former yuma border patrol sector chief chris clem standing by for his reaction on that move. casey stiegel begins our coverage in mission, texas today. casey, hello. >> good morning to you. according to cbp data there have already been close to 56,000 migrant encounters not down here, but up north at the northern border. that is since october 1st when fiscal year 2023 began compared to just over 27,000 for all of 2021. it gives you some context. in this sector alone january apprehension numbers at 367. not terribly high number when you look at the apprehension numbers down here each month but up there it is higher than the previous 12 januarys combined. officials say canada is becoming a popular choice because migrants can fly to that country using what is known as an electronic travel authorization. in other words, visa-free travel. cbp says they are seeing mexican nationals crossing over and at a time typically slow because of the extreme winter weather conditions. >> we don't believe the organizations utilizing this area are going to stop just because it is cold. these fol

chris clem is his name. very impressive guy. in charge of immigration in america. >> we should be a nation of tall fences and wide gates. let people in that deserve to be here. we have to get poison and bad people off the streets. >> bill: i have to imagine you would have liked some from the other party to join you today. that's not going to happen at least today, right? >> not today but i'm hoping that as -- the more attention we draw on this, the clearer it becomes to the american people all over the country what we're facing here. i have continually said that this is no longer a border state issue only. actually i think that every state has become a border state. as you talk to my colleagues across the country, bill in other states they are being plagued by the fentanyl crisis in similar ways than us here. this is where it starts but it goes through the entire country. this is something that impacts everyone, both parties. when i talk to parents that have lost children to the fentanyl overdose crisis, it doesn't matter what s

. >> bill: dana, chris clem border patrol agent. 27 1/2 years, now retired. houston texas born and raised. >> born in new orleans, raised in houston and came to the desert 27 years ago. >> bill: you retired. how come? >> i was a chief patrol engineer for the last two years. gave my heart and soul to this country i love and you love and the viewers love. it was a planned departure. something i wanted to do. there is more to give and here is an opportunity. >> bill: what are the agents dealing with as you look at this now in the rearview mirror? >> you know, i look in the rear view mirror but facing us we're in a crisis, a human crisis. agents are strongly resilient. they run to the sound of gunfire but this is a human issue we're dealing with. the numbers, the villainization of the border patrol at times makes it difficult. >> bill: you have been banging on washington for a couple of years now. why have you been left to manage this your way as opposed to getting the help you've asked for? >> you look at what we've been doing for several decades. every administ