Earlier today President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence welcomed Danny Burch and his family to the White House.  Mr. Burch, an American citizen, was held captive for 18 months in Yemen and was recently released. [Video and Transcript]

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[Transcript] Oval Office – 2:12 P.M. EST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much for being here. We have a very big moment because we have Danny Burch back home, where he should be.

He was in Yemen, in a very horrible situation — a captive, a prisoner. You can call him whatever you want, but it wasn’t good. He was there for 18 months — even a little more than 18 months — and we got him out. And we had some great help from UAE and all of our friends. But we got Danny out. And he’s just come home, said hello to his family, his beautiful son. Thank you for being here. And it’s nice to see your father back where he belongs.

I want to thank our Vice President for being here. I want to thank Mitt Romney — Senator Romney, Senator Graham for being here. They were in the office, unrelated to this, and they heard about this and they know the story of Danny. This is a very big story in our country, what they did with you. But we got him out, and we’re very happy about it.

And, Danny, welcome home.

MR. BURCH: Thank you so much. It’s great to be here.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

MR. BURCH: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Danny. (Applause.) Would you like to say something?

MR. BURCH: Gosh, it’s great to be an American. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Danny. Appreciate it.

Thank you all very much. Mike — Mike, do you have anything to say while we’re here?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Just, I’m so proud of this team — the State Department team.

Mr. President, you’ve made it clear to the wider world that when Americans are detained anywhere in the world, we want them home. And we work urgently to do that. And we’ve seen great successes over the last two years.

And Danny’s homecoming is just one more statement about the priority that you and our administration, our entire team, place on bringing Americans back from captivity.

So it’s an honor to be here with you. And, Danny, it’s an honor to say, “Welcome home.”

MR. BURCH: Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I will say, Danny, we’re 20 and 0. We’ve gotten a lot of them out. And they shouldn’t have been there — Aya from Egypt, and many others. North Korea. We have a few negotiations going on right now. I won’t tell you where because we don’t want to blow the negotiation out the window, but we have a few negotiations going.

I love doing it because I love the end result. This is the end result: a happy man with a happy family.

Lindsey, would you have anything to say?

SENATOR GRAHAM: Congratulations. You’ve got a very good hostage negotiator. And to the Yemen people, I’m sorry you’re having to go through what you’re going through. And thank you for taking Iran on. I appreciate that, Mr. President. The root of most evil in the Mideast is Iran. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, would you say maybe a few words? You worked very hard.

MR. O’BRIEN: Sure, Mr. President. Thank you. And this wouldn’t happen with all of these hostages and detainees without the support of the President. The President has had unparalleled success in bringing Americans home without paying concessions, without prisoner exchanges, but through force of will and the goodwill that he’s generated around the world.

So thank you to the UAE, which assisted President Trump in this important rescue. And, again, I’m honored to be here with you today, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. That’s so nice.

MR. O’BRIEN: And welcome home, Danny.

MR. BURCH: Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: The Ambassador said that he’s the greatest hostage negotiator in our history. And I say, “Don’t say it because they’ll never write it. They’ll never write it.”

Mitt, would you say something? Please.

SENATOR ROMNEY: I’d be happy to. I congratulate the administration, the President, the Vice President, for making this such a high priority. Welcome home. It’s wonderful to have you back in our wonderful land.

Thank you also to Robert O’Brien and the entire team at State and the administration that’s working to find ways to bring our hostages home. It’s a great and important work, and we very much appreciate it. It’s wonderful to have one of our own come back to our shores.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mitt. And, Robert, again, congratulations to everybody. Keep it going. We have some other ones going right now that nobody knows about, but we’re going to pull it off.

And I really — you’re doing a fantastic job. Thank you very much.

MR. O’BRIEN: Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank all very much. Thank you. Thank you.

Q How are the trade talks going with China?

THE PRESIDENT: Going okay. We’re moving along. We’re discussing that with Lindsey and Mitt. They’re moving along well, and we’ll see what happens. They’re either going to be a good deal or it’s not going to be a deal. But I think they’re moving on very nicely.

Q Mr. President, is North Korea breaking a promise by rebuilding a key missile launch site?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re going to see. It’s too early to see. But we have to solve a problem. We have a very nasty problem there. We have to solve a problem. The relationship is good.

I would be very disappointed if that were happening. It’s a very early report, and we’re the ones that put it out. But I would be very, very disappointed in Chairman Kim. And I don’t think I will be, but we’ll see what happens. We’ll take a look. It’ll ultimately get solved.

Thank you all very much. I appreciate it.

Q What’s your message to Republicans who choose to vote against your national emergency declaration? What’s your message to Republicans who have already chosen to vote against it?

THE PRESIDENT: We’ll have to see how the vote goes. We’ll see how the vote goes.

END 2:18 P.M. EST

As President Trump’s national border emergency declaration continues to be debated, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan and Brian Hastings, chief of operations, US Border Patrol, hold a public briefing to release their new jaw-dropping statistics on apprehensions at the U.S. southern border.  WATCH:

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[U.S. Border Patrol] […] Family Unit Aliens (FMUA) are crossing our borders in record numbers. This fiscal year to date, CBP has seen a more than 300 percent increase in the number of family units apprehended compared to the same time period in fiscal year 2018.

Today, family units and unaccompanied alien children (UAC) make up 60 percent of apprehension that have occurred along the southwest border and are predominantly from Central America, namely Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

[Link to Statistics]

In the first 5 months of Fiscal Year 2019 (October ’18 through March ’19), BorderPatrol agents have apprehended more family units than in all of Fiscal Year 2018.

In FY19 to date (5 months), USBP agents have apprehended over 136,000 individuals classified as a family unit. That compares to 107,212 total in FY18 (12 months).

Additionally, there have been 70 large groups of 100 or more individuals totaling 12,069 apprehensions, compared to what Border Patrol encountered in FY18, which was 13 large groups, and in FY17, which was only two.

“We are currently facing a humanitarian and national security crisis along our southwest border. The vast increases in families and children coming across our border, in larger groups and in more remote areas, presents a unique challenge to our operations and facilities, and those of our partners, including the NGOS who work to assist these individuals and families throughout their immigration proceedings,” said CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan. “This is why I am working with our government partners and have identified additional funding for humanitarian resources in the field, including expanded medical protocols, and the addition of a more appropriate central processing center to handle the increased volumes of family units and unaccompanied minors.”

In response to the vast increases of Family Units and Unaccompanied Children encountered along the Southwest Border, CBP has implemented a directive to increase medical support for migrants while in CBP custody. The Interim Medical Directive works to address emerging health concerns with an emphasis on treatment for juvenile detainees.

CBP will also expand contracted medical support in major “high-risk” locations at and between ports of entry along the SWB where we have seen or anticipate large numbers of FMUA and UAC. This contracted medical support includes medical assessments by certified medical professionals (usually Registered Nurses and Family Nurse Practitioners) and translation services.

In addition, CBP is standing up a Centralized Processing Center (CPC) in El Paso, Texas, to increase the care of and provision for UAC and FMUA in the temporary custody of CBP while awaiting disposition by ICE and/or placement with HHS. (Link)

CBP

✔@CBP

ICYMI: In the first 5 months of FY19, #BorderPatrol agents have apprehended more family units than in all of FY18. In FY19TD, USBP agents have apprehended over 136,000 individuals classified as a family unit, compared to 107,212 total in FY18. More: http://bit.ly/2ENK6UV 

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8:27 PM – Mar 5, 2019

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CBP

✔@CBP

February 2019 had the highest number of encounters of any February in the last 12 years with more than 76,000 total apprehensions and inadmissible arrivals. More here: https://bit.ly/2DZrwJ8 

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2:06 PM – Mar 5, 2019

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Ohio Representative Jim Jordan appears on Laura Ingraham show to discuss the National Security Emergency at the U.S-Mexico border and the Pelosi impeachment plan.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham appears with UniParty apologist Martha MacCallum for a discussion about current political events and challenges for President Trump.

According to Senator Lindsey Graham, President Donald Trump and Senator Graham spent an hour-and-a-half discussing challenges including the ongoing border crisis.

~ Compare and Contrast ~

To adequately absorb the scale being outlined here: it must be remembered in July 2014 President Obama and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson declared a “border crisis” and requested $3.7 billion in budget appropriations for a total of 60,000 illegal border crossings during the migrant travel season.  That’s 60,000 TOTAL in 2014.

According to NPR, citing current DHS Border Patrol stats, in the period of October 2018 through last week there have been more than 260,000 border apprehensions.

(Via NPR) The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended more than 66,000 migrants at the Southern border in February, the highest total for a single month in almost a decade.

The majority of those arrested were migrant families or children traveling alone or without a parent, according to figures released Tuesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many of the migrants say they’re fleeing criminal gangs and poverty in Central America to seek asylum in the United States.

“This is clearly both a border security and humanitarian crisis,” said CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan at a press briefing.

Between October and last week, Border Patrol agents have picked up more than 260,000 people — a 90 percent jump over the same period a year ago.

“The entire system right now is at full capacity. Actually, it’s overwhelmed,” said Manuel Padilla, a veteran Border Patrol agent who’s now director of Joint Task Force-West in San Antonio, part of the Department of Homeland Security. (read more)

Again, for scale: 2019 (Trump) -vs- 2014 (Obama):

July 10th, 2014 – Facing pushback from congress as well as sticker shock at the $3.7 billion he was requesting, President Obama sends his DHS team to Capitol Hill to ramp up anxiety, and threats of consequences:

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Thursday that as many as 90,000 unaccompanied child migrants could cross the southwest border before the end of this fiscal year in September.

That will place a huge strain on immigration agencies, which will badly need new money to get through the summer, Johnson says.

The 90,000 number — the highest yet given by the administration — is spelled out in written Senate testimony by Johnson as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who must also deal with the border crisis.

“We are preparing for a scenario in which the number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border could reach up to 90,000 by the end of fiscal 2014,” Johnson’s testimony reads, and he bluntly warns that without an infusion of new funds, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will run out of money in August. (read more)

Now to 2019:

[…] Between October and last week, Border Patrol agents have picked up more than 260,000 people — a 90 percent jump over the same period a year ago. (read more)

View image on Twitter

CBP

✔@CBP

February 2019 had the highest number of encounters of any February in the last 12 years with more than 76,000 total apprehensions and inadmissible arrivals. More here: https://bit.ly/2DZrwJ8 

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Earlier today President Trump signed an Executive Order: “President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide”—the PREVENTS Initiative.

The President delivered remarks during the signing ceremony for the initiative:

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[White House] The Executive Order establishes a task force that includes the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. The task force will develop a comprehensive public health roadmap for helping veterans pursue an improved quality of life and ending the national tragedy of veteran suicide.

• The roadmap will include a national research strategy for engaging with public- and-private sector stakeholders to better understand the underlying factors of suicide, and to lead to earlier identification and intervention.
• The roadmap will also include a proposal for equipping State and local governments with the resources and tools they need to empower veteran communities and provide needed services.

* To prevent suicide, the Federal Government must work side-by-side with partners across all levels of government and with the private and non-profit sectors.

* The Administration’s roadmap will help create a national and local ecosystem that cultivates active engagement with each veteran, rather than a passive system wherein the onus for engagement is placed on veterans.

A NATIONAL TRAGEDY: Veteran suicide is a national tragedy that has taken too many of our Nation’s heroes.

* Despite significant efforts and billions of dollars invested, suicide rates among veterans rose 26 percent from 2005 to 2016.

* In 2016, the suicide rate was one and a half times greater for veterans than for non-veteran adults.

* Each day, an average of 20 service members and veterans die by suicide, nearly 70 percent of whom are not engaged with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for their healthcare.

* Veterans often endure traumatic experiences—either emotional or physical—which make them susceptible to mental health issues.

STRENGTHENING VETERAN SUPPORT: This Executive Order will amplify the existing efforts of the Trump Administration to improve quality of care for our veterans.

* President Trump previously signed an Executive Order directing his Administration to improve access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources for veterans.

* President Trump secured a record $73.1 billion in funding for the VA to provide quality medical care for our veterans.

• This included $8.6 billion for mental health services and $206 million for suicide prevention.

* The President revolutionized the VA healthcare system by signing the VA MISSION Act.

* The President has expanded access to telehealth services to help reach more veterans, including through his “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA healthcare initiative.

[LINK]