SOUTHERN
SOUTHERN BORDER-- HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON CENTRAL TEXAS. THE KVUE DEFENDERS FOUND
BACKLOGGED
COURT CASES THROUGHOUT DETENTION
CENTERS IN
TEXAS...
DELAYS IN PROCESSING MIGRANT
CLAIMS.
AND A GROUP OF AUSTIN
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS -
WHO ARE HELPING MIGRANTS
NAVIGATE THE
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. HERE'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
ERICA PROFFER.
ERICA PROFFER. NATS
NATS
NATS "THEY TOLD ME THAT IF I CONTINUE TO PROTEST OR MARCH."
GIVING UP.
NOT. GIVING IN.
"THEIR WORDS ARE 'WE WILL MAKE
YOU DISAPPEAR.'"
REYNALDO SERRA LOVES WHERE HE
GREW UP.
VENEZUELA.
BUT HE SAYS HE CAN'T STAY THERE.
REYNALDO WAS BEATEN AND JAILED
FOR PROTESTING
AGAINST THE VENEZUELAN
GOVERNMENT.
HIS DAUGHTER- THREATENED.
VENEZUELA IS DANGEROUS,
ACCORDING TO THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
TRAVEL ADVISORIES SHOW AMERICANS
SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
THIS RECENT UNITED NATIONS
RESOLUTION
SHOWS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS .
. THOUSANDS JAILED AND KILLED
WITHOUT A COURT
HEARING.
AND SHOWS A "CONCERN" FOR THE
LIVES OF THOSE SENT
BACK TO VENEZUELA.
"I HAD TO LEAVE MY COUNTRY"
REYNALDO CAME TO THE
INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE IN
LAREDO, ASKED FOR PROTECTION, .
"I WAS VERY AFRAID THERE"
SOUGHT ASYLUM.
"I WAS VERY AFRAID...AFRAID
SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO ME"
THE U.S. TOLD HIM TO "REMAIN IN
MEXICO."
HE JOINED 70-THOUSAND OTHER
ASYLUM SEEKERS
FORCED TO WAIT ACROSS THE
BORDER.
CROWDED SHELTERS IN MEXICO TOOK
IN FAMILIES AND
CHILDREN WHO WERE ALONE.
NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR HIM.
"I CRIED.. I CRIED EVERY DAY."
HE CLEANED A SCHOOL'S POOL AND
IN THE JANITOR'S
CLOSET.
TO STAY OFF THE STREETS AND STAY
SAFE.
"IT'S HARD."
MONTHS PASSED.
THEN, REYNALDO HEARD ABOUT A
GROUP OF
ATTORNEYS WHO HELP MIGRANTS
WAITING IN
MEXICO.
"I'M WORKING ON MY EULOGY "
ATTORNEYS LIKE WESTLAKE'S DICKY
GRIGG.
"YOU'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN
SOMEONE'S LIFE, AND IT'S
MEANINGFUL TO YOU."
DICKY MAKES HIS MONEY OFF
PERSONAL INJURY CASES,
NOT IMMIGRATION.
HE DOES NOT SPEAK SPANISH.
BUT HELPS REYNALDO..
"MY GUARDIAN ANGEL WAS BORN."
FOR FREE.
"I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
HELPING A HUMAN BEING."
HOW HE DOES THIS... BRINGS US
TO THIS PICNIC TABLE ON
AUSTIN'S 40TH STREET.
LINDSEY GRAY AND KATE
LINCOLN-GOLDFINCH
FORMED A NON-PROFIT CALLED
VECINA. "NEIGHBORS."
"I LOVE WORKING WITH LAWYERS!"
THEY RECRUIT OTHER ATTORNEYS
LIKE DICKY.
PAIR THEM WITH PRO-BONO
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS AND
VOLUNTEER TRANSLATORS.
" IT TAKES THAT WORK OFF OF THE
SHOULDERS OF THE ON THE
GROUND LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDERS
AND SAYS, WE'LL TAKE
THESE CASES."
THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD.
IN 2019 PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
CREATED THE
MIGRANT PROTECTION PROTOCOL.
ALSO KNOWN AS
THE "REMAIN IN MEXICO" POLICY..
IT ORDERED THOSE SEEKING ASYLUM
TO WAIT ACROSS THE
U.S. BORDER.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ENDED THE
PROGRAM AND BROUGHT
THE MIGRANTS HERE.
DATA FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
SHOWS AT THE
END OF MARCH, 85-PERCENT OF
THOSE TOLD TO "REMAIN IN
MEXICO" WERE NOW WAITING TO BE
TAKEN TO IMMIGRATION
COURT.
"TAKING AN IMMIGRATION CASE,
ESPECIALLY AN ASYLUM CASE, CAN
BE REALLY DAUNTING."
KATE SAYS MPP CASE BACKLOGS AND
COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS
MAY DELAY A CASE FOR YEARS. DATA
FROM SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SHOWS
90-
PERCENT OF THOSE WHO ARE PART OF
THE "REMAIN IN
MEXICO" POLICY DO NOT HAVE AN
ATTORNEY.
AND THOSE WITH ATTORNEYS ARE
FIVE TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO BE GRANTED
ASYLUM.
"YOU LITERALLY HAVE SOMEONE'S
LIFE IN YOUR HANDS."
KATE AND LINDSEY STARTED HELPING
WITH
ADULT ASYLUM CLAIMS.
AND NOW. THEY FOCUS ON MIGRANT
CHILDREN'S
RIGHTS.
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS. "SO WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN
FOR A SETTLEMENT IS
THAT IF A CHILD IS APPREHENDED
OR THEY COME TO THE BRIDGE
WITHIN
THREE DAYS, THEY SHOULD BE
TRANSFERRED INTO THE OFFICE OF
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT."
THE REFUGEE ACT OF 1980
ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY WORKS WITH
PRIVATE
COMPANIES AND NONPROFITS... MANY
THROUGHOUT
TEXAS.
THROUGHOUT TEXAS. THEY HOUSE MIGRANT CHILDREN
UNTIL GOVERNMENT
CASEWORKERS CAN PLACE THEM WITH
FAMILY
MEMBERS OR IN FOSTER HOMES.
THE PROCESS SHOULD WORK
QUICKLY.
KATE SAYS IT DOESN'T.
"THE SYSTEM HAS ATROPHIED
BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS
SHUT DOWN."
THE MIGRANT CHILD CENTERS
CLOSURES GO BACK TO
JANUARY 2019..
THE MPP... "REMAIN IN MEXICO"
POLICY INCLUDED
CHILDREN.
THEN, THE PANDEMIC HIT.
THE ACTIVE MIGRANT SHELTERS
CLOSED TO
OUTSIDERS.
SOME ATTORNEYS... KEPT OUT.
IMMIGRATION COURTS PRESSED PAUSE
FOR ANYONE
REMAINING IN MEXICO.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SAID WHEN
THE COURTS
OPENED BACK UP SUMMER 2020. IT
WAS FOR FOLKS
OUTSIDE DETENTION CENTERS. AND
NOT FOR THOSE WHO "REMAINED IN
MEXICO"
"THEY MAY HAVE BEEN OUT OF
SIGHT, OUT OF MIND FOR MANY OF
US, BUT THEY'VE BEEN IN DANGER
THIS ENTIRE TIME."
REOPENING THE IMMIGRATION
PROCESS BRINGS ITS OWN
PROBLEMS.
LATEST GOVERNMENT STATISTICS
SHOW MOST
CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE TURNED
AWAY DUE TO THE
COVID-19 THREAT.
THIS FEDERAL REPORT SHOWS COURT
CASES MOUNT AS THE
CHILDREN WHO DO CROSS GET
PROCESSED.
"THE FACILITIES HAVE TO BE
REOPENED. THEY HAVE TO BE
STAFFED. CASEWORKERS HAVE TO BE
ASSIGNED TO
THESE KIDS. AND SO THE RESULTING
CHAOS IS A NATURAL
CONSEQUENCE OF HAVING SHUT OFF
THE SYSTEM."
"I HAD A LOT OF ERRORS..
TRANSLATIONS WERE WRONG"
TRANSLATION ERRORS ON REYNALDO'S
PAPERWORK
COULD HAVE PUT HIS CASE IN
JEOPARDY.
DICKY'S TEAM CAUGHT IT.
"SO IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM"
..."EVERYTHING WAS WRONG"
AS THE NATION MOVES BEYOND THE
PANDEMIC, AS IT REOPENS.
LINDSEY AND KATE SAY MORE
ATTORNEYS NEED TO WORK
TOGETHER TO HELP REDUCE THE
BACKLOG, AND TO HELP
THOSE WANTING LEGAL MIGRATION.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS. I'M
ERICA PROFFER.
ERICA PROFFER.
FOR
FOR THE
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS. I'M ERICA PROFFER.
ERICA PROFFER. IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING FOR THE
KVUE DEFENDERS TO INVESTIGATE--
JUST SEND A TEXT MESSAGE TO THE
NUMBER ON YOUR
SCREEN.
THAT'S 5-1-2.. 4-5-9.. 9-4-4-2.