I.C.E. HELPS COORDINATE
EFFORTS TO PLACE IMMIGRANTS IN
SHELTERS AND OTHER
NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
IN TUCSON, CASA ALITAS IS
WORKING TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF
IMMIGRANTS AWAITING THEIR COURT
DATE.
NANCY MONTOYA TAKES US INSIDE A
SHELTER THAT HAS HELPED MORE
THAN 4,700 MEN, WOMEN, AND
CHILDREN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
>> Reporter: THE DOORS TO CASA
ALITAS OPENED TO IMMIGRANT
FAMILIES IN 2015.
SINCE DAY ONE, PAM BONDRAK, A
RETIRED PEDIATRIC NURSE, HAS
BEEN A REGULAR VOLUNTEER.
>> MOSTLY WE ARE SEEING CHILDREN
AND MOMS AND EVEN GRANDMAS.
THESE ARE THE MOST INNOCENT,
LOVING PEOPLE, AND ALL THEY WANT
IS A CHANCE.
THEY JUST WANT A CHANCE IN
AMERICA.
THEY LOVE THIS COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: 9-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER
MARTINEZ WAS QUICK TO TELL THE
VOLUNTEER THAT SHE LOVES AMERICA
BECAUSE SHE IS AN AMERICAN.
>> Translator: MY DAUGHTER WAS
BORN HERE, AND SO SHE DOESN'T
WANT TO BE IN GUATEMALA.
SHE WANTS TO BE HERE IN HER
COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: IN 2009, ALVINA
MARTINEZ AND HER HUSBAND WERE IN
THE U.S. ILLEGALLY WHEN JENNIFER
WAS BORN.
IN 2013, JENNIFER WAS 4 WHEN
THEY WERE DEPORTED BACK TO
GUATEMALA.
>> Translator: THERE IN
GUATEMALA, IT IS VERY SAD.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT, AND
WE DON'T HAVE LAND.
WE DON'T HAVE A HOUSE.
WE HAVE NOTHING.
>> Reporter: SO ALVINA AND HER
HUSBAND VOWED THAT SOMEHOW,
THEIR AMERICAN-BORN DAUGHTER
WOULD BE RAISED IN THE U.S.
THE HUSBAND LEFT FIRST.
HE MADE IT TO CINCINNATI, OHIO,
WHERE ALVINA HAS FIVE SISTERS.
SOME ARE IN THIS COUNTRY
LEGALLY.
OTHERS ARE NOT.
THE FAMILY POOLED THEIR MONEY
AND SENT ALVINA ENOUGH FOR HER
AND JENNIFER TO BUY BUS TICKETS
FROM A REMOTE VILLAGE TO THE
MEXICAN BORDER.
TWICE THEY ONLY MADE IT TO
MEXICO BEFORE BEING DEPORTED
BACK TO GUATEMALA.
ON THEIR THIRD ATTEMPT, THEY
WERE ARRESTED AND SPENT THREE
NIGHTS IN A MEXICAN JAIL.
JENNIFER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
>> Translator: WHY ARE WE HERE
IN JAIL?
WHO DID I KILL?
I HAVE MY PAPERS.
YES, SHE DOES.
ALL I HAVE IS I.D. FROM
GUATEMALA.
>> Reporter: MEXICAN OFFICIALS
EVENTUALLY RELEASED THE MOTHER
AND DAUGHTER.
THEY CONTINUED NORTH TO THE U.S.
AND 20 DAYS LATER, THEY MADE IT
TO NOGALES AND REQUESTS ASYLUM.
IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS FOUND THEY
HAD A CREDIBLE FEAR OF RETURNING
TO THEIR HOME COUNTRY AND SET
THEIR HEARING DATE FOR A FEW
WEEKS IN CINCINNATI.
IN 2014, THE NEXT STEP WOULD
HAVE MEANT GETTING A RIDE TO THE
TUCSON BUS STATION, WHERE
IMMIGRANTS WOULD HAVE TO FEND
FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT LOCAL CHURCHES STEPPED IN.
CASA ALITAS STARTED WITH A CASE
OF GATORADE AND A FEW SNACKS
FROM VOLUNTEERS AT THE BUS
STATION.
BUT MONTHS LATER, WHEN
IMMIGRANTS KEPT COMING, CATHOLIC
COMMUNITY SERVICES OF SOUTHERN
ARIZONA KNEW STRUCTURE AND
ORGANIZATION WERE NEEDED.
THE EFFORTS MOVED INTO AN
ALL-VOLUNTEER-OPERATED HOME
OWNED AND MANAGED BY CCF.
PAM BONDRAK HAS BEEN HERE SINCE
THE VERY BEGINNING.
SHE JOINS HUNDREDS OF OTHER
VOLUNTEERS WHO ROTATE TO MAKE
THE OPERATION RUN SMOOTHLY.
EVERY DAY SHE SAYS THERE ARE NEW
FAMILIES.
>> THEY'RE COMING HERE WITH
HOPE.
THEY WANT TO WORK.
THEY WANT TO HELP.
THEY WANT TO CONTRIBUTE.
AND IF ANYBODY STUDIES THE
CULTURE AND STUDIES THE
ECONOMICS, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT GIVE TO AMERICA.
THEY'RE NOT SITTING HOME PLAYING
VIDEO GAMES.
THEY ARE WORKING.
>> Reporter: BUT NONE OF THIS
WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE
COOPERATION OF I.C.E. OFFICERS,
WHO UPON ESTABLISHING A CREDIBLE
FEAR STATUS AND SCHEDULING AN
ASYLUM HEARING, THEN WORK
SEAMLESSLY WITH CASA ALITAS AND
DROP OFF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES.
AT FIRST, SAYS TERESA FROM CASA
ALITAS, THERE WAS A STRAINED
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMIGRATION
OFFICERS AND VOLUNTEERS.
>> IT WENT FROM, YOU KNOW,
FACELESS, NAMELESS AGENTS WHO WE
WORKED WITH THE AT THE
BEGINNING, WHO KIND OF DID THESE
INVISIBLE DROPOFFS IN FRONT OF
OUR FACILITY, TO FOLKS THAT WE
KNOW BY NAME THAT CONTACT US BY
PHONE, BY E-MAIL, BY TEXT, WHO
SMILE AND WAVE WHEN THEY BRING
FOLKS HERE.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THE STORY
OF CASA ALITAS IS ONE OF
COMPASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS, FROM
THE VOLUNTEERS WHO BRING THEIR
TIME AND TALENTS TO THOSE WHO
DONATE MONEY, FOOD, AND CLOTHES,
AND TO THE I.C.E. OFFICERS WHO
CONNECT THE FAMILIES TO THE
NONPROFITS.
VOLUNTEER PAM BONDRAK SAYS SHE
LEFT HER ROSE-COLORED GLASSES AT
HOME.
SHE SAYS SHE KNOWS THERE MAY BE
SOME DANGEROUS GANG MEMBERS
TRYING TO HIDE AMONG THE
DESPERATE.
BUT SHE SAYS THOSE ARE NOT THE
PEOPLE WHO COME TO CASA ALITAS.
>> THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT WHEN
THEY'RE HERE.
WE JUST WANT TO WORK.
WE WANT A CHANCE.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE
TO AMERICA.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE STORY.
THEY'RE NOTHING DANGEROUS OR
FRIGHTENING ABOUT THEM.
THEY'RE FULL OF HOPE.
>> Reporter: AND HOPE, SAYS
ALVINA, IS WHAT SHE AND HER
DAUGHTER ARE HOLDING ON TO.