Arizona AG Mark Brnovich on the Coming Border Disaster

BUCK: We have with us right now the attorney general of the state of Arizona, Mark Brnovich, to talk about the migration — illegal migration — tsunami that is expected at our southern border. Attorney General Brnovich, thanks for being with us.

BRNOVICH: Oh, thanks, guys, for having me on. I really appreciate it.

BUCK: First, can you tell everybody — ’cause we hear about Title 42. We’ve explained to this audience, and they’re very attuned to the border. We know that it is a CDC authority that allows for some people in some circumstances to cross illegally to be immediately or almost immediately turned away and repatriated or pushed back across the border, however it works. Can you give us a sense of how much this has been used, and what are the numbers like? Because right now it sounds like, if this goes, they are gonna be putting a big crack in the dam. What’s happening?

BRNOVICH: Well, we know — we believe that the policy has been used to expel more than 1.7 million migrants, and so we know that as a result of the failed Biden policies more than two million alone have crossed within the last year; so we’re talking about double, essentially double the amount of people. And there are some estimates… We know that they are estimating that once this is lifted, it sends another message that the Biden administration is decriminalizing, incentivizing people coming here.

And it’s anticipated 540,000 people will come here in a month. I mean, that’s literally like the entire population of Baltimore in one month coming into the United States. It’s overwhelming social services; it’s having a detrimental impact on taxpayers. But one of the things I talk about all the time guys, is I was a gang prosecutor. You know, I’ve prosecuted a lot of cases in my life, and the cartels have seized control of our southern border.

They’re enriching themselves. We see the price of drugs falling in everything, or anything crossing that border whether it’s methamphetamine, whether it’s fentanyl or human beings, the cartels are making money off of it and they’re becoming richer and more powerful. So shame on Joe Biden for trying to get rid of one of the few things that’s stopping essentially a catastrophe from becoming an unmitigated disaster that’s gonna essentially destroy this country.

CLAY: You hit on something that I think is key, and I want to expound on it a bit here if we can. That is, this is word of what is changing at our border is going to spread telephone style all throughout Latin America, and the message that is going to be conveyed there is, “Joe Biden is opening up the border; everybody needs to come now.”

So it’s not only the change in our policy; it’s the way that the change in our policy is going to be communicated to everyone in Latin America that is going to create an unprecedented surge. Is that fair, Attorney General Brnovich, to characterize that as likely what is going to happen with this change in American policy?

BRNOVICH: Yeah, absolutely. The president’s actions have consequences. I mean, all you have to do is look at what’s going on right now in Ukraine. As a result of the Biden administration’s hamfisted withdrawal/surrender in Afghanistan as so many people risked their lives and blood and treasurer were spent in Afghanistan — the way he essentially ran — cut tail and ran, left our equipment there — sent a message to the Russians, the Chinese and stuff that America is weak.

There’s a reason why China now is gonna buy oil — or the Saudis are gonna let the Chinese use the yen to buy oil, the reason why Russia went into Ukraine. So these all have consequences what the president is it so when the president of the United States essentially has decriminalized, you know, people coming over; there’s no consequences for it, when he revokes Title 42, there will be absolutely nothing, nothing to stop people from wanting to come into the country illegally.

And I literally last month or about end the end of February was at the U.S. Supreme Court suing the Biden administration over the policy where they want to give the benefits people that are noncitizens. And so this is absolutely crazy. It’s not humane. It’s insane what the Biden administration’s doing. I mean, it literally … This is like one of the few tools we have left is Title 42, and essentially it’s like pouring gasoline onto a fire. That’s what he’s doing.

BUCK: We’re speaking to Attorney General Mark Brnovich of Arizona. And Mr. Attorney General, I want to know if you can just tell everybody, let’s say that the projections right now of a million that would try to cross after Title 42 is lifted over a six- to eight-week period is what I’ve been seeing. If a million people try to cross over in six weeks illegally, what does that do to law enforcement, to the resources we have there, and to the whole immigration process we have?

BRNOVICH: Obviously, the system cannot handle it; it cannot take it. We are already at the breaking point on so many different levels. You know, I don’t know if you guys know. Look,, I’m a first generation American. My parents lived through World War II. They escaped communism. I know why people want to come to this country. The Biden administration wants to spend hundreds of millions of dollars for “root causes.”

The reason why people come here is because the rule of law means something. We have a constitution. We have a system in place where if you follow the rules within you play by the rules, you can get ahead. And what the Biden administration is essentially doing is this ultraprogressive dream of essentially, you know, undermining law enforcement and picking winners and losers when it comes to the law.

And so, yes, the system will be overwhelmed on so many levels, financially. Think about this, guys: Hardworking taxpayers that pay into the safety net. You now have people that have entered the country illegally being put up at hotels. I mean, I know my mom and her friends from church talk all the time about how, like, when they came here, no one put them on planes to go visit their cousins or gave them three square meals a day.

Instead, they had to work three jobs. And so we are a land of immigrants, but we are not the land of the welfare state. We are a land where the rule of law has to mean something, and the Biden administration is systematically undermining that. And so, as I said, they literally have decriminalized it. They’re not deporting people, deportation arduous — which we also sued him on and won a case last week on that issue.

And now they essentially are incentivizing, and there is absolutely nothing to deter people from coming here. So make no mistake about it. The word will get out on the street and now with social media and everything else. People in Central America, South America, all over the world are gonna come to the United States because there’s absolutely no consequences and they’re getting benefits!

Like I said, it’s not humane, it is insane, and what your listeners should really worry about is when we know people on terror watch lists have been apprehended. We know that groups of Iranians have been smuggled in the country. Before the proper officials can vet them and talk to them, they’re being released God knows where, I mean, this literally — I mean, I’m not exaggerating — this literally — people are gonna die as a result of the Biden administration’s policies at our southern border.

CLAY: I don’t think there’s any doubt. How do we get ’em changed? Because here’s my concern. Obviously Biden is in office for the rest of this year, two more years at a minimum, and I know you’ve got a big race going on in Arizona over who potentially could take on Mark Kelly, the senator there. But how do we the change any of this? ‘Cause that’s the most he frustrating part, I think, to many people listening right now. We know exactly what the result of this disastrous policy change is going to be. What sort of recourse do we have?

BRNOVICH: Well, as you alluded to, guys, I am running for the U.S. Senate against Mark Kelly because the tools I’m using in my toolbox that I have are to file lawsuits. And that’s why we’ve sued him over the public charge rule, over his failure to build the wall, over his failure to enforce, you know — or deport people — deportation orders. So the theme of the Biden administration has been lawlessness. And we’ve tried to fight him in the courtroom.

But, frankly, we need people in Washington, D.C. that understand and can be champions for hardworking American taxpayers that can stand up and say, “Wait a minute. This is the consequences of the Biden administration’s actions.” When a hundred thousand people die of fentanyl- and opioid-related diseases in one year because of illegal drugs, that is on the administration’s hands. Shame on Mayorkas. Shame on Vice President Harris. People are dying.

That’s almost twice as many people died during the Vietnam War! So people are paying the price right now. All of our social services already stretched thin. I mean, literally Americans are paying the price for these failed policies not only at the pump and at the grocery store but literally with their lives. And so we need people in Washington, D.C., that understand this issue and that are gonna stand up to Chuck Schumer.

Frankly, I’ll tell you right now, when I’m in the United States Senate, the leading cause of death now in Pima County in Arizona is fentanyl and opioid deaths overdoses for people under 21. People are dying. There should be no nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, no nominee for any cabinet position/any ambassadorship until we solve our southern border. And if that means standing up every day in the well of the Senate reading off the names of Americans that have died as a result of fentanyl overdoses or a result of cartel violence, then that’s what someone needs to do.

BUCK: Speaking to attorney general of the state of Arizona Mark Brnovich. Before I let you go, Mark, what would a secure border — in terms of the policies, in terms of the decision-making, what would it — look like? What would have to change, how could this be…? We know Biden’s making it worse. How could they make it better or, rather, how could Republicans if they take back control and then of course have to take the White House, but how could they make it better?

BRNOVICH: Well, look at what Donald Trump is doing. If you look at the trend lines and you look at the policies, I’ve been down and I’ve talked to the ranchers in Arizona, the sheriffs, they will tell you the wall is working. It is working. So finish building the wall. Do not create economic incentives, including welfare benefits for people that have come into the country illegally.

Years ago, during the Bush administration, there was something called operation streamline where they surged immigration judges, prosecutors, and agents to the border and they aggressively prosecuted people for illegal reentry. And as a result of that, that dramatically declined the number of people entering the country ’cause they didn’t want a criminal record. And so when you look at even what President Trump did with Title 42, building the wall, deporting people, the Remain in Mexico policy, there’s a system of policies that need to be put into place — and, frankly, just start enforcing the existing law.

CLAY: Attorney general Mark Brnovich of Arizona. Last question for you. Obviously, a ton of attention is paid to Ukraine’s border. You’ve got a large southern border in Arizona. Has Joe Biden our Kamala Harris ever been to Arizona to see what the situation is like at the border, to your knowledge?

BRNOVICH: No, and just so you know, Kamala Harris was the former attorney general of California. I have personally invited her. I’ve asked Mayorkas to come down here; we can brief him and talk to him. Obviously, the president. And we have essentially been told to pound sand. That’s what’s so heartbreaking to me. Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, people need to — especially the law enforcement community — sit and talk and share information, share resources.

Last year just in Arizona nine million illegal fentanyl pills were seized and so, you know, this is something that the state of Arizona or state of Texas, we shouldn’t be bearing the brunt of this. It’s federal government’s responsibility. This is when national security, border security is when the president is at their apex of power.

And I think it’s a tragedy what’s going on in Ukraine, but it demonstrates for everyone here in our country why we need secure borders, why we need to be strong militarily, and why we need to be energy independent and never, ever dependent on Iran, Venezuela, or any other Third World dictator for our energy needs.

CLAY: Outstanding stuff. Appreciate the time, Attorney General Mark Brnovich of Arizona.