FULL FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK IN TERMS OF STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.
JUST IN TERMS OF SCANDALS AND
LEGAL STUFF.
LEGAL STUFF. >>> BUT I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE
A SCOOP TONIGHT, AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT I’M SURE YOU
HAVEN’T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT
TODAY.
TODAY. I KNOW THAT FOR SURE BECAUSE
THIS IS A BRAND-NEW STORY THAT
HAS JUST BEEN BROKEN BY NBC
NEWS.
NEWS. NOW, THE REPORTERS ON THIS STORY
ARE JACOB SOBOROFF AND JULIA
AINSLEY.
AINSLEY. WE’RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING WITH
JACOB IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT THE ORIGIN OF THIS STORY, I
HAVE TO TELL YOU, STARTED WITH A
TIP THAT WE RECEIVED ON THIS
SHOW, A TIP ABOUT THE BORDER
THAT LED TO THIS REPORTING THAT
IS ALLOWING US TO BREAK THIS
STORY TONIGHT.
STORY TONIGHT. THE TIP THAT WE GOT WAS
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS BORDER
STATION.
STATION. THIS IS THE U.S. BORDER PATROL
STATION IN YUMA, ARIZONA.
NOW, YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY
HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR BORDER STATION IN ALL
OF THE RECENT REPORTING ON THE
BAD CONDITIONS AND FACILITIES
RUN NEAR THE BORDER BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. I MEAN, THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE
HEARD ABOUT, WE CAN PUT THEM ON
A MAP.
A MAP. THE FIRST HOMELAND SECURITY
INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT THAT WE
GOT IN MAY WAS ABOUT TERRIBLE
CONDITIONS IN AND AROUND EL
PASO.
PASO. THAT LED TO A BUNCH OF FOLLOW-UP
REPORTING INCLUDING SOME
ESPECIALLY DIRE REPORTS ABOUT A
FACILITY JUST OUTSIDE EL PASO IN
CLINT, TEXAS.
CLINT, TEXAS. LAST WEEK THEN WE GOT ANOTHER
HOMELAND SECURITY INSPECTOR
GENERAL REPORT ABOUT TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION FACILITIES
ADMINISTRATION FACILITIES FURTHER SOUTHEAST FROM THERE IN
THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY DOWN AT
THE SOUTHERN MOST TIP OF TEXAS
AROUND BROWNSVILLE AND McALLEN.
WELL, NOW THIS NEW REPORTING
THAT WE’VE GOT TONIGHT IS ABOUT
A FACILITY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF
YOUR SCREEN THERE.
SORT OF THE NORTHWEST PART OF
THE BORDER -- THIS SECTION OF
THE BORDER THAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. IT THE A FACILITY IN YUMA,
ARIZONA.
ARIZONA. YUMA, ARIZONA IS RIGHT AT THE
SORT OF TIP OF ARIZONA WHERE
THAT STATE BORDERS BOTH MEXICO
AND CALIFORNIA.
AND CALIFORNIA. AND FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS THE
BORDER PATROL HAS BEEN OPEN
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE
TRYING TO BASICALLY INCARCERATE,
THEY WERE TRYING TO HANDLE MORE
KIDS AND FAMILIES THERE THAN
THEY HAD THE CAPACITY TO DEAL
WITH.
WITH. IN MAY, LOCAL PLASRESS REPORTED
YUMA THEY WERE ERECTING
TEMPORARY AWNINGS AND FENCING
AND HAD STARTED LOCKING UP SOME
IMMIGRANTS OUTSIDE BECAUSE THEY
FELT THEY DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH
SPACE TO KEEP PEOPLE INDOORS
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. JUST TWO WEEKS AGO THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED THAT
THE BORDER PATROL PUT UP A GIANT
NEW TENT AT THAT FACILITY IN
YUMA TO MAKE THEIR STATION THERE
MORE OFFICIALLY A PRISON CAMP.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE CONDITIONS
IN WHICH THEY ARE HOLDING
PEOPLE, AND SPECIFICALLY THE
CONDITIONS IN WHICH THEY’RE
HOLDING KIDS THERE, REPORTERS
JACOB SOBOROFF AND JULIA AINSLEY
HAVE TONIGHT PRODUCED A STORY
THAT IS BASED ON A REMARKABLE
NEW TROVE OF INFORMATION ON THE
CONDITIONS AT YUMA.
AND THIS IS ALL PREVIOUSLY
UNREPORTED.
UNREPORTED. THIS IS ALL NEW.
SPECIFICALLY WHAT JACOB AND
JULIA OBTAINED ARE MORE THAN TWO
DOZEN SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
REPORTS.
REPORTS. THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
REPORTS WRITTEN UP BY U.S.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL.
THEY’RE REPORTS BASED ON THINGS
DESCRIBED BY KIDS, KIDS WHO WERE
ALL HELD BY BORDER PATROL AT THE
YUMA BORDER STATION.
THESE ARE KIDS WHO ARE NOT
SUPPOSED TO BE HELD BY BORDER
PATROL FOR MORE THAN 72 HOURS.
IN ALL OF THESE SIGNIFICANT
INCIDENT REPORTS, ALL OF THESE
KIDS NEVERTHELESS WERE HELD
LONGER THAN 72 HOURS.
WHEN THEY WERE MOVED OUT OF THE
BORDER PATROL FACILITY THEY WERE
PUT IN CUSTODY OF A DIFFERENT
FEDERAL AGENCY THAT IS SUPPOSED
TO TAKE IN KIDS.
THEY WERE MOVED TO THE CUSTODY
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES AND ITS CASE
MANAGERS FROM HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES WHO WROTE THESE
REPORTS.
REPORTS. THEY WROTE DOWN THESE
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT REPORTS
BASED ON WHAT THESE KIDS SAID
HAPPENED TO THEM WHILE THEY WERE
IN BORDER PATROL CUSTODY.
AND PICTURE THESE INCIDENT
REPORTS TELL AT ONE LEVEL IS
THAT THE SAME THINGS THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL FOUND IN EL
PASO AND IN CLINT AND IN McALLEN
AND IN BROWNSVILLE AND ALL OF
THOSE FACILITIES IN BETWEEN,
THOSE DESCRIPTIONS OF VERY BAD
CONDITIONS, PARTICULARLY IN
WHICH KIDS ARE BEING HELD,
ACCORDING TO THESE SIGNIFICANT
INCIDENT REPORTS THAT NBC HAS
OBTAINED TONIGHT THOSE
CONDITIONS AREN’T JUST HAPPENING
IN TEXAS, THEY’RE ALSO EXTENDING
TO ARIZONA.
TO ARIZONA. THIS IS APPARENTLY WHAT THEY’RE
DOING TO KIDS EVERYWHERE.
AND I CAN SHOW YOU SOME OF THE
RAW MATERIAL THAT WE’VE GOT.
THESE ARE DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT REPORTS.
SO HERE’S ONE FROM A TEENAGE
BOY.
BOY. THE BOY "REPORTED SLEEPING ON
THE FLOOR IN A VERY CROWDED
ROOM.
ROOM. HE STATED IT MUST HAVE BEEN
ABOUT 80 TO 100 INDIVIDUALS IN
THE ROOM.
THE ROOM. THEY DIDN’T HAVE A SHOWER.
THE BOY REPORTED THAT HE WAS
TOLD HE HAD THE RIGHT TO ONE
PHONE CALL BUT IT WAS NEVER
PROVIDED DURING HIS STAY.
HE ALSO REPORTED SOMETIMES BEING
VERY COLD AT NIGHT AND
STRUGGLING TO FIND A SPOT TO LAY
DOWN DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE
IN THE ROOM."
HERE’S A DIFFERENT REPORT FROM A
TEENAGE GIRL.
TEENAGE GIRL. "RESIDENT REPORTED THAT THERE
WERE MANY GIRLS IN A SMALL ROOM.
RESIDENT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS
NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO LAY DOWN TO
SLEEP AS THE ROOM WAS
OVERCROWDED."
OVERCROWDED." HERE’S A SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
REPORT FROM A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY
WHO WAS HELD FOR 11 DAYS AND 12
NIGHTS."
NIGHTS." MINOR DISCLOSED THAT HE DID NOT
HAVE ACCESS TO TAKE A SHOWER OR
CHANGE HIS CLOTHING WHILE HE WAS
IN CUSTODY."
IN CUSTODY." A DIFFERENT TEENAGE BOY.
"CHILD REPORTED THE ERR WERE
PROBSLY 50 TO 60 PEOPLE IN THE
HOLDING AREA WHERE HE WAS
DETAINED, WOULD SLEEP ON THE
FLOOR AND WAS NOT PROVIDED A
PILLOW OR BLANKET.
SOME OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY
OFFICIALS WOULD RESPOND
NEGATIVELY IF ANYONE ASKED THEM
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. CHILD REPORTED THAT THE HOMELAND
SECURITY OFFICIALS WOULD YELL AT
THE DETAINEES."
THE DETAINEES." ANOTHER TEENAGE BOY REPORTS
"THAT HE WAS DETAINED IN A ROOM
WITH APPROXIMATELY 70 OTHER
MINORS.
MINORS. THE CHILD REPORTED THAT HE WAS
NOT ABLE TO LAY DOWN TO SLEEP
DUE TO A LACK OF SPACE AND HAD
TO SLEEP SITTING DOWN."
HERE’S A DIFFERENT TEENAGED BOY.
"CLIENT REPORTED HE SLEPT IN A
ROOM THAT ACCOMMODATED ABOUT 60
OTHER MINORS.
OTHER MINORS. CLIENT STATES HE SLEPT ON THE
FLOOR WITHOUT AN ALUMINUM
BLANKET.
BLANKET. CLIENT DISCLOSED THAT THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IN THE SAME
ROOM AS HIM HAD TO TAKE TURNS
SLEEPING AS THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH
ROOM ON THE FLOOR FOR EVERYONE
TO LAY DOWN.
CLIENT STATED THERE WERE NO
SHOWERS AVAILABLE."
SHOWERS AVAILABLE." HERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INS DIDN’T
REPORT FROM A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
WHO WAS LOCKED UP WITH HER
SISTER.
SISTER. "CHILD REPORTED SLEEPING ON THE
FLOOR AS THEY WERE PLACED IN A
ROOM WITH 60 TO 70 MINORS.
CHILD REPORTED THERE WAS NO ROOM
TO LAY DOWN AND OFTEN TIMES THEY
WOULD NOT SLEEP.
CHILD REPORTED THEY WERE NOT
ALLOWED TO SHOWER."
THESE INCIDENT REPORTS JUST ONE
AFTER THE OTHER THEY DESCRIBE
SIMILAR CONDITIONS.
SIMILAR CONDITIONS. NO SPACE TO LAY DOWN.
NO SHOWERS.
NO SHOWERS. NO TEETH BRUSHING.
NO CHAINS OFNGES OF CLOTHES.
NO PHONE CALLS.
SOME KIDS IN THESE INCIDENT
REPORTS DESCRIBE GETTING SICK IN
SOME OF THESE FACILITIES.
HERE IS A 15-YEAR-OLD BOY.
"CHILD REPORTED WHILE HE WAS IN
HOMELAND SECURITY CUSTODY HE
FELT SICK AND HAD A FEVER.
HIS THROAT HURT AND DIDN’T ALLOW
HIM TO EAT WELL.
CHILD DISCLOSED THAT THE WATER
HAD A LOT OF CHLORINE.
CHILD STATED HE WAS SERVED
SOMETHING TO EAT THREE TIMES PER
DAY BUT SINCE HIS THROAT HURT HE
WAS UNABLE TO EAT.
CHILD ALSO REPORTED HE SLEPT ON
THE FLOOR WITHOUT A MATTRESS AND
WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH A BLANKET.
CHILD DISCLOSED THAT THE
TEMPERATURE AT NIGHT WAS REALLY
COLD.
COLD. CHILD DISCLOSED HE SLEPT IN A
LARGE ROOM WITH A TOTAL OF 40
MINORS RAGING 14 TO 16 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SHOWER."
THIS IS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO DOZEN OF
THESE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED
BY NBC NEWS NOW THAT PERTAIN TO
KIDS WHO WERE HELD AT THE YUMA
BORDER PATROL STATION IN YUMA,
ARIZONA.
ARIZONA. NOW, THE FACT THAT THESE REPORTS
EXIST, THAT MEANS THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION KNOWS ABOUT THESE
CONDITIONS.
CONDITIONS. I MEAN, THESE ARE -- THESE ARE
REPORTS THAT ARE MADE TO FEDERAL
WORKERS.
WORKERS. THESE ARE REPORTS THAT ARE
WRITTEN BY AND FILED BY CASE
WORKERS WHO WORK FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. BUT THESE REPORTS DATE FROM
APRIL OF THIS YEAR THROUGH
MID-JUNE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST
PUBLIC REPORTING OF THESE
CONDITIONS AT ALL.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
KNOWN ABOUT THIS BUT THEY HAVE
NOT ALLOWED ANY OF THIS
INFORMATION TO BECOME PUBLIC.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THESE
CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THOUGH,
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THESE
REPORTS THAT I’M JUST GOING TO
SINGLE OUT FOR SOME SPECIFIC
ATTENTION HERE BEFORE WE TALK
WITH JACOB SOBOROFF ABOUT THIS
REPORTING.
REPORTING. BECAUSE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF
THESE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT
DESCRIBE SPECIFIC ALLEGED
BEHAVIOR BY HOMELAND SECURITY
STAFF THAT I JUST -- THAT --
IT’S SERIOUS STUFF AND I JUST
THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
THE FIRST ONE IS AN ALLEGATION
OF PUNISHMENT MADE AGAINST THE
KIDS.
KIDS. THE SECOND ONE IS AN ALLEGATION
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
BY A HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICER.
THE PUNISHMENT ALLEGATION IS
THIS.
THIS. THIS IS FROM A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY.
"CLIENT STATED THAT THE WATER
THAT HE WAS GIVEN, THE WATER
TASTED LIKE CHLORINE.
CLIENT DISCLOSED THAT THE ERR
WERE ABOUT 30 MINORS IN THE
DETENTION CENTER AS WELL.
THE OTHER MINORS STARTED TO
COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FOOD AND
WATER BEING PROVIDED TO THEM.
CLIENT STATED THAT THE MINORS
STARTED PROTESTING ABOUT IT AND
BECAUSE OF IT THE OFFICERS TOOK
OUT ALL OF THE SLEEPING MATS."
SO THIS IS AN ALLEGATION THAT
BORDER PATROL STAFF TOOK AWAY
THE MATS ON WHICH KIDS WERE
ALLOWED TO SLEEP, SPECIFICALLY
BECAUSE THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT
THEIR WATER TASTING LIKE
CHLORINE AND HAVING BAD QUALITY
FOOD.
FOOD. THE KIDS COLLECTIVELY IN THIS
DESCRIBING SPOKE OUT AGAINST
THAT AND THEY WERE COLLECTIVELY
PUNISHED AND THEY WERE FORCED TO
SLEEP ON THE FLOOR AND HAD THEIR
MATS TAKEN AWAY AS PUNISHMENT.
HIRES THE
HIRES THE HERE’S THE OTHER SPECIFIC
ALLEGATION I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
AGAIN, JACOB SOBOROFF AND JULIA
AINSLEY TURNED THIS UP IN THEIR
REPORTING AS THEY OBTAINED THESE
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT REPORTS.
THIS ONE I’LL TELL YOU IN
ADVANCE, THIS ONE IS DISTURBING.
IT CONCERNS A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
I’M JUST GOING TO READY THIS
VERBATIM FROM THE SIGNIFICANT
INCIDENT REPORT.
INCIDENT REPORT. "MINOR REPORTED THAT ON APRIL
8th, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00
P.M., SHE WAS INSPECTED BY A
HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICER WHO
WAS HEAVY-SET, TALL AND WITH A
BEARD IN FRONT OF MANY OTHER
IMMIGRANTS, MALES, FEMALES,
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. MINOR REPORTS OFFICER ASKED HER
TO LIFT HER SHIRT UP TO BRA LINE
AND PUT HIS HANDS INSIDE HER BRA
AND TOUCHED HER BREAST.
MINOR REPORTED THAT SHE FELT
EMBARRASSED AS THE OFFICER WAS
SPEAKING TO OTHER OFFICERS AND
LAUGHING.
LAUGHING. ASKED HER TO PULL HER PANTS DOWN
TO HER WAIST TO VERIFY SHE
DIDN’T HAVE OTHER PANTSD ON
UNDERNEATH.
UNDERNEATH. TOUCHED HER WAIST AND PULLED HER
UNDERWEAR.
UNDERWEAR. THEN ASKED HER TO SPREAD HER
LEGS AND ARMS AND PATTED HER
DOWN IN A WAY THAT MADE HER FEEL
UNCOMFORTABLE AT SHE FELT HE
GROPED HER BODY, HER BREAST AND
PRIVATE PARTS AS WELL.
MINOR REPORTED HE CONTINUED TO
LAUGH AND SPEAK IN ENGLISH WITH
OTHER OFFICERS DURING THE ENTIRE
PROCESS."
PROCESS." SO THAT VERBATIM WAS REPORTED TO
A CASE MANAGER WORKING FOR THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WORKING FOR
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
REPORTED BY THIS TEENAGE GIRL.
NOW, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE?
WELL, WE CAN SEE THE WAY IT’S
MARKED, THE WAY THE RESPONSE IS
MARKED BY THE CASE MANAGER IN
THE REPORT.
THE REPORT. THERE’S A CATEGORY MARKED "STAFF
RESPONSE AND INTERVENTION."
AND AFTER THAT CATEGORY ON THE
FORM, THE CASE MANAGER HAS
WRITTEN IN THIS CASE MANAGER
PROVIDED EMPATHETIC LISTENING
AND SUPPORT AS WELL AS
VERBALIZED RELIEF AND SENSE OF
SAFETY.
SAFETY. THERE’S ANOTHER CATEGORY,
"FOLLOW-UP AND/OR RESOLUTION."
CASE MANAGER WRITES THIS.
"THIS CHILD WILL BE RECEIVING
INDIVIDUALIZED COUNSELLING AS
NEEDED AS WELL AS GROUP
COUNSELLING.
COUNSELLING. TO ENSURE THE CHILD’S NEEDS ARE
BEING MET."
BEING MET." THEN THERE IS A STATEMENT, A
PLACE TO ADD RECOMMENDATIONS.
"RECOMMENDATIONS, CASE MANAGER
FILLS IN ASSIGNED CLINICIAN TO
FOLLOW UP AS NEEDED."
THEN THERE IS A PLACE ON THE
FORM WHERE IT SAYS "REPORTED TO
STATE LICENSING."
STATE LICENSING." CASE MANAGER SAYS "NO."
WAS THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATED?
CASE MANAGER SAYS "NO."
SO ACCORDING TO THIS DOCUMENT,
ACCORDING TO THIS SIGNIFICANT
INCIDENT REPORT FILLED OUT BY A
CASE MANAGER AT THE HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BASED
ON A CONVERSATION WITH A
16-YEAR-OLD GIRL ABOUT HER TIME
IN CUSTODY, AN INCIDENT THAT SHE
SAID HAPPENED JUST BEFORE SHE
TURNED 16, WHEN SHE WAS 15 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. ACCORDING TO THIS DOCUMENT, THE
INCIDENT WAS NOT INVESTIGATED.
THE GIRL WAS 15 AT THE TIME SHE
SAYS THIS HAPPENED.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
KNOWN ABOUT THIS ALLEGATION FOR
MORE THAN A MONTH BECAUSE THE
DATE OF THIS INCIDENT IS JUNE
5th.
5th. THAT’S WHEN THIS GIRL CAME
FORWARD TO DESCRIBE WHAT
HAPPENED TO HER.
WE KNOW ABOUT IT TONIGHT BECAUSE
REPORTERS JACOB SOBOROFF AND
JULIA AINSLEY OBTAINED THAT
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT REPORT.
IT SUPPOSEDLY HAPPENED AT THE
U.S. BORDER PATROL STATION IN
YUMA, ARIZONA.
YUMA, ARIZONA. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT
RELEASED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT
CONDITIONS AT THAT FACILITY, LET
ALONE INCIDENTS LIKE THIS.
NOW THAT NBC NEWS HAS OBTAINED
THIS INFORMATION, THOUGH, WHAT’S
GOING TO HAPPEN IN RESPONSE?
JOINING US NOW IS ONE OF THE TWO
REPORTERS WHO BROKE THIS STORY,
JACOB SOBOROFF.
JACOB SOBOROFF. JACOB, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING TIME.
>> RACHEL, THANKS.
AND THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM
FOR COLLABORATING WITH US ON
THIS.
THIS. >> YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THIS
ORIGINATED WITH ESSENTIALLY A
TIP FROM A VIEWER, SOMEBODY
ALERTING US TO THE EXISTENCE OF
THESE -- OF THESE INCIDENT
REPORTS.
REPORTS. LET HE JUST ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR
REPORTING PROCESS A LITTLE BIT
AND HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO VERIFY
WHAT THESE WERE WHAT THEY APPEAR
TO BE.
TO BE. >> THESE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
REPORTS, RACHEL, ARE BASICALLY
TAKEN DOWN BY EVERY SINGLE CASE
MANAGER AT HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES.
SERVICES. EVERYONE HAS AN INTAKE PROCESS
AND ANY TIME SOMETHING IS
FLAGGED, THESE CASE MANAGERS
FILL OUT ONE OF THESE FORMS AND
THEY SUBMIT THEM TO A VARIETY OF
OVERSIGHT AGENCIES.
OVERSIGHT AGENCIES. AND WE WERE ABLE TO BY LOOKING
AT THESE FORMS AND TRIANGULATING
THEM BASICALLY WITH OTHER FORMS
FROM OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT THESE
CASES, THESE CHILDREN, INDEED,
DID MAKE THESE ALLEGATIONS.
>> AND JACOB, I WANT TO TALK TO
YOU ABOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS, BUT IN
THAT LAST INCIDENT REPORT THAT I
DESCRIBED, THE ONE THAT
DESCRIBED WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN
ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULT.
THERE IS THIS NOTATION ON THIS
INCIDENT REPORT THAT SAYS
EXPLICITLY THAT THIS INCIDENT
WAS NOT INVESTIGATED.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION
ON THAT?
ON THAT? OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE THAT INVOLVES
A MINOR CHILD AND AN ALLEGATION
OF WHAT IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE
SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST A FEDERAL
OFFICIAL IN UNIFORM, WHERE THE
WAY SHE DESCRIBES IT THERE WOULD
HAVE BEEN OTHER WITNESSES WHO
COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY
CORROBORATED THIS STORY.
ONE WOULD EXPECT THAT THERE
WOULD BE SOME SORT OF DUTY TO
REPORT.
REPORT. IT IS SURPRISING TO SEE A
NOTATION THAT THIS WAS NOT
INVESTIGATED.
INVESTIGATED. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET
ANYTHING FURTHER FROM THE
GOVERNMENT ON THIS INCIDENT IN
PARTICULAR?
PARTICULAR? >> YEAH, A COUPLE OF THINGS I
WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR CASE, RACHEL.
THE TRAGEDY OF THIS CASE IS THAT
THIS YOUNG GIRL LIVED INSIDE HHS
CUSTODY WITH THIS STORY FOR
QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE THE STORY
CAME FORWARD.
CAME FORWARD. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS
WEEKS EARLIER, SHE ULTIMATELY
CAME FORWARD AND GAVE THE
RECORD.
RECORD. WE’VE GONE TO CBP.
IT HAD BEEN HOURS THAT WE ASKED
THEM AND GONE BY WITH NO
RESPONSE.
RESPONSE. IF YOU DON’T MIND, GUY THE EMAIL
IN MINUTES BEFORE WE CAME ON THE
SHOW.
SHOW. >> PLEASE.
>> PLEASE. >> I WANT TO READ TO YOU WHAT
CBP SAID ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. TREATS THOSE IN OUR CUSTODY WITH
DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND PROVIDES
MULTIPLE AVENUES TO REPORT ANY
ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT.
THE ALLEGATIONS DO NOT ALIGN
WITH COMMON PRACTICE AT OUR
FACILITIES AND WILL BE FULLY
INVESTIGATED.
INVESTIGATED. HERE IS THE PART ABOUT THE
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE
ALLEGATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IS
ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY’S OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
GENERAL.
GENERAL. >> HMM.
>> HMM. >> AND NOW I SUPPOSE ON THE ONE
HAND THAT’S REASSURING, BUT ON
THE OTHER HAND YOU’VE ALREADY
RAISED THE CRITICAL POINT,
THEY’VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR
QUITE SOME TIME, THEY’VE KEPT
THIS UNDER WRAPS AND IT WASN’T
LIKE THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
THEY KNOW WHERE IT HAPPENED.
THEY KNOW WHO IS BEING ALLEGED
TO BE THE PERPETRATOR IN THIS
INCIDENT AND STILL NOTHING FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY, BEYOND WHAT WE’VE JUST
GOTTEN.
GOTTEN. >> AND, AGAIN, THE TIMING HERE
IS THA THIS GIRL IN EARLY JUNE,
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A
MONTH AGO, TOLD A CASE WORKER
FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
THAT WHEN SHE WAS IN HOMELAND
SECURITY CUSTODY PREVIOUSLY IN
APRIL, WHICH FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
IS BEFORE SHE TURNED 16 YEARS
OLD.
OLD. SHE DESCRIBES IN DETAIL WHAT SHE
SAYS WAS ESSENTIALLY A SEXUAL
ASSAULT BY AN OFFICER, BY A
UNIFORMED OFFICER.
UNIFORMED OFFICER. IT TOOK PLACE IN FRONT OF OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THIS STATEMENT THAT YOU JUST GOT
FROM CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL
SAYING THIS IS UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL OFFICE AT HOMELAND
SECURITY, THAT’S -- THAT’S THE
FIRST REFERENCE WE’VE EVER SEEN
TO A POTENTIAL SEXUAL ASSAULT BY
A STAFF MEMBER, AT LEAST THIS
PARTICULAR ONE BEING
INVESTIGATED, RIGHT?
INVESTIGATED, RIGHT? WE’VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE FROM
THE GOVERNMENT THAT THIS WAS
BEING LOOKED AT.
>> AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT’S
CORRECT, RACHEL.
CORRECT, RACHEL. THE OTHER THING THAT IS PUZZLING
TO ME ABOUT THIS RESPONSE, WE
PUT FORWARD AND YOU READ MANY
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST
BORDER PATROL AGENTS AT THE YUMA
BORDER PATROL STATION, INCLUDING
RETALIATION BY BORDER PATROL
OFFICERS TO PEOPLE LITERALLY
PROTESTING FOR CLEAN FOOD AND
CLEAN WATER.
CLEAN WATER. THEY MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. THEY MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL LOOKING INTO
THAT INCIDENT OR ANY OF THE
OTHER DOZENS OF REPORTS THAT WE
TOLD THEM THAT WE’VE OBTAINED.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. AND THE ONLY CONFIRMATION WE GET
THAT ANY OF IT’S BEING LOOKED
AT, I SHOULD MENTION, COMES IN
RESPONSE TO A REPORTER CALLING
THEM AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. JACOB, THANKS FOR HELPING US GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY,
HELPING US FOLLOW UP ON THOSE
LEADS THAT WE GOT.
I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO STAY ON