AND UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS.
WATCH THIS.
SO TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHERE
WE'RE GOING RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WERE WE GOING TO SEE RIGHT
NOW.
IT'S MORE THAN 11 MILES.
>> CORRECT IT'S 11.4 MILES OF
RIVER AND LAND QUARTER AND THIS
AREA IS, BELONGS TO THE EL PASO
STATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE
STATIONS IN THE EL PASO SECTOR
AND THIS AREA IS PROBABLY THE
BUSIEST AREA IN THE COUNTRY AT
THE MOMENT, WITH ILLEGAL ENTRIES
AND SO FORTH.
MARIA: WHEN YOU SAY A LOT OF
ACTIVITY WHAT ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS?
>> FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S
SINGLE ADULTS, USUALLY FOR THE
MOST PART THEY ARE CUBAN, FAMILY
UNITS ARE SOME CUBAN, FOR THE
MOST PART THEY ARE FROM
GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, FROM
THAT NORTHERN TRIANGLE REGION.
MARIA: WHY SO MUCH ACTIVITY FROM
JUST THOSE THREE COUNTRIES?
IS THE WORD OUT THAT IF YOU'RE
COMING FROM THAT REGION, YOU'RE
GOING TO PROBABLY BE ABLE TO
STAY?
>> THE WORD IS DEFINITELY OUT.
THEY HAVE ADVERTISEMENTS BY
RADIO.
YOU LISTEN TO YOUR RADIO ON YOUR
WAY TO WORK ON YOUR WAY TO THE
GROCERY STORE, AND THAT COUNTRY
IS ADVERTISING IF YOU WANT THE
AMERICAN DREAM, WE'LL HELP YOU
OUT, WE'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO GET
IT IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO THIS IS A HIGHWAY WHICH IS
RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER AND THEY
LOOK FOR AN AGENT.
MARIA: AND THE RIVER IS DRY
RIGHT NOW SO IT'S EASY TO GET
THROUGH.
>> CORRECT.
MARIA: MEXICO IS RIGHT THERE.
YES, MA'AM.
AND OF COURSE THEY RUN UP.
MARIA: SO THEY ARE JUST RUNNING
RIGHT HERE.
>> THIS IS A FAMILY GROUP THAT
JUST CROSSED.
MARIA: A FAMILY GROUP IS JUST
CROSSING WHILE WE'RE HERE RIGHT
HERE RIGHT NOW?
>> YES.
MARIA: WHERE WERE YOU GOING TO
GO?
WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?
>> I DON'T KNOW YET.
MARIA: DID SOMEBODY TELL YOU IN
HONDURAS THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO
STAY AND GET TO OKLAHOMA IF YOU
CROSSED?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE TOLD ME.
BASICALLY WALK TO AN AGENT AND
TURN THEMSELVES IN.
MARIA: SO THEY WANT TO SEE YOU
RIGHT NOW?
>> DEFINITELY.
MARIA: THEY WANT TO GET
APPREHENDED.
MARIA: THEY WANT TO GET
PROCESSED.
>> GIVE THEM THE PAPERS AND
THEN THEY GO NORTH AND THEY HAVE
LEGAL PAPERS TO BE WHEREVER THEY
ARE GOING TO BE AT.
MARIA: BECAUSE THE GIRLS WERE
SCREAMING?
>> BECAUSE THE GIRLS WERE
SCREAMING AND THEY RAN AND THEY
WERE ABLE TO PREVENT THEM FROM
BEING KIDNAPPED.
THEY ARE BY THEMSELVES.
MARIA: HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN
BY THEMSELVES?
>> TEN YEARS OF EIGHT AND AGE.
MARIA: AND YOU'VE BEEN TRAVELING
ALONE FOR HOW LONG?
>> THEY WERE TRAVELING, THEIR
MOM SET THEM DOWN, AND SHE WENT
TO GET SOMETHING FOR THEM TO EAT
AND NEVER RETURNED.
MARIA: HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN
TRAVELING WITH THE BABY?
>> TWO MONTHS.
MARIA: IT TOOK TWO MONTHS TO GET
HERE FROM ECUADOR?
>> THE BABY IS HUNGRY RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE SHE HASN'T EATEN AND AS
A RESULT SHE CAN'T PRODUCE ANY
BREAST MILK FOR HER CHILD TO EAT
MARIA: WHAT DANGER ARE THE KIDS
IN?
>> TEN YEARS AND EIGHT YEARS OF
AGE.
MARIA: AND THIS INFANT IS IN HER
MOTHER'S ARMS.
THIS WHOLE AREA WAS BEING
CONTROLLED BY THE DRUG CARTEL?
>> YES.
MARIA: AND THEN THE FENCE WENT
UP.
>> AS A RESULT OF THAT, NOW YOU
HAVE CHILDREN THAT YOU SEE HERE
COMING OUT AND THEY HAVE
FAMILIES GOING OUT TO WALK, AND
IT'S 18 FEET HIGH AND INSIDE IS
HOLLOW AND WE PUT REBAR IN THERE
AND FILL IT UP WITH CONCRETE, SO
THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
IT'S COMPLETELY SOLID.
MARIA: SO THE DRUG CARTELS IN
MEXICO KNOW EXACTLY THE BORDER,
KNOW EXACTLY THE VULNERABILITY
IES AND THAT'S IT.
THEY JUST KNOW.
THEY ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY
DO.
>> YES.
MARIA: WOW.
>> AND OF COURSE THEY ARE THE
ONES THAT ARE WINNING THIS.
MARIA: WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN YOU
HEAR IN THE MEDIA THEY ARE
SAYING THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE
BORDER CONTROL, I.C.E., THEY ARE
PUTTING KIDS IN CAGES AND LOCK
ING PEOPLE UP, THESE ARE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?
>> I SAY FIRST THAT I'M A
FATHER, I'M A FATHER OF TWO
CHILDREN.
I GO HOME WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH
KNOWING THAT I DID DIDN'T DO ANY
OF THAT.
ALL I CAN DO IS DO MY JOB AND DO