KRISTIN NIELSEN WHO IS THE SECRETARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY HAD TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF THE
SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
DURING THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING SEN., HARRIS GOT TO ASK SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SUPPORTING AND ALLOWING CHILDREN TO BE SEPARATED FROM THEIR
PARENTS AS IMMIGRANTS WHO WERE TRYING TO CROSS THE BORDER.
THE NEW YORK TIMES HAD RECENTLY WRITTEN AN EXPLOSIVE STORY ABOUT
THIS AND KAMALA HARRIS WANTED TO KNOW IF THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND ñ WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHILDREN?LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT
THE FIRST VIDEO.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN DIRECTED TO SEPARATE PARENTS FROM CHILDREN
AS A METHOD OF DETERRENCE OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION?
>>I HAVE NOT BEEN DIRECTED TO DO THAT FOR PURPOSES OF
DETERRENCE, NO DOUBT
>>WHAT PURPOSES HAVE YOU BEEN GIVING FOR SEPARATING CHILDREN?
>>ANYONE WHO BREAKS THE LAW WILL BE PROSECUTED.
IF YOU'RE A PARENT OR A SINGLE PERSON OR YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A
FAMILY, IF YOU CROSS BETWEEN THE
PORTS OF ENTRY YOU HAVE BROKEN US LAW AND WE WILL REFER YOU
TO PROSECUTION.
>> SHE SAYS WE WILL PROSECUTE THE PARENTS, BUT WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN?
THAT USUALLY MEANS DETAINING THEM AND PUTTING THEM
THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM BUT IN THE PROCESS OF THAT HAPPENING
THE CHILDREN GET TAKEN AWAY, MEANING THEY GET SEPARATED FROM
THEIR PARENTS AND THEY GET
PLACED IN CUSTODY AND LATER MAYBE FOSTER CARE AND IF THE
CHILDREN ARE NOT ABLE TO FIND RELATIVES IN THE UNITED STATES
OR IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN THAN THAT CHILD CAN BE DETAINED
INDEFINITELY.
IT IS A HUGE ISSUE AND WE MIGHT SOUND LIKE IT IS A GOOD WAY OF
DETERRING PEOPLE.
IT IS CRUEL AND USES TAXPAYER RESOURCES WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD
CARE ABOUT EVEN IF THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF
THESE CHILDREN.
IT IS A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT DONE
ANYTHING WRONG.
>> JEFF SESSIONS WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS SAID IF YOU DON'T
WANT YOUR CHILD SEPARATED THEN
DON'T BRING THEM ACROSS THE BORDER ILLEGALLY.
I KNOW THAT IS PERSUASIVE TO A LOT OF THE RIGHT WING.
FIRST WE ARE SEPARATING THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHY NIELSEN IS PRETENDING THAT THAT IS NOT WHAT
IS HAPPENING.
NIELSEN SAYS NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERRENCE, AND OTHER WORDS
YES YOU ARE SEPARATING THEM.
JUST SAY IT.
I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO WHY THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES.
OBAMA DID THAT SOMETIMES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SESSIONS' QUOTE ñ IT IS TRUE, THAT IS THEIR
CHOICE BUT THEY MIGHT BE MAKING THAT CHOICE BECAUSE OF
TREMENDOUS VIOLENCE IN THE AREA AND THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR
KIDS LIFE AND THEIR SAFETY.
BUT WE ALSO GET TO MAKE A CHOICE.
IN SOME CASES WE MAKE THE CHOICE TO SEPARATE THE KIDS FROM THE
PARENTS.
IN
THIS CASE THEY HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY OTHER CRIME,
OTHER CRIME WAS SIMPLY TO COME HERE.
IN THE PAST WE MADE THE CHOICE THAT IT IS NOT WORTH SEPARATING
THE KIDS IN A TRAUMATIC WAY AND SHIPPING THEM OFF TO DEFENSE
MILITARY BASES.
WE WILL EXPLAIN IN A SECOND.
SHIPPING THEM OFF TO MILITARY BASES WITH PEOPLE THEY DON'T
KNOW WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS AND IMPRISONING THEIR PARENTS FOR UP
TO SIX MONTHS FOR CROSSING THE BORDER.
IN THE PAST WE MADE THE CHOICE OF LET'S NOT DO THAT AND LET'S
JUST SEND THEM BACK.
NOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING LET'S PUNISH THEM A
LITTLE BIT MORE, PUT THEM IN JAIL FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEN
THEIR KIDS, SAD DAY FOR THEM.
>>NOT ONLY IS IT CRUEL TO THE FAMILY WHICH BY THE WAY I WANT
TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE COMMITTED A CRIME AND AS
A RESULT ARE BEING PROSECUTED.
THESE ARE PEOPLE COMING FROM CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES WHERE
THE GANG VIOLENCE HAS GOTTEN SO
BAD THAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR OWN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY
OF THEIR CHILDREN SO THEY COME
TO THE US SEEKING REFUGE AND JUST THE NEAR THOUGHT OF THEM
CROSSING THE BORDER INTO THE UNITED STATES IS CONSIDERED A
CRIME UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
THAT IS A DISASTROUS WAY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION, IF YOU
DON'T CARE ABOUT BEING HUMANE, THE LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE ñ I
DISAGREE WITH YOU AND I COULDN'T
DISAGREE WITH YOU MORE BUT IN THE VERY LEAST UNDERSTAND THAT
IF YOU GENUINELY CARE ABOUT YOUR
TAXPAYER MONEY OR YOUR RESOURCES BEING MISUSED, THIS IS A PRIME
EXAMPLE.
THEY ARE NOT COMMITTING A CRIME SIMPLY FOR COMING TO THIS
COUNTRY TO SEEK REFUGE.
>>IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHY THEY ARE GOING TO MILITARY BASES,
THERE IS NOT A LOT OF PLACES TO HOUSE THEM.
HOMELAND SECURITY IS IN CHARGE OF THEM AND THEY ARE USING
MILITARY BASES TO HOUSE THEM.
THERE IS NOT THAT MUCH SPACE THERE IS ONLY SPACE FOR A LITTLE
OVER 10,000 KIDS.
WE ARE NOW AT 90% CAPACITY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WILL DO WHEN THEY RUN OUT OF THAT SPACE.
TO BE FAIR TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AT THE PEAK OF
WHEN THERE WAS A HUGE MIGRATION OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF
VIOLENCE AND OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC
CONDITIONS HAPPENING, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAD MORE THAN
7000 CHILDREN IN BASES IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, AND CALIFORNIA.
IS NOT LIKE THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
>>BUT
IT HAS HAPPENED UNDER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
DURING THAT YEAR YOU HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES, NO ONE WAS PREPARED FOR IT AND
THERE WAS NO SHELTER OR HOUSING
OR PLAN TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SITUATION.
HE DIDN'T DO IT AS A WAY OF PUNISHING PEOPLE.
BY THE WAY OBAMA HAD MANY PROBLEMS WHEN IT CAME TO HIS OWN
ACTIONS IN REGARD TO IMMIGRATION BUT WITH THAT SAID HIS
INTENTIONS WERE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE INTENTIONS THAT WE ARE
SEEING WITH THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
>> THAT GOES TO MY FINAL IRONIC DEFENSE, THEY TOLD YOU THEY
WERE GOING TO BE VICIOUS AND NOW THEY ARE BEING VICIOUS.
TRUMP SAID HE WOULD MURDER THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF PEOPLE HE
CONSIDERED TERRORISTS.
IN THE CASE OF IMMIGRANTS HE SAID HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN
CATCH AND RELEASE.
IN THE PAST ONLY 10% OF THE PEOPLE COMING HERE HAD COME WITH
KIDS OR WERE KIDS THEMSELVES NOT WITH ADULTS.
NOW IT IS UP TO 40%
BECAUSE OF THE CRISIS HAPPENING IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING A CHOICE TO BE VICIOUS TO
THEM, SEPARATE THE FAMILIES FROM THE KIDS, IMPRISON THE PARENTS
AND NOT CARE ABOUT ANY CRISIS OR WHETHER THEIR LIVES ARE IN
DANGER.
IF YOU LIKE THAT I'M SURE YOU ARE THRILLED.
YOU ARE A TRUMP VOTER AND YOU
SHOULD BE HAPPY, THAT IS WHAT HE
HAS PROMISED YOU AND THAT IS WHAT HE IS GIVING YOU.
FOR THE REST OF US IS THAT WHAT OUR COUNTRY IS ABOUT?
I KNOW YOU
WANT OPPORTUNITY, FREEDOM, AND YOU ARE RUNNING AWAY FROM
SOMETHING DANGEROUS ñ CAN WE SAY WE ARE GOING TO PUNISH YOU AND
TAKE AWAY YOUR KIDS AND PUT YOU
IN PRISON?
THAT IS NOT THE COUNTRY I WANT.
>> THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE NAUSEATING AT THIS POINT BECAUSE
WE CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT WHAT
KIND OF BAND-AID WE WANT TO USE ON A GUSHING WOUND.
WE NEVER HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CORE OF THE ISSUE AND WHAT
IS CAUSING ALL OF THESE PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMELAND
LOOKING FOR REFUGE.
IS BECAUSE OF GANG VIOLENCE.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH GANG VIOLENCE IN THESE COUNTRIES?
HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA.
DOES THE US PLAY ANY ROLE IN THAT?WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THE
WEAPONS FROM?
WHY IS IT THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT THEY
DO.
IS IT BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAFFICKING DRUGS?
IF YOU LEGALIZE DRUGS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THESE GANGS WILL
HAVE THE AMOUNT OF POWER THEY DO.
WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT
THOSE GANGS OR WHETHER OR NOT THE UNITED STATES PLAYS A ROLE
IN EMPOWERING AND EMBOLDENING THESE GANGS.
INSTEAD WE JUST HAVE DISCUSSION ON HOW WE CAN PUNCH THE VICTIMS.
>> WE HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE.
I KNOW THE RIGHT WING IDEOLOGY IS THERE ARE GANGS BECAUSE IT IS
LATIN AMERICA AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT HISTORY, IT IS A VERY EASY GUIDE.
WHEN WE DID PROHIBITION ON ALCOHOL WOULD WE GET?
WE GOT GANGS.
VICIOUS GANGS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
WE COULD OF SAID THAT A CHICAGO, OF COURSE.
ALL THE AMERICANS IN CHICAGO ARE BRUTAL.
THEY DID GANGS BECAUSE THEY PROFITED FROM SELLING ALCOHOL
BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTED ALCOHOL.
NOW THERE ARE VICIOUS GANGS BECAUSE THEY PROFIT FROM SELLING
DRUGS BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT DRUGS.
IF YOU DO PROHIBITION IT LEADS TO GANGS EVERY TIME.
ANA IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS THE WAR ON
DRUGS BUT WE WILL PLAY THE SILLY
GAMES AND DEMONIZE AND DEMAGOGUE BECAUSE IT GETS PEOPLE VOTES
IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE CASUALTIES OF THAT WAR ARE THESE KIDS IN THESE PARENTS THAT
HAVE COME HERE THAT WE HAVE NOW
CHOSEN TO TREAT IN THE MOST BRUTAL WAYS.