CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Ben Ray Lujan

Interview

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right, Rosa Flores at the border. Thank you so much.

Joining us now to discuss, Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. Senator, you just heard a migrant telling Rosa that they thought the border was open. Is the notion that Biden is more of a humane president than his predecessor making this crisis worse? We're hearing that anecdotally from undocumented migrants?

SEN. BEN RAY LUJAN (D-NM): Jake, the border is not open. There is a process that was established under Republican President George W. Bush for refugees to present themselves to officials in the United States, federal officials. It's important that there is also a humanitarian response here.

But, look, make no mistake. There's a broken immigration system that we have in the United States and its incumbent for all of us to working together, Democratic and Republican members not just in the Senate and the House, but also with governors across the United States of America.

And as we saw with Secretary Mayorkas, agents have been sent to Del Rio. We're also seeing the importance of how the federal government is working together, whether it's State Department, HHS or other federal agencies to make sure that we are taking this seriously, including the number of flights where a number of Haitians have returned to Haiti as well.

TAPPER: But you know the desire to help these people, it's not only -- I mean, how to say this? The fact that some of them believe that the border is open because President Biden they believe is a more humane person than President Trump. That -- do you dispute the idea that then encourages people to make this journey? And I get that they are fleeing poverty, they're fleeing violence, but to make this journey that can be dangerous and, in fact, fatal for some of them.

LUJAN: Well, Jake, while we also saw a number of undocumented people present themselves under President Trump, under President Barack Obama, and even under President Bush, we know the numbers are higher now than they have been. But it also shows the violence that families are fleeing from different parts of the world.

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With that being said, it's also important for the United States to make it abundantly clear when working with other countries and getting word out to educate families that there's in-process or in-country processing where we can also work to make sure that families have a safe way to present themselves to make their cases as opposed to making this journey which is dangerous, filled with people that are killing others, that are raping children and even worse.

It continues to bring attention to how we need to take on this broken immigration system in the country, but also address the root cause of immigration, Jake. It's why bipartisan group of senators earlier this year, a few of us travelled to Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and Ecuador to visit with the presidents of those countries and officials in those countries to see how we can work on the root causes of immigration and also protecting the rights of women and children.

TAPPER: What does the Biden administration need to do right now to tackle this crisis at the border, the higher numbers of border crossings -- illegal border crossings than we've seen in more than 20 years?

LUJAN: The president is working through Secretary Mayorkas right now and other federal officials to make sure that more resources are being sent to the border area, number one. Number two, we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform policies. And number three, I also believe that we need to continue to modernize our ports because it's not just land ports, its water ports and airports.

And Jake, what I'll also say is as we talk about the larger immigration challenges that we're facing in the United States, while we have to make sure that we're responding to what's happening right now at the border, remember, about 11 million undocumented people are currently in the United States and about half of them are here on expired visas.

So, again, while we look at the issue that is currently upon us, especially with our Haitian refugees, that we also need to take this larger issue on. And that's something we're trying to do. And while I'm encouraged we can get this done through budget reconciliation as well and provide a path forward to be able to solve many of these challenges.

TAPPER: We've heard these reports, border agents using lassos on these undocumented migrants. Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about it at the White House. She said the pictures were "horrific" and if true, the agents should "never be able to do that again." Do you agree?

LUJAN: Jake, there needs to be humane treatment of people. And we're talking about people here. And that's just not right. Using lassos? I had not heard of that. This is the first that I'm hearing of this. I think that's unacceptable. What's needed are the resources that Secretary Mayorkas has sent to the region, to Del Rio and to other areas.

And we need to, again, we need to make sure that we're passing these immigration reform policies that will address so many of these challenges. As opposed to just the partisan bickering that continues to prevent the Congress from acting and getting legislation to the president. But what you just shared with me is absolutely unacceptable and that's just wrong at so many levels.

TAPPER: All right. Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate it.

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