there’s TheraBreath at Walmart.
>>> WELCOME BACK. at Walmart.
>>> WELCOME BACK. THE WHITE HOUSE CRACKING DOWN ON
BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION, THIS MORNING NBC’S
GABE GUTIERREZ SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY
TO ACTING I.C.E. DIRECTOR
MATTHEW ALVEZ, TACKLING A RANGE
OF TOPICS INCLUDING THIS VIDEO
OF AN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL CRYING
AFTER HER FATHER WAS DETAINED
DURING A MASSIVE ROUNDUP IN
MISSISSIPPI LAST WEEK.
>> YOU’VE SEEN THIS VIDEO?
>> I HAVE, YES.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THAT
LITTLE GIRL?
LITTLE GIRL? >> WELL, I DON’T THINK I WOULD
SPEAK TO THE LITTLE GIRL.
I’D SPEAK TO THE PARENTS AND I
WOULD SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY AT
LARGE.
LARGE. LOOK, I’M A PARENT.
MOST OF OUR OFFICER AND AGENTS
ARE PARENTS.
ARE PARENTS. SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT
THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN OUR
JOB IS TO ENFORCE THE LAWS
INVOLVE THE SEPARATION OF
PARENTS FROM CHILDREN.
EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS TO
DEAL WITH THAT AT SOME POINT IN
THEIR CAREER.
THEIR CAREER. MANY OFFICERS ON A DAILY BASIS.
WHEN AN OFFICER GOES IN TO
ARREST SOMEONE FOR A CRIME OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE CHILDREN
THERE ARE GOING TO BE CRYING.
WE CONDUCT OUR OPERATIONS WITH
PROFESSIONALISM AND HUMANITY.
WE TRY OUR BEST TO MINIMIZE THE
IMPACT ON THE INNOCENT PEOPLE OF
THIS SITUATION.
THIS SITUATION. HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THE
LAW.
LAW. EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
ENFORCES THE LAW AGAINST
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BROKEN IT.
THE PARENTS OR THE INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE BREAKING THE LAW ARE
ULTIMATELY THE ONES THAT ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR PLACING THEIR
CHILDREN IN THIS SITUATION.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS NBC’S GABE
GUTIERREZ AND WASHINGTON POST
POLITICAL REPORTER EUGENE SCOTT.
GABE, I WAS WATCHING THAT.
I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU KEPT YOUR
COOL.
COOL. BECAUSE THE PARENTS ARE TO BE
BLAMED FOR BREAKING THE LAW?
FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS NO
ENFORCEMENT DISCERNIBLE AGAINST
THE EMPLOYERS.
THE EMPLOYERS. THE TIMING OF THE RAID HAS BEEN
QUESTIONED.
QUESTIONED. THE INSENSITIVITY OF PROCEEDING
WITH THE RAID THE SAME DAY AS
THE EL PASO VISIT BY THE
PRESIDENT TO COMFORT A
TERRORIZED HISPANIC COMMUNITY
AFTER WHAT HAPPENED IN EL PASO
DAYS EARLIER.
DAYS EARLIER. AND YES HE’S A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER, BUT WHY DIDN’T THEY
CONTACT MISSISSIPPI CHILD
SERVICES IN ADVANCE?
WHY DIDN’T THEY BRING IN HHS?
>> AND SO I PRESSED THE ACTING
DIRECTOR ON A FEW OF THOSE
THINGS.
THINGS. THEY SAY THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO
CONTACT CHILD PROTECTIVE
SERVICES AND THEY DID CONTACT
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS. >> NOT IN ADVANCE.
>> THE DIRECTOR SAYS BECAUSE
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OPERATION, THEY ARGUE THAT, YOU
KNOW, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
OPERATIONS YOU CAN’T TIP ANYONE
OFF.
OFF. THAT WAS HIS ARGUMENT.
NOW I DID PRESS HIM ON WHY MORE
OF THE EMPLOYERS WERE NOT
CHARGED.
CHARGED. HE DEFLECTED THAT SAYING IT’S
PART OF AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, THE ACTING DHS
DIRECTOR WAS ON "MEET THE
PRESS."
PRESS." HE CALLED THE TIMING
UNFORTUNATE, JUST A FEW DAYS
AFTER EL PASO O. BUT THE I.C.E.
ACTING DIRECTOR INSISTS IN HIS
VIEW THIS OPERATION IN
MISSISSIPPI, HE SAYS WENT OFF
WITHOUT A HITCH.
THAT’S WHAT HE TOLD ME.
>> IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE.
YOU KNOW, I CAN TAKE THEY SAY
THAT THEIR JOB IS LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
ENFORCEMENT. BUT THERE ARE POLICYMAKERS,
KEVIN McALLENEN AT THE TOP.
I KNOW THEY DIDN’T TELL THE
WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY WANTED
TO AVOID LEAKS.
FOR SOMEONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
NOT TO HAVE SAID THIS IS BACK
TIMING -- IN FACT THE PRESIDENT
WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS BY KRISTEN
WELKER ON FRIDAY.
HE SAID THAT THEY WERE HAPPY
ABOUT THE DETERRENT VALUE.
>> CORRECT.
>> CORRECT. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT’S
SIGNIFICANT.
SIGNIFICANT. QUITE A WHILE NOW THIS HAS BEEN
SEEN BY MANY AS A DETERRENT.
THE ADMINISTRATION HASN’T COME
OUT AND SAID IT.
ON FRIDAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP
CALLED THIS A DETERRENT AND I
ASKED THE ACTING I.C.E. DIRECTOR
WHETHER HE AGREED WITH THAT.
HE SUGGESTED THAT YES, HE DOES
AGREE THAT THIS IS A DETERRENT.
NOT THE VIDEO OF THAT LITTLE
GIRL PER SE, BUT THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. >> THE RIPPLE EFFECTS THROUGHOUT
THE COMMUNITY.
THE COMMUNITY. EUGENE, HHTHE DIRECTOR OF THE HH
WAS ON NPR TODAY.
LET’S PLAY THAT AUDIO.
>> WOULD YOU AGREE THAT EMMA
LAZARUS’ WORDS ETCHED ON THE
STATUE OF LIBERTY, GIVE ME YOUR
TIRED YOUR POOR ARE ALSO PART OF
THE AMERICAN ETHOS?
>> THEY CERTAINLY ARE R. GIVE ME
YOUR TIRED AND YOUR POOR WHO CAN
STAND ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET AND
WHO WILL NOT BECOME A PUBLIC
CHARGE.
CHARGE. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. HE’S NOT -- I MISSPOKE.
HE’S NOT HOMELAND.
HE’S A TOP IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL.
SO BASICALLY WE’RE SAYING GREEN
CARDS IF YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY,
IF YOU’VE GOT PRIVATE
HEALTHCARE.
HEALTHCARE. SO DON’T SEND ME YOUR TIRED,
SEND ME YOUR WEALTHY.
YOU KNOW, THE STRUGGLING MASSES.
>> IT’S A DEEP UNDERSTANDING FOR
WHY A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS COME TO
THE UNITED STATES IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
PLACE. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IS TO
GET A BETTER WAY OF LIFE TO HAVE
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. MANY OF THEM IF THEY HAD THESE
WHERE THEY WERE THEY WOULDN’T BE
COMING HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
SURPRISING ABOUT THIS NEW HARD
LINE APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION
COMING FROM THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THE RIGHT IS
THAT IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE FOR
THEM IN 2018 WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT THE FACT THEY TRIED TO
DOUBLE DOWN ON THE IMMIGRANTS
COMING FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, THE
CARAVANS TO THE U.S.
VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY DECIDED
THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY
WANTED TO GET BEHIND COMBINED
WITH THE CHILDREN IN THE CAGES.
IT’S LOOKING LIKE THESE I.C.E.
RAIDS, WHICH WE CAN EXPECT MORE
OF COULD BE THE NEW CAGES ISSUE
FOR THE RIGHT THAT CAUSES PEOPLE
ON THE LEFT TO VOTE AGAINST THEM
IN 2020.
IN 2020. I KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT
BELIEVES THIS WORKS REALLY WELL
AND IS EFFECTIVE WITH KEEPING
HIS BASE NEAR HIM.
IT PUSHES SWING VOTERS AWAY.
>> THIS IS ALL STEVEN MILLER,
YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS OF
CHANGING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
GREEN CARDS IN OCTOBER, UNLESS
THERE’S SOME LEGAL ACTION THAT
IMPEDES BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
IT CHANGES THE WHOLE CHARACTER
OF IMMIGRATION OF WHAT’S BEEN AN
HISTORIC NOT ONLY THE ASYLUM
SEEKING WHICH IS INTERNATIONAL
TREATY AND AMERICAN LAW.
BURT IT’S THE DNA OF AMERICA.
IT’S MY GRANDPARENTS,ING I DON’T
KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU.
>> THAT WAS ACCIDENT, WAS IT
NOT?
NOT? WE KEPT HEALING THE
ADMINISTRATION SPEAKING AGAINST
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. AND I ASKED THE ACTING I.C.E.
DIRECTOR AND HE SAID NO, THAT
WAS A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS DEFINITELY -- I ASKED
HIM WHETHER WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE
MORE OF THIS IN THE COMING
MONTHS AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT
YEAR, AS WE HEAD INTO THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. I.C.E. INSISTS THEY DO THESE
TYPES OF OPERATIONS EVERY DAY.
CERTAINLY IT APPEARS THAT WE
COULD SEE MORE OF THESE.
THAT PRESIDENT HIMSELF IN THE
LAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAD
DISCUSSED I.C.E. RAIDS WHERE
THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
HELD.
HELD. WE SHOULD SEE IN THE FUTURE
WHETHER ANY OF THESE LARGER
RAIDS, WHETHER WE’LL CONTINUE TO
SEE THEM.
SEE THEM. >> ALL YOUR REPORTING HAS BEEN