Prevagen. The name to remember.
>>> IM GUESSING THATS ABOUT
WHATS TO HAPPEN. >> I THINK THATS WHAT THEYRE
DOING.
DOING.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME AGAIN.
>> SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY, U.S. SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY.EY, U.S.
SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY. IVE NOW BEEN ASKED TO LEAVE THE
PROPERTY.
SO ILL COMPLY WITH THAT.
>> TWO WEEKS AGO IS, SENATOR
JEFF AMERICACALLY TRIED TO GET A
TOUR OF A DETENTION CENTER AT AN ABANDONED WALMART THAT HOUSES AN
ABANDONED WALMART THAT HOUSES CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
HE WAS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE. NO ONE WOULD GRANT HIM AN.
NO ONE WOULD GRANT HIM AN INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW.
TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE
HE WAS ASKED, JACOB SOBER ROF FINALLY DID GET A TOUR.ER ROF
FINALLY DID GET A TOUR. JACOB, YOU WERE WITH A FEW OTHER
JOURNALISTS LET INTO THE
FACILITY.
WHAT DID YOU SEE?
>> YOU KNOW, CHRIS, I HAVE BEEN
INSIDE FEDERAL A FEDERAL PRISON BEFORE, IVE BEEN INSIDE SEVERAL
COUNTY JAILS.
COUNTY JAILS. THIS PLACE IS CALLED A SHELTER
BUT EFFECTIVELY THESE KIDS ARE
INCOURSE RATED.
THERE ARE OVER 1400 OF THEM THAT
ARE SPENDING NOT WEEKS, MONTHS
INSIDE THIS PLACE. THEYRE NOT ACTUALLY LITERALLY
IN CANES IN OR IN CELLS BUT I
KID YOU NOT, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS AN EMPLOYEE SAID TO ME IS
WHEN WE WALKED INSIDE, CAN YOU
TRY TO SMILE AT THESE KIDS
BECAUSE ITS WEIRD TO SEE PEOPLE
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
THEY FEEL LIKE ANIMALS LOCKED UP
IN CAGES BEING LOOKED AT.
IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY THING TO
SEE.
SEE.
>> TALK ME THROUGH WHATS IT LOOK LIKE. THROUGH WHATS IT
LOOK LIKE. ITS A WALMART THATS BEEN
REFASHIONED.
REFASHIONED.
IS IT OPEN AIR ROOMS WITH BEDS LIKE. OPEN AIR ROOMS WITH BEDS
LIKE.
>> IT IS.
THESE KIDS ARE FREE TO MOVE AROUND.IDS ARE FREE TO MOVE
AROUND.
THERE ARE FOUR -- ITS BEAK A
DORMITORY STRUCTURE.
ITS NOT NICE BY THE STANDARDS
OF A PLACE TO BE INCARCERATED. FRESH PAINT EVERYWHERE.ERATED.
FRESH PAINT EVERYWHERE. A CAFETERIA FOR KIDS TO GO TO,
ABOUT 300 AT A TIME.
THERE ARE FOUR BEDS PER ROOM.
BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE FIVE.
THEY I HAVE AN VARIANCE FROM THE
STATE OF TEXAS SINCE MAY BECAUSE
OF THIS OVERCROWDING CRISIS
THATS BEEN CREATED.
MANUFACTURED BASICALLY.
MANUFACTURED BASICALLY. ITS A SELF-INFLICTED CRISIS OUR
COLLEAGUE JULIA WAS SAYING
EARLIER TODAY BECAUSE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING
CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AND
MAKING THEM UNACCOMPANIED
MINORS.
THIS PLACE USED TO BE JUST FOR KIDS THAT WOULD WALK ACROSS THE
BORDER FOR THE MOST PART 100% ON
THEIR OWN.
THEIR OWN. NOW YOURE GET MORGAN MORE KIDS,
UP TO 30% AS OF RIGHT NOW
ACCORDING TO ONE OFFICIAL INSIDE
THAT HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM
THEIR PARENTS OVER THE LAST
COUPLE MONTHS.
COUPLE MONTHS. THEY HAVE RECREATION BUT ALLOWED
OUTSIDE WHERE WE ARE IN THE
FRESH AIR FOR TWO HOURS A DAY
AND THE 22 HOURS A DAY, THEYRE
INSIDE A FORMER WALMART.
>> YOU HAVE 1400 KIDS IN THERE
AND MAYBE 70%, UNACCOMPANIED
MINORS IS SOMETHING THAT STARTED
AND THE GOVERNMENT STRUGGLED TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.
A 15, 16-YEAR-OLD WALKING ACROSS
THE BORDER.
THE BORDER.
KIDS TAKEN FROM THEIR PARENTS WHO TEND TO BE YOUNGER.ARENTS
WHO TEND TO BE YOUNGER. DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF THE AGE
RANGE OF THE KIDS IN THERE.
>> THEYRE ALL BOYS AND FROM AGE
10 TO 17.
10 TO 17. THE THING THAT STRIKES ME AS A
PARENT OF A 2 NAFLS-YEAR-OLD
BOY, WHAT ABOUT FROM ZERO TO 10.
THIS IS ONE OF A HUNDRED
FACILITIES LIKE THIS ACROSS 17
STATES.
STATES.
THIS IS THE LARGEST FACILITY OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY.LITY OF
ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT THERE ARE 99 OTHER ONES. AND WERE ONLY TALKING ABOUT 10
TO 17-YEAR-OLD BOYS IN HERE.
>> I GOT ONE BOY.
TWO GIRLS.
TWO GIRLS. YOU GOT A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD BOY.
YOU GOTTISH 14 00 BUYS AGED 10
TO 17.
TO 17. THE IDEAL RATIO WOULD BE 2800
ADULTS TO LOOK AFTER 1400
BECOMES HOW MANY ADULTS ARE
WATCHING AFTER THAT MANY BOYS?
>> ONE TO EIGHT IS THE RATIO.
THERE IS ONE STAFF MEMBER FOR
EVERY INCARCERATED SHELTER
RESIDENT IS WHAT THEY CALL THEM.
AND ITS ORGANIZED CHAOS IN
THERE.
THERE.
ITS ITS HECTIC BUT IT IS ORGANIZED.CTIC BUT IT IS
ORGANIZED.
AND LIKE I SAID, 300 KIDS AT A TIME ARE GOING TO THE CHOW.T A
TIME ARE GOING TO THE CHOW. ITS LIKE LOOKING AT A PRISON OR
A JAIL.
A JAIL.
THEYRE ALL LED TO CHOW. THERE WAS A GROUP OF KIDS DOING
AGAIN, I KID YOU NOT, TAI-CHI OR
RECREATION OR A GROUP OF BOYS
SITTING IN THE FORMER LOADING
DOCK OF THE WALMART IN A THEATER
WATCHING THE DISNEY MOVIE
"MOANA."
"MOANA."
THEY GO TO CLASS FOR SIX HOURS
AND LEARN ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY.N ABOUT AMERICAN
HISTORY.
ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING THINGS
I SAW IS THIS PLACE HAS A LOT OF AMERICAN HISTORY ALL OVER THE OF
AMERICAN HISTORY ALL OVER THE PLACE, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM
FORMER PRESIDENTS.
FORMER PRESIDENTS. THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU SEE WHEN
YOU WALK IN IS DONALD TRUMP.
>> THERES A MURAL OF DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP.
>> ITS A MURAL OF DONALD TRUMP
WITH A QUOTE FROM DONALD TRUMP. IM PARAPHRASING TALKING ABOUTP.
IM PARAPHRASING TALKING ABOUT IF YOU DONT WIN THE BATTLE,
THERES A WAY TO WIN THE WAR.
STRANGE DOES NOT DO IT JUSTICE.
WHAT ITS LIKE IN THERE.
ITS LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
THIS IS A NONPROFIT THAT HAS
BEEN CONTRACTED WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO RUN THIS FACILITY.
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF TRAINING OF
THESE GROWN-UPS WHO, YOU KNOW,
WATCHING EIGHT BOYS PER GROWN-UP
FOR 22 HOURS A DAY, THATS VERY
SERIOUS WORK THAT REQUIRES VERY
SERIOUS TRAINING.
SERIOUS TRAINING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR.
I THINK THAT THERE IS VERY
SERIOUS WORK AND VERY SERIOUS
TRAINING THAT GOES ON.
THESE ARE ACCREDITED, LICENSED
PROFESSIONALS, NOT JUST BY THE
STATE OF TEXAS.
THIS IS A LICENSED FACILITY. AND IT BRINGS UP THE MUCH LARGER
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
YOU HAVE A LICENSED TEACHERS, CLINICIANS, THREE ON-CALLERS,
CLINICIANS, THREE ON-CALL DOCTORS AROUND THIS FACILITY AT
ANY TIME, A 48-PERSON MEDICAL
STAFF THATS INSIDE HERE.
BUT WHATS BEING TALKED ABOUT
WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IS
MOVING OR BRINGING CHILDREN AWAY
FROM FACILITIES LIKE THIS,
LICENSED FACILITIES AND ON TO
TENT CITIES ON FEDERAL PROPERTY.
AND WHAT I WAS TOLD TONIGHT IS
THAT THOSE TENT CITIES THAT ARE
BEING LOOKED AT HERE IN TEXAS
AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA ARE UNLICENSED
FACILITIES.
FACILITIES.
IT WONT REQUIRE NECESSARILY ON
FEDERAL PROPERTY BECAUSE ITS AN
EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE LEVEL
OF TRAINING, THE TYPES OF
PROFESSIONAL.
>> WOW, THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF
THE KIDS THAT ARE IN THIS
FACILITY TONIGHT.
WHEN THEY GO LIGHTS OUT AT 9:00 P.M. THEY GO LIGHTS OUT AT 9:00
P.M. >> SO FINAL QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW -- UNACCOMPANIED
MINORS ARE ONE THING.
BUT THE ONES WHO TRAVELLED WITH
A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OR
GRANDPARENT AND WERE TAKEN AWAY
FROM THEM, ARE THERE REGULAR
CONTACTS THEY GET TO HAVE WITH
THAT PERSON?
THAT PERSON? >> THEY WOULDNT SAY REGULAR,
BUT THEY SAID ITS BASICALLY UP
TO THE PENAL INSTITUTION WHERE
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE. BECAUSE, AGAIN, THESE KIDS,
BEFORE THIS POLICY WAS
ANNOUNCED, MOST OF THESE KIDS
WOULD END UP IN I.C.E. FAMILY
DETENTION WITH THEIR FAMILIES,
WHATEVER YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT
IT, THEY WERE TOGETHER WITH
THEIR FAMILIES.
THEIR FAMILIES.
>> RIGHT.
>> NOW THEYRE BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS. SEPARATED
FROM THEIR PARENTS. THEYRE BEING TAKEN TO THE
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE HERE IN SOUTH
TEXAS.
TEXAS.
THEIR PARENTS ARE BEING REMANDED
TO THE U.S. MARSHALLS CUSTODY
AND THEY GO TO FEDERAL PRISON. SO IF THE FEDERAL PRISON OR THE
DEPARTMENT OF REFUGEE
RESETTLEMENT IN HHS SAYS THAT
THAT PARENT CAN CALL THE CHILD,
THE PARENT IS ALLOWED TO CALL
THE CHILD.
THE CHILD.
BUT ITS UP TO THE PENAL INSTITUTION.O THE PENAL
INSTITUTION.
IT HAPPENS, BUT ITS NOT HOANG A
REGULAR BASIS.
>> WELL, JACOB, THIS IS
FANTASTIC REPORTING.