Morning Wire XX
[0] Thousands of underage migrants are being covertly flown from the southern border to New York State, according to recent reports.
[1] The reason the Biden administration is being so secretive is because they know that there is no support out in the country, out in America, for open borders.
[2] What's behind these late -night flights and how many unaccompanied minors are being relocated?
[3] I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howell.
[4] it's Wednesday, October 20th, and this is Morning Wire.
[5] Dozens of Seattle police officers are now facing being fired after a vaccine mandate for city employees went into effect on Monday.
[6] With their jobs on the line, some officers are now speaking out.
[7] We'll hear what they're saying and discuss what's next for the already understaffed police department.
[8] And Washington State's highest paid public employee has been fired.
[9] Washington State University head football coach Nick Rolovich was fired Monday after refusing to comply with the state's vaccine mandate and filing for a religious exemption.
[10] What does this high -profile firing mean for other state employees?
[11] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[12] Stay tuned.
[13] We have the news you need to know.
[14] This show is sponsored by WyoTech.
[15] WioTech, one of the nation's leading auto and diesel training schools, sees the trades as America's front lines.
[16] WioTech is shaping young men, women, and veterans to build careers and businesses.
[17] America is built on the trades, and WioTech is leading the way in training.
[18] Visit wyotech .edu to subscribe and donate to the future technicians of America.
[19] As the ongoing crisis at the southern border continues, a bombshell report released this week alleges that the Biden administration is quietly flying thousands of underage migrants across the country for resettlement.
[20] Some of the flights, which landed in the middle of the night at a small airport in Westchester, New York, drew heavy criticism on Tuesday, as pressure mounted over the Biden administration handling of the border.
[21] Here with more on the story is Daily Wire Managing Editor Cabot Phillips.
[22] So Cabot, a secret flight's in the middle of the night.
[23] What's going on here?
[24] Yeah, well, we've talked quite a bit about the influx of illegal border crossings, and many people have been asking what exactly is happening to those who are detained, but not deported.
[25] Well, according to a report from the New York Post, thousands of those migrants, including many minors, are being secretly flown across the country often in the middle of the night.
[26] At one small airport in New York alone, there were reportedly 21 flights of migrants all floated from Texas, including two flights from Houston that landed at 2 .13 a .m. and 429 a .m. So, dead of night.
[27] I actually spoke with Miranda Devine.
[28] She's the reporter who broke the story.
[29] Here's what she told me. What's been happening for months in Westchester?
[30] We've tracked flights from August 8, but I'm told that the flights have been going since April, even though there were smaller planes in the beginning.
[31] But what's been happening there in Westchester?
[32] has been happening all over the country.
[33] And I think it's an issue that there ought to be more transparency on.
[34] Now, this is important because for months now, Republican leaders have been demanding answers on where exactly these migrants are being resettled.
[35] Right.
[36] And this is one of the first times we've started to get an answer to that question.
[37] And now the broader question becomes, where else is this happening?
[38] And just how many people are we talking about?
[39] You know, flights in the dead of night, this isn't a great look here.
[40] Yeah, it's not.
[41] but some have defended the flights saying it's normal to resettle unaccompanied minors who'd been detained at the border.
[42] But others have questioned why the general public wasn't made aware this was happening in the first place and more importantly, why these flights were often taking place in the middle of the night if there really was nothing to hide.
[43] In fact, press secretary, Jen Saki, was asked about that on Tuesday and she tried to downplay it.
[44] Why is the administration flying thousands of migrants from the border to Florida and New York in the middle of the night?
[45] Well, I'm not sure that it's in the middle of the night, but let me tell you what's happening here.
[46] It is our...
[47] 4 .29 a .m. Very early in the morning.
[48] Here we are talking about early flights.
[49] Earlier than you might like to take a flight.
[50] And keep in mind, this is all coming in the same week that leaked Border Patrol documents showed that over 160 ,000 illegal immigrants had been released into the country with little oversight.
[51] So if this was a one -off issue, it might have blown over.
[52] But given the broader situation and circumstances right now, it's...
[53] getting a lot of attention.
[54] Yeah, some people have tried to sort of downplay this saying it's happened before, but are these sorts of quiet relocations normal?
[55] So it is normal to resettle certain migrants in areas where they have established family ties or in towns with processing centers.
[56] But what's not normal is, first off, how secret of the flights have been.
[57] And second, just the sheer number of uncompanyed minors.
[58] We're talking about record rates here.
[59] Tell us about that.
[60] What's the latest data?
[61] The most recent data from government officials showed that in July and August alone, there were over 37 ,000 unaccompanied minors detained at the border.
[62] And keep in mind, those are just the ones that we know about who got caught.
[63] On the year, there have been over 130 ,000 unaccompanied minors caught train across the border.
[64] And many of those children are handed over to human smugglers who, sadly, often end up abandoning them in dangerous conditions.
[65] Right.
[66] Now, critics of the president say his lax immigration policies have incentivized parents to send their kids alone.
[67] because they know they'll be allowed into the U .S. if they don't have a parent with them.
[68] They point out that when President Trump was in office, unaccompanied minors were often denied entry to the country.
[69] And during his term, there were on average 48 ,000 unaccompanied minors detained each year.
[70] So that number this year has already been tripled, and there are still two and a half months to go.
[71] Yeah, it's hard to deny that there's a crisis here.
[72] Cabot, thanks for the update.
[73] Anytime.
[74] That's Daily Wire Managing Editor, Cabot Phillips.
[75] Coming up, dozens of Seattle police officers risk losing their jobs.
[76] You can get this show and all of the content you love wherever you are on the Daily Wire app.
[77] Even if you're not a Daily Wire member, you'll be the first to know what's trending with mobile notifications for the latest news, and you'll get content from all of your favorite Daily Wire shows.
[78] Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts, no matter where your day takes you.
[79] Seattle Police officers who declined to get vaccinated against COVID -19 are now facing getting fired after a vaccine mandate for city employees went into effect on Monday.
[80] Meanwhile, the city is already facing a severe shortage of police officers.
[81] Investigative reporter Marade Allorty has more details on this for us.
[82] So Marade, the city is considering firing potentially dozens of officers in the middle of an officer shortage.
[83] Is that right?
[84] That's right.
[85] Depending on how many officers didn't submit proof of vaccination by the deadline this past Monday, dozens could end up being fired.
[86] So as of Sunday, the day before the deadline, the Seattle police chief said that 6 % of the force has not submitted vaccination paperwork.
[87] In a force of nearly 1 ,200, that amounts to around 70 officers.
[88] 70, wow.
[89] We don't know the final number of unvaccinated officers yet.
[90] And at the same time, the city has hemorrhaged police officers since last year and is dealing with rising crime, too.
[91] So the outcome of firing that many officers now could be bleak.
[92] Right.
[93] Some Seattle residents have already said that they're worried about safety.
[94] Governor Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin announced this mandate back in August, saying that Washington state workers and city workers in Seattle must get vaccinated in order to remain employed.
[95] All right, so we've got a state and citywide vaccination mandate.
[96] What has the police department said about this?
[97] Well, Mike Solan is the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, which represents all Seattle police officers.
[98] And he argued that officers should have the option to wear face masks, or get tested regularly for COVID -19 without having their current assignments stripped.
[99] So they can't even get tested.
[100] They have to be vaccinated.
[101] Right.
[102] Are they considering natural immunity like we saw last week in Texas with Governor Abbott?
[103] No, natural immunity is not being taken into consideration.
[104] They have to get the shot.
[105] What about religious exemption?
[106] Yes, officers can apply for religious and medical exemptions, but it's not clear how many have been given them.
[107] Okay, so, Let's get to the reactions.
[108] How are folks taking us?
[109] Well, so Solon accused the mayor of being unreasonable for not providing other options for officers.
[110] He noted that crime is surging in Seattle right now, and he said that community is demanding more police officers to answer 911 calls.
[111] Okay.
[112] He also said Seattle has lost almost 350 officers because of the politicians, quote, political betrayal.
[113] We've had many conversations ever since the Chas Chop.
[114] We've lost close to 350 cops because we're literally politically.
[115] betrayed by our elected officials.
[116] Betrayal.
[117] That's some strong words there.
[118] I know.
[119] Also, some officers took a more flashy approach to protesting the mandates.
[120] Photos popped up on social media this week of Seattle Police Patrol cars with Don't Tread on Me flags unfurled from their windows.
[121] Now, you pointed out that there are some safety concerns with the department potentially losing officers.
[122] Can you speak more to that?
[123] Right.
[124] There are.
[125] So earlier this month, the department told all officers, including detectives and non -patrol officers to be prepared to respond to 911 calls in case hundreds of officers are fired over this mandate.
[126] This is prompted alarm from some who worry that 911 response times could be longer if the force is severely understaff.
[127] Seattle business owners told local news outlets that they're worried about break -ins and declining tourism.
[128] Here's one thing to watch too.
[129] Officers who did not submit proof of vaccination will get a chance before their fire to state publicly at a hearing why they refuse to get vaccinated.
[130] So we'll have to keep an eye on that too.
[131] So a public hearing's coming up.
[132] We'll definitely want to hear what they have to say.
[133] Thanks, Maraid.
[134] Of course, any time.
[135] Investigative reporter, Marade Allorty.
[136] Washington State's vaccine mandate is having consequences beyond the Seattle Police Department.
[137] Now the state's highest paid employee has been fired.
[138] Here to tell us more is Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan.
[139] So, Joe, what's going on at Washington State University?
[140] Well, thanks for having me on Georgia.
[141] So this all started back in July when Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich announced that he would not receive the COVID vaccine, which forced him to attend the Pact 12 media days remotely.
[142] At the time, Rolovich chose to keep his reasoning behind the decision private.
[143] The university had a vaccine mandate in place, but there were policies and procedures for employees to follow who were not vaccinated.
[144] Then, as we've covered at the Daily Wire, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced in August a state mandate requiring employees working in K -12 up to higher education to be vaccinated.
[145] All employees working in school facilities had until October 18th to be fully vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.
[146] This included employees of Washington State University.
[147] Actually in the mandate announcement, Inslee specifically mentioned Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich.
[148] The follow -up from the mandate has made headlines already.
[149] Saturday night, a video of a Washington State trooper went viral after he was fired for refusing the COVID vaccine.
[150] It's impacted many in the state over the past few days.
[151] So one of the big details here is that Rolovich was asking for a religious exemption, and the state apparently turned it down?
[152] I would say it appears so.
[153] So we don't have specific information on whether it was accepted or if it was denied, but by him being fired, it would point to his religious exemption being turned down, obviously.
[154] So ever since he announced that he was unvaccinated, reporters have been attempting to understand why he wouldn't take the shot.
[155] Rolovich refused to disclose his reasoning until October 9th when it was reported that he was applying for a religious exemption.
[156] Following Washington State's win over Stanford on Saturday, Rolovich had a Gatorade bucket dumped on his head by his players, leading many to believe that it was his final game as head coach of the Cougars.
[157] And then it turned out it was his final game, but not by choice.
[158] Yep, Monday evening the university announced that Rolovich, along with four assistant coaches, were fired for refusing to be vaccinated.
[159] Washington State Athletic Director Pat Chun confirmed that Rolovich's firing was for cause meaning he will not be paid for the remainder of his contract which runs through 2025.
[160] And have the players said anything about this?
[161] Well, I haven't heard anything since the firing was announced, but players did stand up for him after the Stanford win.
[162] In a sideline interview, quarterback Jaden DeLora said, quote, stop hating on Rolo, we love him.
[163] Trevelle Harris, a wide receiver, said he's a coach we all love to play for.
[164] So a serious consequence for a high -profile figure, even with an appeal for religious exemption.
[165] Yep.
[166] And I mean, especially considering the Cougars are seven games into their season and the firing creates absolute chaos in the program.
[167] Joe, thanks for reporting.
[168] Yeah, anytime.
[169] That's Daily Wire Sports Reporter, Joe Morgan.
[170] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[171] The gang that kidnapped 17 Christian missionaries in Haiti on Saturday, including five children, is now demanding a ransom of one million for each person they are holding.
[172] Press Secretary Jin Saki addressed the situation on Monday.
[173] The president has been briefed and is receiving regular updates on what the State Department and the FBI are doing to bring these individuals home safely.
[174] The FBI is part of a coordinated U .S. government effort to get the U .S. citizens involved to safety.
[175] Jury selection for the Ahmaud Arbery case has begun and is reportedly off to a slow and painstaking start.
[176] Court officials have stated that the process could take more than two weeks.
[177] The trial is expected to begin in November.
[178] On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of police in two separate cases, voting to uphold qualified immunity, which protects officers from many civil lawsuits.
[179] No justice is publicly dissented from the decisions, indicating that the Supreme Court has little appetite for overturning precedent on this matter.
[180] If you like this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five -star review.
[181] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[182] Thanks for waking up with us.
[183] We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
[184] If you like this podcast, subscribe to our Morning Wire newsletter, available exclusively to Daily Wire members.
[185] Get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at DailyWire .com slash subscribe.
[186] Use code MorningWire to try a reader's past membership and get your first month for only 99 cents.