you still be wearing masks on planes and trains? we'll talk about that. rescuers in south africa are desperately searching for survivors. more than 400 people were killed in massive flooding there. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." g there. you're watching "jose diaz-balarret ports. before discovering nexium 24hr to treat her frequent heartburn... claire could only imagine enjoying chocolate cake. now, she can have her cake and eat it too. nexium 24hr stops acid before it starts for all-day, all-night protection. can you imagine 24 hours without heartburn?

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you have the choice to wear it or not wear it, but you're no

longer required on delta airlines to wear the mask, so feel free to exercise your freedom this morning. >> that was the pilot on a delta airlines flight from d.c. to atlanta this morning, taken by nbc news reporter gary grumbach. this morning, travelers are not required to wear masks on public transportation, after a federal judge struck down the biden administration's mask mandate. but the ruling leaves the final decision up to individual airlines, and transportation agencies. several airlines have lifted the mask mandate as has amtrak and uber, as well. joining us now, nbc news correspondent antonia hilton, live outside of jfk airport in new york and nbc news justice correspondent, pete williams. antonia, what has been the reaction from travelers you've spoken to today? >> good morning, jose. every traveler that we've spoken to this morning says that they are well aware of this change, that they knew that a judge struck down the mask mandate yesterday, but what has been different is the level of

comfort and safety that these travelers feel. some feel that they are going to be wear n 695s, because they're worried about the risk of infection. and this is as omicron subvariant ba.2 continues to spread throughout new york and other cities. there are other folks who are excited, who are ready to rip the masks off, who say they want to go back to live from two years ago, to their regular traveler patterns. they say they're skprakd boosted and feel comfortable continuing on with their current plans. and across the board within those two groups, the message that everyone has received from this decision and from the announcements from these airlines has essentially been that public health is now going to be about personal responsibility. people taking their own health and safety and the safety of others into account. take a listen to some of the conversations that we had this morning. >> i don't feel okay with the mandate being gone. too soon, i think. so i'm going to wear my mask. >> i don't know, i -- i think it's time to move on, as well,

because i think people should be also respect of others. if you want to wear it, wear it. if you don't, it's fine. i don't know. i really didn't think too much about this. >> i don't think it will really change anything, because i'll just continue wearing a mask if other people aren't. i wish other people would wear masks, but it is what it is, i guess. >> you know, i think it's important to also note that one of the women that we spoke to said that she had concerns about her elderly mother and her risks right now. skme, like many other americans, has to keep people who are at risk or immunocompromised front of mind at this time. so while people adjust to this new change and make their own personal decisions, certainly there are some americans for whom this announcement means perhaps a new calculation in their comfort or their ability to travel right now, jose. >> pete, the department of justice could appeal this. they have, as of this morning,

not, right? >> correct, they could still appeal it, although, i think they're well aware if they do, they could go to the 11th circuit court of appeals and ask for an emergency stay of the government's ruling and ask the government to once again impose a mask mandate. but i think the government is well aware of the chaos and confusion that would cause. so while they say their options are still open, i frankly would be surprised if at this late point, realizing it's, of course, less than 24 hours since the judge issued a ruling, but still, a lot has changed in that short amount of time, i would be surprised if the government actually does try to turn this back off. >> pete williams and antonia hilton, thank you for being with us this morning. joining us now, dr. kavita patel, a former obama white house policy director. dr. patel, always a pleasure to see you. what's your reaction to this ruling in these last 24 hours? >> okay, jose, two things. number one, the chaos it created was really not necessary.

and this leads to i think the most important point and i think pete's right, i doubt the administration is going to really push on this, honestly, for the fear of not just creating confusion, but potentially losing in the circuit court or even in the supreme court, and here's why it concerns me. the reason this judge is able to strike down this requirement is because of claims made by plaintiffs and by certain people that masks induce panic anding an anxiety and the government has overstayed its mandate. it's the basic premise of a public health agency. so i'm deeply concerned, not about 11 more days, but 11 more days, but the implications for everything else. it's not just about this transit mask mandate. i fear that anything that the cdc or any public also tries to do will constantly being called

into question. people are tired, i get it. but when we have people in cramped kaurts. that is not the community or personal responsibility that i want to see. >> that's an important thing i want to see. they've had so many mixed messages or confusing not completed thought messages. that it just seems like they almost let something like this be able to exist. we get the thing that planes have hepa filters and the air is

recycled every two minutes, but is it safe to be on a plane right now? >> you're bringing up, exactly, i have to fly next week, and i'm wondering the exact same question. so looking up until today, we knew that there has been a very small limited cases of airplane-based transmission, but you're right, jose, in general, because of the mask requirements and filtration, planes move air much faster than the room i'm sitting in, so it is generally safer, but that's assuming that everybody is masked. now that people are probably not going to have their masks on, we'll see a very different calculus with a ba.2 being more infectious than the original omicron, we'll likely see more infection, and because we are not tracking the infections, we won't know. if people want to stay safe, the best thing they can do is high-quality masks, and carry some extra masks, and i know this sounds crazy, hand them a

surgical mask, and say, i have an elderly mother at home or a child with cancer at home, will you please do me a favor. protecting yourself in that row and them can be the best safety. carry some extra masks with you and rapid tests with you if you're traveling. >> that's a great thing to do. i keep thinking, this is before the pandemic, i actually got influenza, the flu, because the person that was with me in a long flight was cop stanlt coughing. and this was before masks, you know, before and so i mean, you know, there is evidence that you can get stuff if the person beside you is coughing and sneezing, et cetera. so, what do you do if the person does not put a mask on? >> right. >> is it worth putting on a mask andn that situation? >> yeah. one -- you alone wearing a high-quality mask -- look, i don't even tell people get an

n95, because it is hard to wear it. it needs to be fitted, but at least a kn95 with ear loops, two surgical masks can be easier, wear something that's high quality. that can protect you. it can decrease your chances of getting transmission, infection, et cetera. but i think at the end of the day, if you are in that scenario, i have been, jose, i've been in that scenario, someone was coughing right next to me and i've got a mask on, what i will do is recommend and i will test a couple of days later, we've seen people convert to positive one to two to four days. it can be later. but if you're really worried and got the immunocompromised members of the family, or like other doctors like me, i can't afford five to ten days off of work. it's chaos if i can't work. so i think that that's a scenario where, wear your mask, but get that test.

don't be shy, carry those extra masks, even though i know i won't likely get hit by lightning during a storm, but i don't run around outside during it. >> if you're sick, don't fly. here's a thought. >> it's a new culture change, right? we have to think differently. >> that would be nice. if you think of that. dr. patel, it's always a pleasure to see you. >> thank you. we're keeping a close eye on ukraine right now, where the battle for the donbas region is underway. we'll talk to a member of the ukrainian parliament about why this fight is so critical. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." critical. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports. (vo) for me, one of the best things about life is that we keep moving forward. we discover exciting new technologies. redefine who we are and how we want to lead our lives. basically, choose what we want our future to look like.

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keefe. what are you hearing about what's going on in mariupol and those were still trapped there. >> hello. thank you very much for having me. >> we just received terrifying news about three-ton bomb dropped at mariupol hospital with 300 people trapped under the blockage. we are getting confirmation for this information, however, we've got it from pretty responsible sources. and this will comply with what we heard from our intelligence regard russians planning to throw heavy bombs on to mariupol, civilian buildings. it's terrifying what is happening right now in the city. people. can you imagine, it's nowhere to hide, because cities almost turn

to the ground. so people are hiding in the factory, at the basements there. people hiding in hospitals and people are hiding in the basements of the buildings that are not yet destroyed. it's just humanitarian catastrophe. and as they say when we are getting report from there, it's a hell on earth. hell on earth, in the 21st century. can you imagine this? >> and it's tens of thousands of people that are going through that situation right now. mariupol is a city, a large city that just six weeks ago was, you know, a normal city like any place else. what happens to those tens of thousands of people, when there's no power, there's no running water, there's nothing, and as you say, a lot of the

structures have already been destroyed. >> people are dying of hunger, people are dying of dehydration, and people are dying of russian bombardment. people are dying for, from just basic diseases, because they have no medical help. and and when we are skraemg to the world saying, we need the humanitarian corridors to get people out, we are talking tens of thousands of people who are just civilians who are unarmed, because the city is closed and every single time we are trying to get people out, russian forces are firing at them so in 55 days of war, we have tried multiple times to get people out. we have worked with the red cross, president, prime minister boris johnson, everyone was asking russians to get people

out of there. act like men, and they do. they say, we will take the city to the ground and everybody who is in it. and can you imagine the children who are going through this? people who are there, and we are getting more information about the terrible humanitarian situation. >> how do you process what's going on in your country? >> there are two things, basically, that are keeping me up. the first one is rage. every single time when we hear or learn something, i remember that we have to, gather all of our resources, have another step

on ukrainian land. this is keeping us fighting and stand up against this. and the second point is love to my fellow people. to ukrainians who are standing as one, who are protecting each other, and supporting each other, and seeing so the world sees and applauds us for the bravery and resistance. and i'm sure these two things are the ones that are going through every single heart right now. and i know this will we will win. to destroy the evil that is coming to our land to kill us and commit genocide against our people. but i also know that we will win, because we have no other choice. absolutely no other choice. >> thank you. thank you for being with us.

>> up next, urgent warnings from the border as the biden administration prepares to end a covid border restriction. is the biden administration taking these warnings seriously? is there preparation underway? you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." nderway? you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports.

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don't stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection or your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. this is the sound of fasenra. ask your doctor about fasenra. 43 past the hour. new today, growing concerns that border officials could be overwhelmed if a huge number of people decide to cross the border after the 23rd of may. that's when the biden administration plans to lift the public health order known as title 42. the order has prevented migrants from entering the u.s., not even giving them the opportunity to request asylum. nbc news correspondent julia ainsley joins us from washington. julia, you talked with officials in border communities. what are they looking for? >> reporter: well, right now, they're looking for a plan, jose. they want more money in a lot of cases, and they want a plan in

terms of how the biden administration plans to cope with and help them cope with what they think could be an overwhelming number of migrants coming when those border restrictions lift on may 23rd. that's on top of already a record month that we saw just last month in march. let's take a look. >> what do you need from the biden administration between now and may 23rd? >> plans would be helpful. commitment for additional funds. >> reporter: migrants who cross through the rio grande valley come through this bus station in downtown mccallen. and officials here worry if the numbers get too high, it could overwhelm the bus station, the shelters, leaving people with nowhere to go and sleeping on the street. >> we're asking them to reconsider, you know, lifting the title 42. >> reporter: sheriff eddy gearra says he's been told by border patrol to have his officers on standby in case the ports of entry are overrun. >> we're talking about, you know, the deputies addressed in their riot gear with their

shields and their helmets and batons to keep the crowd at bay. >> reporter: the biden administration is facing bipartisan criticism of its immigration policy, with 1.7 million illegal border crossings last year. an all-time record. but at a mccallen migrant shelter, we met a family that supports lifting title 42, saying it keeps migrants waiting in dangerous conditions in mexico. ava and her husband says she became a victim of rape. >> the same person who offered her the job took advantage of her, and abused her, and that was how the rape happened. >> so, harrowing stories there, jose, from migrants who have been waiting in mexico under this policy, but then also some pretty desperate warnings from those local officials. dhs says that they are planning a whole of government approach to respond after may 23rd. they're surging 600 more law enforcement people to -- law enforcement officers to the

border. but of course, when you're looking at what could be between 12 and 18,000 migrants crossing a day, officials are still worried that's not enough. >> julia ainsley, thank you very much. and now with us to take a closer look at this, victoria defrancesco soto, dean of the clinton university of public service and yamiche al cinder, nbc news washington correspondent and moderator of "washington week" on pbs. yamiche, is the administration planning what could happen when title 42 is finally eliminated at the end of may? >> certainly. this administration had been looking at title 42 and how to prepare for lifting it for some time, but what the real development is here is that you're seeing democrats come and pressure the president, including over the weekend, a really close ally of the president, senator coons, saying that the administration might want to rethink this because of rising covid cases. and this is the issue with the

midterms and vulnerable democrats trying to distance themselves from president biden's decision to lift title 42 and the realities on the ground. you saw julia's reporting. i've been on the ground as well, interviewing once a woman who was kidnapped with her young daughter, while waiting for -- because of title 42. this is a real crisis here in terms of what's happening on the border, and a political krois for president biden. he's making this decision in some ways out of morality, saying he wants to be able to allow these immigrants to have their legal right of asylum. but there's really the political winds here blowing in the other direction, with a number of people close to the president saying, this might be something that could hurt democrats in the midterms. >> yeah, if there is a solid, consistent plan in place, things could go differently. victoria, and you know, we were just hearing in julia's piece of a family who's, you know -- the wife was raped.

telemundo spoke with some migrants who were waiting with a camera in the mexican border town of rreynosa. here's some of what they had to say. >> we're not animals. they shouldn't be looking at us like we're the worst of society. they speak, victoria, directly, to how many people view migrants and asylum seekers. what do you make of that? how do we change that? >> it's inhumane, jose. and the problem is, we were just talking about a crisis. a crisis at the border. yamiche referenced a political crisis. i want to zero in on the policy crisis, because the issue with title 42 is that it was this tiny band-aid that was placed on this huge wound that we have, that is a broken immigration system. one that has been broken for decades. and we just keep ignoring it and ignoring it. so right now, it's title 42.

what are we going to do about it? but at the end of the day, this is about, how do we remake our asylum and our refugee policies? historically, we're talking about policies that were put into place in the wake of world war ii, over 70 years ago, to address a very specific in a dit now. so in terms of how we bring humanity back to the process and how we make our system work again, we do need an overhaul. i know it's going to be difficult in this very tense political environment. but you know what, i'm not even asking for a compromise on immigration reform. let's at least get piecemeal reforms in place to address this crisis. >> yeah, and i mean, yamiche, you have people fleeing haiti that is going through one of the worst times in its history. they're being sent right back. cuba that is going through an increase in repression since the 11th of july protest last year. venezuela, nicaragua, they're

all being sent back, no questions asked. >> that's right. and that's something that is a real frustration for so many immigration activists. i can't tell you how many times i get text messages specifically from frustrated haitian american activists who say look, they just sent another plane back full of children, full of families and they're returning back to a country that is literally in crisis, where gangs are controlling something like 60% of the country. but the plan issue is a real problem here because with the biden administration trying to come up with their best strategies they're still dealing with a system that republicans and democrats agree is broken. >> yamiche and victoria, thank you so much for being with us this morning. >> still ahead, more than 400 people have been killed after a week of massive flooding in south africa. a live report next.

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54 past the hour. in south africa, torrential rains last week triggered flooding and mudslides in the eastern part of the country. authorities say at least 443 people are dead. ron allen joins us with the latest. ron. >> jose, the good news is that

the rain apparently has stopped there in the durbin area. the southeastern part of south africa. it's an area that gets storms this time of year, but the residents are saying it's never rained like this in recent memory, and the president of the country is blaming climate change on that. the latest numbers that we have are some 40,000 people displaced. 443 dead. four dozen unaccounted for. and 4,000 homes destroyed. and many of these homes are shanties or shacks. this is a very poor area that has been hit the hardest. durbin is also the home to a huge port there, but it's also home to a lot of very poor people living in undeveloped conditions, in valleys, hillsides, that have become mudslides. there are people who are digging through the mud, trying to find loved ones. people trying to find water using burst pipes to find sources of water.

there's no electricity in many areas. this all started last week, last tuesday when the rain started. and in some areas over the course of a couple days they have gotten what meteorologists have said is about a month of rain, downpour, and of course, this area hasn't been able to deal with this. and again, even though there are storms in this part of the world, and there have been storms in this part of the country and the world over the years, this has been very intense. and it's a very devastating situation. and at this point, the president has declared a disaster. again, many people unaccounted for. and they're still trying to figure out exactly just how bad and how high the death toll number might go. jose. >> ron allen, thank you very much for that report. i appreciate it. >> that wraps up this hour. i'll be back after a short break with more news including how mangroves could actually help mitigate the effect of climate change. i'll see you shortly.

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