CNN "Wolf" - Transcript: Immigration

Interview

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BLITZER: Some lawmakers are actually comparing President Bush's initial mishandling of Hurricane Katrina with President Obama's decision not to visit the border in response to this major immigration crisis that's ongoing right now. Even one Democratic Congressman says he hopes the border crisis doesn't become the president's so-called Katrina moment. That Congressman, Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, is now joining us live from Capitol Hill. Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D), TEXAS: Thank you, sir.

BLITZER: We're going to get to that Katrina comparison in a moment. But let me start with the search for solution to this crisis. It's a real humanitarian nightmare that's going on. Listen to what Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said today at a hearing on border security. Listen to this.

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BLITZER: All right. So, what's your reaction, Congressman, to that proposal from the senator?

CUELLAR: Well, you know, this is what I've been asking for for a long time. If you look at the law, the law says that -- border patrol will say if they catch somebody from Mexico, for example, they will return children, families, adults, back to Mexico. If you're from a noncontiguous country, let's say in this case Central America, then border patrol has to hand them over to HSS and there's a very complicated process that starts after that.

So, what I've been calling for is let's change the law, tweak it, where border patrol has the ability to determine everybody -- or determine folks at the border. We're doing that with Mexicans. We've been doing that for a long time. Nobody's complained. So, I'm just saying, let's treat everybody the same. If we do get the children, we got to take care of those young kids, without a doubt. Because I've seen young girls, young boys, I mean, just -- as a father, it's just a very, very difficult situation to see the young kids in that situation. And keep in mind, HSS has told us, the officials have told us about one-third of those young girls that come across are abused on the way up there. They're just innocent little babes and it's just very heartbreaking.

BLITZER: And you've been -- that's your district down there right along the border with Mexico. You believe that the president, while he's in Texas, he's about to arrive, he's got time for three political fund-raisers, he should make some time, maybe skip one of those fund- raisers and go down and see what's going on. You really want him to do that, right?

CUELLAR: I really do. Look, he's going to be in Austin. That's 242 miles away from the border. He's going to be in Dallas. That's 500 miles away from the border. And, again, if he had time, with all due respect, to have a beer, play pool, like he did in Colorado last night, then I think after the fund-raisers, then I think he should make time to go down there.

And, again, I've always said this, that a leader will be judged on how he handles a crisis. Either he can roll up his sleeves and go down there to the border, or he can look detached and say that everything's under control and surrogates have gone down to the border. But I think he has to see what I have seen through my own eyes. And when you see young innocent kids have been put in that situation, then I think he needs to do that.

And, plus, let me say this, the flow hasn't stopped. There's still about 48,000 individuals that are coming through the Texas border every month. Nine thousand seven hundred of them are kids with no parents. So, the flow has not stopped. There's not enough immigration judges down there. I don't see the results. And, therefore, until we see some results, I think the president should be down there at the border.

BLITZER: And you've suggested this could be his so-called Katrina moment where he looks detached, sort like the way former President Bush did in the initial aftermath of Katrina when he flew over what was going on, didn't stop to see what was going on. I know you're coming under a lot of pressure from officials at the White House. You're a Democrat. What are they saying to you? Are they basically saying to you, Congressman, don't talk like this? What are they telling you?

CUELLAR: Well, I'm sorry, I don't want to go into discussions. But I will say this is that I can understand that there's a few folks who might be upset by my -- by my request for him to go down to the border. But, again, I'm more concerned -- I want to put political party after what's in the best interest of the country. And I think the best interest of the country is to have a leader go down to the border, see exactly what's happening because it is a humanitarian crisis.

As a parent, when you see young girls and young boys without parents there that have gone through very difficult situations, then I think people need to see exactly. Put a face to the humanitarian crisis and not look aloof, with all due respect, and not look detached, and still put out pictures playing pool, drinking a beer, and I think he ought to make the time. And if he has dug in and say, I'm not going to do it on this trip, the critics are not going to get me to do this, then I think immediately sometime he should go down to the border. I think the border crisis, the border humanitarian crisis, calls for this visit.

BLITZER: Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas, the Democrat, not caving in to pressure from the White House. Clearly, as we just saw, Congressman, it's a heartbreaking situation in your district, elsewhere. We're going to stay on top of this story. We'll also get White House reaction later this hour. Thanks very much for joining us.

CUELLAR: Thank you so much, Wolf.

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