DON’T TALK. >> THAT’S THE AUDIO MAN.
WELCOME BACK.
WELCOME BACK. >> GOOD TO BE BACK.
>> JOINING US NOW, A REPORTER
THAT’S BEEN IN THE FRONT LINES
OF THE FAMILY SEPARATION STORY.
NBC’S JACOB.
NBC’S JACOB. FOUNDER OF THE CEO NONPROFIT
SEED GLOBAL HEALTH DR. VANESSA.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
>> THANK YOU.
>> JACOB, YOU HAVE BEEN TRYING
TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE INSIDE
THESE, WHAT WILL WE CALL THEM,
FACILITIES?
FACILITIES? >> DETENTION CENTERS.
ONE PLACE THEY CALL A SHELTER.
NORMALLY, WE HAVE A GREAT TIME.
OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, I JUST
GOT BACK YESTERDAY.
I NOTICED ONE OF THE MOST
DESPICABLE THINGS IN MODERN
HISTORY.
HISTORY. I SAW KIDS LOCKED SUPERVISED BY
A WATCH PROTECTOR.
I WILL NEVER FORGET IT.
I DON’T THINK THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SHOULD FORGET WHAT
HAPPENED BECAUSE THIS SHOULD
NEVER, EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
IT’S THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER
SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> YOUR REPORTING HAS BEEN
INCREDIBLE.
INCREDIBLE. LAURA INGRAM REFERRED TO THEM AS
BOARDING SCHOOLS AND SUMMER
CAMPS, WHICH IS DISGUSTING.
TAKE US INSIDE.
>> IT’S WILDLY INACCURATE.
THE FIRST PLACE I WENT IS A
FORMER WALMART WHERE KIDS ARE
INSIDE 22 HOURS A DAY.
THEY GOT OUT TWO HOURS A DAY.
THAT WAS LUXURIOUS.
I JUST WISH THE FIRST LADY, WHEN
SHE WAS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO SEE THAT FACILITY, NOT
THE NEW HOPE SHELTER, WHERE KIDS
ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
HHS TAKES CARE OF THE KIDS.
THEY ARE SOCIAL SERVICE
PROVIDERS.
PROVIDERS. THAT’S WHAT THEY DO.
THE BORDER PATROL, WHERE WE SAW
THE CAGES A HORRIFYING.
IT’S 55,000 SQUARE FEET ON ONE
SIDE OF PARENTS AND
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS AND A HUGE
NUMBER WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR
PARNLT
PARNLT PARENTS AND SITTING THERE BY
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE KIDS?
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
SOME OF CAN KIDS, WE DON’T KNOW
WHERE THEY ARE.
THE 500 THAT HAVE BEEN REUNITED,
THERE’S STILL 2,000 OF THEM.
>> JOE, JUMP IN.
>> YEAH, JACOB, TALK ABOUT THE
ACCESS THAT REPORTERS ARE ABLE
TO GET TO SEE THESE KIDS LOCKED
IN CAGES.
IN CAGES. WHAT ARE REPORTERS ALLOWED TO
SEE?
SEE? >> IT’S NONEXISTENT AS FAR AS
ACCESS.
ACCESS. I’M LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO GET IN.
THE ONLY REASON I GOT THE CALL
ON SATURDAY, I LEFT SATURDAY
NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, SLEPT ON THE
FLOOR OF THE DALLAS AIRPORT TO
GET THERE FATHER’S DAY.
I LEFT MY ON FATHER’S DAY TO GET
THERE.
THERE. DHS WANTED US THERE BEFORE THE
DEMOCRATS GOT THERE.
THEY EXPECTED A HUGE BACKLASH, A
BARRAGE OF ATTACKS WHEN THEY
WENT IN ON MONDAY MORNING.
THAT’S THE ONLY REASON, IN MY
PERSONAL OPINION, THAT WE GET
LET INSIDE THIS FACILITY.
NO OTHER JOURNALISTS, NO OTHER
PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO LAY EYES
ON THAT GROUP OF KIDS OTHER THAN
WHAT I WENT IN THERE WITH.
>> DR. VANESSA, YOU WORK ON
TRAINING DOCTORS AROUND THE
WORLD TO DEAL WITH THEIR OWN
HUMANITARIAN CRISES AND
EPIDEMICS, YET, YOU WANT TO LEND
YOUR VOICE ON THIS ONE.
YOU REACHED OUT TO US.
WE LOVED WORKING WITH YOU ON
SEED.
SEED. TELL US WHAT IS STRIKING YOU AND
WHAT IS STRIKING SO CLOSE TO
HOME FOR YOU AS A DOCTOR, IN
TERMS OF THIS SEPARATION STORY.
>> IT’S A COUPLE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, I’M A PHYSICIAN.
I’M ALSO A MOTHER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE BEEN
HOLDING MY OWN CHILDREN SO
TIGHTLY OVER THE LAST WEEK,
THINKING ABOUT THE ANGUISH, NOT
ONLY THAT THE PARENTS ARE GOING
THROUGH, BUT WHAT THE KIDS ARE
GOING THROUGH.
GOING THROUGH. THERE ARE YEARS AND YEARS OF
DATA THAT SHOW THE
PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL AND
LASTING IMPACTS OF SEPARATION OF
CHILDREN FROM THEIR FAMILIES IS.
EVEN IF THEY ARE REUNITED, THE
KIDS ARE GOING TO SUFFER A
LIFETIME OF EFFECTS FROM THIS.
WE ARE CREATING A VICIOUS CYCLE.
AS WE ARE SITTING HERE HAVING
THIS DEBATE, THOUSANDS OF
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ARE BEING
TRAUMATIZED.
TRAUMATIZED. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
EGREGIOUS EXPLOITATIONS OF A
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE.
IT IS MORALLY INDECENT AND
UNACCEPTABLE.
UNACCEPTABLE. I’M WATCHING THIS COUNTRY GO
BACK TO ITS DARKEST DAYS.
AS A PHYSICIAN, MY JOB IS TO
NURTURE AND HEAL PATIENTS.
AS A MOTHER, IT’S TO NURTURE AND
PROTECT MY CHILDREN.
THAT’S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
GLOBAL CITIZEN AND PART OF THE
WORLD WE WILL NOT ONLY GIVE TO,
BUT BENEFIT FROM.
THIS HITS ME IN THE DEEPEST CORE
OF ANYTHING.
OF ANYTHING. >> JOE?
>> JOE? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. JACOB, TELL ME, WHEN YOU WERE
DESCRIBING WHAT WAS GOING ON,
TELL ME ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE TAKING CARE OF THE KIDS.
WERE YOU ABLE TO TALK TO THE
BORDER AGENTS?
BORDER AGENTS? IT’S OBVIOUS THEY ARE PUT IN AN
EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
POSITION RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF
THE POLICY.
THE POLICY. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> YOU MAKE A REALLY GOOD POINT,
JOE.
JOE. THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS, MANY
ARE PARENTS THEMSELVES.
50% OF THEM ARE LATINO,
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. I WAS TOLD INSIDE THAT FACILITY,
THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE MANPOWER,
THEY WERE OVERLOADED.
THE SYSTEM WAS WEARING THIN.
EVEN IF THEY SUPPORTED THE
POLICY.
POLICY. WHEN I WAS THERE, WHEN THE
POLICY WAS IN EFFECT, THERE WERE
ONLY FOUR SOCIAL WORKERS THAT
WERE CONTRACTORS OUTSIDE THIS
PEN, BASICALLY, THIS CAGE WHERE
THE LITTLE KIDS WERE.
THE BORDER AGENTS ARE NOT
LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS.
THEY ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO HOLD
FAMILIES AND KIDS FOR 72 HOURS,
THE KIDS COULD ULTIMATELY BE
LEFT UP TO 24 HOURS WHEN HHS IS
SUPPOSED TO PICK THEM UP.
THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS WERE
NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THEM, PICK
THEM UP, CHANGE A DIAPER OR
WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
THEY WERE RELYING ON FOUR SOCIAL
WORKERS FOR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
HUNDREDS OF KIDS AND IT IS JUST
THE MANPOWER ISSUE.
THEN, ALSO, THE HUMAN ISSUE.
THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE, TOO, THAT
HAVE TO GO OUT AND EXECUTE THEIR
OPERATORS, THEIR POLICIES OF
DONALD TRUMP IN WASHINGTON,
D.C., ON THE GROUND.
>> VANESSA, WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL
ASSESSMENT?
ASSESSMENT? OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVEN’T TREATED
ANY OF THE KIDS OR WORKED
FIRSTHAND WITH THEM OF WHAT THE
IMPACT COULD BE ON THEM?
THE LASTING IMPACT OF BEING
TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR MOTHER.
AS YOU POINT OUT, A VERY YOUNG
CHILD IS PAINFULLY AWARE OF WHAT
IS HAPPENING AT THAT MOMENT.
>> THROUGH THE WORK I HAVE DONE
OVERSEAS AND THROUGH SEED GLOBAL
HEALTH, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF
TIME WORKING WITH FAMILIES THAT
HAVE ENDURED TRAUMA, IN ONE FORM
OF ANOTHER, WHETHER POVERTY OR
DIRECTLY HAVING EXPERIENCED A
TRAUMA.
TRAUMA. YOU KNOW, IT HAS VERY LASTING
IMPACTS FOR CHILDREN IN TERMS OF
MENTAL HEALTH, DEPRESSION,
PHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS, INCREASED
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, HORMONAL
CHANGES.
CHANGES. THERE’S LASTING EFFECTS.
WE ALSO KNOW THROUGH RESEARCH
THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE SEPARATED
FROM THEIR FAMILIES ARE MORE
LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY IN THE
FUTURE TO HAVE SOCIAL
DISTURBANCES.
DISTURBANCES. SO, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, WE ARE EFFECTIVELY
DAMAGING A GENERATION FOR YEARS
TO COME.
TO COME. THAT’S GOING TO BE ON US.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT CERTAINLY IS.
DR. VANESSA CAREY, WE APPRECIATE
YOUR VOICE ON MANY LEVELS ON
THIS.
THIS. JACOB, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
REPORTING.
REPORTING. >> CAN I ASK JAKE ONE LAST
QUESTION?
QUESTION? DO I HAVE TIME?
IT SEEMS TO ME, JOE RAISED THIS
YESTERDAY, IT CONTINUES TO
TROUBLE ME THAT ALTHOUGH THERE
HAVE BEEN PICTURES, IN SOME
CASES YOU GOT ACCESS.
NO CAMERAS ARE ALLOWED TO SHOOT
REAL FOOTAGE IN PLACES YOU HAVE
TOURED AND OTHER PLACES WHERE
THERE ARE NO CAMERAS, NO
PICTURES COME OUT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE BY
THE PROFESSION RIGHT NOW TO TRY
TO GET THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT
AMERICANS DESERVE BECAUSE WE ARE
PAYING FOR THOSE FACILITIES.
>> ONE EXAMPLE, PHOTOS OF GIRLS
AND TENDER AGED CHILDREN IN
FACILITIES IN VIRGINIA AND
FLORIDA WHERE THERE IS A TOUR
TODAY AT 9:00.
I’M NOT GOING TO SHARE THE PICK
WHEN YOUPICK
WHEN YOUPICK -- PICTURES.
-- PICTURES. IT’S NOT GOOD TO TALK ABOUT
PHOTOS HANDED OUT BY THE
GOVERNMENT UNTIL WE ARE ALLOWED
TO LAY OUR OWN EYES ON THEM.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING
OUR OWN CAMERAS IN, AT LEAST WE
HAVE TO GET IN AND SEE AND GIVE
OUR VERSION OF THE PHOTOS THEY
ARE GIVING OUT.
>> IT’S HOSTAGE VIDEO.
IT’S INCREDIBLE.
IT’S INCREDIBLE. IT’S WHERE WE ARE AT.
JOE?
JOE? >> AGAIN, IT’S SOMETHING I WROTE
IN THE POST THIS MORNING,
TALKING ABOUT THIS SITUATION, A
CONSERVATIVE FORMER INTELLIGENCE
OPERATIVE GRIMLY RECOUNTED TO ME
ON THURSDAY HOW MUCH THE
HANDLING OF THESE DISPLACED
CHILDREN REMINDED HIM OF THE CIA
FACILITIES WHERE TERRORISTS WERE
HELD AND INTERROGATED AFTER
SEPTEMBER 11th.
SEPTEMBER 11th. QUOTE, THIS REMINDS ME OF OUR
BLACK SIDES EXCEPT WE WERE
HOLDING 100 OR SO ADULT
TERRORISTS FOR THE KILLING OF
AMERICAN CITIZENS.
AMERICAN CITIZENS. NOW, 2300 KIDS ARE HELD IN
UNKNOWN LOCATIONS WITH UNKNOWN
INDIVIDUALS INSIDE AND NO
OUTSIDE OBSERVATION.
OUTSIDE OBSERVATION. THIS IS HAPPENING IN AMERICA AND
THAT STATEMENT CAME FROM A TOP
INTEL OFFICIAL, A HARDENED
CONSERVATIVE WHO BELIEVED YOU
HAD TO DO WHAT YOU HAD TO DO TO
GET INFORMATION FROM TERRORISTS
WHO FIND WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS
WEEK ABSOLUTELY DESPICABLE AND
UN-AMERICAN.
UN-AMERICAN. AND THIS IS -- THEY ARE TREATING
THESE CHILDREN SITES LIKE BLACK
SITES.
SITES. TO GET IN THERE.
WE DON’T -- WE DON’T NEED TO GET
PROPAGANDA FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. DONALD TRUMP’S CENTRALIZED STATE
HAS THROWN INFANTS AND TODDLERS
AND BABIES INSIDE FACILITIES.
THEY ARE NOT LETTING US SEE
INSIDE OF THERE.
>> SO, MIKE PENCE, POMPEO,
MATTIS, THESE ARE PEOPLE WE KNOW
KNOW THIS IS WRONG.
DHS SECRETARY, THAT REMAINS TO
BE SEEN.
BE SEEN. THIS IS A PRESIDENCY THAT IS ROT
ROTON AT THE TOP.
THIS IS UN-AMERICAN.
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