THERE’S LOTS OF DIFFERENT NEWS TODAY COMING IN FROM LOTS OF
DIFFERENT PLACES.
DIFFERENT PLACES. LOTS TO GET TO THIS HOUR.
BUT WE ARE-GROWING GOING TO
START TONIGHT WITH SOMETHING
THAT WE’VE GOT EXCLUSIVELY.
IT’S AN EXCLUSIVE STORY AND SOME
EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE THAT’S NEVER
BEEN SEEN ANYWHERE BEFORE
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. A WEEK AGO THE STORY OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TAKING KIDS
AND BABIES AWAY FROM THEIR MOMS
AND DADS AT THE BORDER, THAT
STORY TOOK A HARD AND SEEMINGLY
IRREVERSIBLE TURN A WEEK AGO
WHEN FOR THE FIRST TIME
PROPUBLICA OBTAINED AND
PUBLISHED A RECORDING.
A RECORDING OF THESE LITTLE KIDS
SCREAMING FOR THEIR PARENTS
INSIDE A FACILITY WHERE THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAD PUT
THEM AFTER TAKING THEM AWAY FROM
THEIR PARENTS.
THEIR PARENTS. THAT AUDIO RECORDING OF THOSE
CRYING, SCREAMING LITTLE KIDS
WAS MADE SURREPTITIOUSLY.
IT WAS SMUGGLED OUT OF A TEXAS
BORDER REGION FACILITY.
IT WAS OBTAINED BY A VETERAN
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER AT
PROPUBLICA NAMED GINGER
THOMPSON.
THOMPSON. AND WHEN PROPUBLICA RELEASED
THAT AUDIO RECORDING LAST WEEK,
IT PROCEEDED TO BREAK EVERY
LIVING HEART IN AMERICA.
BY THE FOLLOWING EVENING THAT
RECORDING WAS BEING BROADCAST ON
LOUDSPEAKERS OUTSIDE TRUMP’S
HOTEL IN D.C. AS PEOPLE DROVE
INTO THE PARKING FACILITY FOR
THAT HOTEL TO ATTEND A
REPUBLICAN FUND-RAISER THEY HAD
TO DRIVE PAST LOUDSPEAKERS
PLAYING THE SOUND OF THOSE
SCREAMING KIDS.
SCREAMING KIDS. THE DAY AFTER THAT THERE WERE
LOUDSPEAKERS SET UP OUTSIDE THE
WHITE HOUSE BLASTING THAT
RECORDING AT THE WHITE HOUSE
ITSELF.
ITSELF. BY FRIDAY AT THE END OF LAST
WEEK CONGRESSMAN TED LIEU WAS
RISK’S CENSURE IN THE U.S.
CONGRESS BY REFUSING TO STOP
PLAYING THAT RECORD ON THE FLOOR
OF THE HOUSE.
THAT AUDIO RECORDING OF THOSE
DISTRAUGHT KIDS BEING TAKEN AWAY
FROM FRR PARENTS AND SCREAMING
FOR THEIR MOTHERS AND FATHERS,
THAT RECORDING SMUGGLED OUT OF
THAT GOVERNMENT FACILITY, THAT
MORE THAN ANYTHING APPEARS TO
HAVE BEEN WHAT TURNED THE TIDE,
WHAT MADE THE POLICY OF
SEPARATING KIDS FROM THEIR
PARENTS UNSUSTAINABLE EVEN FOR
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
THIS ADMINISTRATION. AND THE PRESIDENT REPORTEDLY NOW
SAYS HE REGRETS HAVING SIGNED
THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER LAST WEEK
TO END THE POLICY.
BUT HE DID SIGN AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER LAST WEEK TO END THE
POLICY.
POLICY. I DON’T THINK THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WILL EVER ADMIT
THAT IT WAS THAT PROPUBLICA
AUDIO RECORDING THAT FORCED
THEIR HAND.
THEIR HAND. BUT ULTIMATELY WHEN THE HISTORY
OF THIS AMERICAN MOMENT IS
WRITTEN I THINK THAT WILL
PROBABLY BE SEEN AS THE
PROXIMATE CAUSE.
PROXIMATE CAUSE. SO THE PRESIDENT AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION DID CAVE, AND
SUPPOSEDLY END THE POLICY LAST
WEEK.
WEEK. APPARENTLY, THAT AUDIO RECORDING
AND ALL THE PROTESTS AND ALL THE
CRITICISM AND THE LAWSUITS AND
THE LIVE WIRE OF MORAL UPSET AND
OUTRAGE THEY SET SPARKING WITH
THAT POLICY WAS ENOUGH TO GET
THEM TO KILL THE POLICY LAST
WEEK, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH
TO GET THEM TO RETURN THE KIDS
THEY HAVE ALREADY TAKEN.
I MEAN, THE COUNTRY’S SHAME AND
OUTRAGE OVER THAT POLICY SHAMED
THEM INTO DROPPING THE POLICY.
BUT THEY APPARENTLY ARE NOT YET
SHAMED INTO ANY CONSTANT RLTED
EFFORT TO ACTUALLY FREE THE
KIDS, TO ACTUALLY GET THOSE KIDS
BACK TO THEIR MOMS AND DADS.
THE ADMINISTRATION NOW SAYS
THEY’VE GOT WELL OVER 2,000 KIDS
IN CUSTODY THAT ARE KIDS THEY
HAVE TAKEN FROM THEIR PARENTS.
AND ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT IS
NOW BRAGGING THAT THEY’RE SURE
THEY HAVEN’T ACTUALLY LOST ANY
OF THESE KIDS, THEY DEFINITELY
KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE, BY AND
LARGE IT SEEMS THAT PARENTS WHO
HAVE HAD THEIR KIDS TAKEN DON’T
KNOW WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE AND
KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM
THEIR PARENTS DON’T KNOW WHERE
THEIR PARENTS ARE.
IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHAT IT’S
GOING TO TAKE TO ACTUALLY SHAME
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INTO
DOING THAT WORK, INTO ACTUALLY
RETURNING KIDS TO THEIR PARENTS
INSTEAD OF SENDING OUT PRESS
RELEASES PRETENDING LIKE THE
EFFORT SUNDER WAY WHEN IT
PROFOUNDLY OBVIOUSLY IS NOT.
WELL, NOW WE ARE GOING TO
ADVANCE THE STORY A LITTLE
FURTHER TONIGHT.
FURTHER TONIGHT. TONIGHT WE HAVE OBTAINED FOR THE
FIRST TIME A VIDEO RECORDING
TAKEN INSIDE A FACILITY THAT IS
PROVIDING SERVICES TO SOME OF
THESE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN TAKEN
AWAY FROM THEIR MOMS AND THEIR
DADS.
DADS. THIS RECORDING THAT WE HAVE
OBTAINED IS FROM A FACILITY THAT
IS NOT ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
SO THESE KIDS WHO’VE BEEN TAKEN
AWAY FROM THEIR PARENTS HAVE
BEEN FLOWN BY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION THOUSANDS OF
MILES TO BE HELD ALONE AWAY FROM
THEIR PARENTS.
THEIR PARENTS. NEW YORK OFFICIALS INCLUDING NEW
YORK STATE’S GOVERNOR AND NEW
YORK CITY’S MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO
SAID THEY WERE OUTRAGED LAST
WEEK TO LEARN THAT MORE THAN 200
KIDS WERE BEING HELD IN A
FACILITY IN NEW YORK CITY
UNBEKNOWNST TO LOCAL PUBLIC
OFFICIALS.
OFFICIALS. MAYOR DE BLASIO SAID NO NEW YORK
OFFICIALS HAD ANY NOTICE THAT
THE KIDS WERE BEING BROUGHT
HERE.
HERE. WE LEARNED THAT THEY WERE HERE
WHEN A TV NEWS CREW CAUGHT GIRLS
BEING MOVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT AFTER THEY RECEIVED A TIP
FROM SOMEONE WHO HAD COME TO
LEARN THAT KIDS WHO HAD BEEN
SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS
WERE BEING BROUGHT TO NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY. WELL, NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME WE
CAN SHOW YOU FOOTAGE FROM INSIDE
THAT FACILITY.
THAT FACILITY. THESE IMAGES WERE SHOT
SURREPTITIOUSLY BY A WOMAN WHO
WORKED AT THE FACILITY UNTIL
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. THIS FOOTAGE WAS SHOT LATE LAST
WEEK.
WEEK. THE WORKER WHO TOOK THESE IMAGES
AND TOOK THE FOOTAGE I’M ABOUT
TO SHOW YOU HAS SINCE QUIT HER
JOB AT THIS FACILITY.
SHE HAS PROVIDED THIS MATERIAL
TO MSNBC AND NBC NEWS ON THE
CONDITION OF ANONYMITY.
SO WE WILL NOT BE GIVING HER
NAME.
NAME. BUT WE HAVE VERIFIED THAT SHE IN
FACT WORKED AT THIS LOCATION.
WHEN WE ASKED HER WHY SHE
SURREPTITIOUSLY SHOT THIS VIDEO
AT HER WORKPLACE AND TOOK THESE
PICTURES AND PROVIDED THEM TO
US, SHE SAID, "I AM HERE TODAY
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT’S
IMPORTANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I FEEL THAT IT’S TIME FOR
EVERYBODY TO STAND UP AND TO
STOP BEING AFRAID AND ACTUALLY
HELP THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE
BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR
PARENTS."
PARENTS." SHE SAID, "IT’S VERY
HEARTBREAKING TO KNOW THERE’S
CHILDREN, EVEN IF IT WERE JUST
ONE, BUT THERE’S A LOT OF THEM
IN MY PROGRAM, AND IT’S SAD TO
KNOW THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE
CRYING FOR THEIR PARENTS.
THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE THEIR
PARENTS ARE."
PARENTS ARE." SHE EXPLAINED THAT THERE HAD
BEEN A HUGE INFLUX OF YOUNGER
KIDS WHO HAVE ARRIVED AT THIS
FACILITY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF
MONTHS, AND SHE SAID THAT CLUED
HER INTO THE FACT THAT THIS WAS
AS A RESULT OF A CHANGE IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S POLICY.
SHE TOLD US, "THERE WAS A HUGE
INFLUX.
INFLUX. THE AMOUNT OF KIDS THAT ARE
LITTLE, THAT ARE COMING ALONE,
COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF
TEENAGERS, IT’S WAY HIGHER.
SO THAT TELLS YOU A LOT.
HOW ARE THESE KIDS COMING ALONE?
THAT’S NOT OKAY.
THEY’RE NOT COMING ALONE.
THEY’RE GETTING SEPARATED AT THE
BORDER."
BORDER." AS A TEACHER AT THE PROGRAM
SERVING THESE KIDS SHE TOLD US,
"WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE CHILD.
WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO ASK ANY OF
THE KIDS QUESTIONS.
IF THE CHILD IS NOT OKAY, THE
ONLY THING WE’RE ALLOWED TO ASK
IS DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR
CASE MANAGER?
CASE MANAGER? DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR
CLINICIAN?"
CLINICIAN?" SO SHE SAYS, "I WASN’T AWARE OF
ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON.
UNTIL THE NEWS HAPPENED.
AND THAT’S WHEN I’M LIKE, WAIT,
WHAT IS GOING ON?
SO THAT’S WHEN I DO MY OWN
INVESTIGATION AND I’M LIKE, NO,
THIS IS NOT OKAY."
SHE TOLD US, "WE’RE NOT ALLOWED
TO HUG THE KIDS."
SHE SAID, "WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO
TOUCH THEM AT ALL."
BUT SHE SAID, "I DECIDED NOT TO
FOLLOW THAT RULE THIS WEEK.
THIS WEEK I HUGGED THEM.
I DON’T CARE ANYMORE."
SO WE JUST SHOWED YOU SOME OF
THE VIDEO AND THE STILLS THAT
THIS SOURCE WAS ABLE TO SMUGGLE
OUT OF THIS FACILITY.
THE BLURRY AREAS IN THESE IMAGES
OBVIOUSLY ARE TO PROTECT THE
ANONYMITY OF THESE KIDS.
OBVIOUSLY THESE KIDS ARE NOT IN
A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO CONSENT
TO US USING THEIR IMAGES.
AND SO WE ARE DISGUISING THEIR
IDENTITY TO PROTECT THEM.
BUT WE’VE BEEN SHOWING YOU THIS
VIDEO AND THESE STILLS TO SHOW
YOU A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE INSIDE.
HERE’S FOOTAGE OF ONE LITTLE
GIRL IN PARTICULAR TALKING ABOUT
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HER.
>> SO AGAIN, THIS VIDEO WAS SHOT BY A WORKER SURREPTITIOUSLY
INSIDE THAT FACILITY.
THE WORKER WHO SHOT THE VIDEO
HAS SINCE QUIT, NO LONGER WORKS
THERE.
THERE. THAT VIDEO WAS SHOT LATE LAST
WEEK.
WEEK. I SHOULD TELL YOU IN THE
INTEREST OF FULL DISCLOSURE THAT
THE WORKER WHO SHOT THAT VIDEO
HAS MADE CLEAR TO US THAT SHE IS
CRITICAL OF THE POLICY OF THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEPARATING
KIDS FROM THEIR PARENTS.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST WINDOW
THAT WE HAVE HAD INTO THESE
KIDS’ EXPERIENCES.
KIDS’ EXPERIENCES. I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT THE
CAYUGA CENTER IN EAST HARLEM,
NEW YORK CITY WHERE THIS FOOTAGE
WAS SHOT IS NOT THE FACILITY
THAT IS SEPARATING KIDS FROM
THEIR PARENTS.
THEIR PARENTS. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING HERE
WITH THESE KIDS ARE NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING TAKEN THE
KIDS AWAY.
KIDS AWAY. THEY’RE RECEIVING KIDS WHO HAVE
ALREADY BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM
THEIR PARENTS OR WHO ARE ALONE
FOR OTHER REASONS.
KIDS ARE NOT STAYING OVERNIGHT
AT THIS FACILITY.
THE WAY IT WORKS WITH THIS ONE
IS THEY COME THERE EVERY DAY FOR
DAY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES AND
THEN THEY SLEEP AT FOSTER HOMES
AT NIGHT.
AT NIGHT. BUT THEY’RE BACK THERE PRETTY
MUCH ALL DAY EVERY DAY.
THE WORKER WHO SHOT THIS FOOTAGE
AND PROVIDED IT TO US IS
CRITICAL OF THE AMOUNT OF
STAFFING AT THIS FACILITY SAYING
THAT SINCE THE NUMBER OF KIDS
HELD IN THIS FACILITY HAS
SPIKED, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE
NUMBER OF LITTLE KIDS IN THIS
FACILITY HAS SPIKED SINCE THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STARTED
TAKING KIDS AWAY FROM THEIR
PARENTS, SHE SAYS THAT THE CASE
MANAGEMENT AND MEDICAL STAFFING
AND THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND
TRAINERS AT THAT FACILITY HAS
NOT KEPT UP WITH THE
INCREASINGLY CROWDED CONDITIONS
AND THE INCREASINGLY NEEDY AND
INCREASINGLY YOUNGER POPULATION
THAT THEY ARE NOW HANDLING.
THAT LITTLE GIRL YOU JUST SAW
WHO SAYS HER NAME IS JESSICA, WE
DON’T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES
UNDER WHICH SHE AND HER MOTHER
WERE SEPARATED.
WERE SEPARATED. OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN TELL THAT
SHE’S UPSET.
SHE’S UPSET. WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE BLURRED HER
FACE.
FACE. SO WE’VE NOT INCLUDED HER LAST
NAME HERE AS A WAY TO TRY AND
PROTECT HER ANONYMITY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HERE ONE
OTHER THING ABOUT THIS FOOTAGE
BEFORE WE GET TO SOME REACTION
TO WHAT WE’VE SEEN HERE AND
BEFORE WE SPEAK TO THE ATTORNEY
WHO IS NOW FOR FREE REPRESENTING
THIS WORKER WHO TOOK THIS
FOOTAGE AND SMUG-TAILED OUT
THERE HAVE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THESE KIDS
BEFORE SHE QUIT HER JOB.
WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS WHILE WHAT
YOU JUST SAW IS THE FIRST
SMUGGLED VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM
INSIDE ONE OF THESE FACILITIES
IT IS LIKELY TO BE ONLY THE
FIRST.
FIRST. ALL RIGHT?
ALL RIGHT? THERE WILL BE MORE.
WHEN YOU TAKE MORE THAN 2,000
CHILDREN FORCIBLY AWAY FROM
THEIR PARENTS AND THEN YOU DON’T
MAKE ANY CONCERTED EFFORT TO
RETURN THOSE KIDS TO THEIR
FAMILIES, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT
ESSENTIALLY ABDUCTS A VERY LARGE
NUMBER OF CHILDREN INCLUDING
BABIES AND THEN SCATTERS THEM
ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY TO ALL
THESE DIFFERENT FACILITIES WITH
NO CONCRETE PLANS TO GIVE THEM
BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES, THAT IS
TOO BIG AN OPERATION TO KEEP
SECRET.
SECRET. THE REASON WE KNOW THE CAYUGA
FACILITY IN HARLEM EXISTS IS
BECAUSE SOMEONE TIPPED OFF A
LOCAL NEWS STATION WHEN THE
GIRLS WERE ARRIVING AND BEING
MOVED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THE REASON PROPUBLICA GOT THAT
FIRST AUDIO TAPE THAT CRACKED
THIS STORY OPEN LIKE A NUT IS
BECAUSE SOMEBODY INSIDE A
FACILITY GOT THAT RECORDING TO A
LAWYER WHO GOT IT TO A REPORTER
WHO GOT IT TO YOU.
THE STUFF IS GOING TO COME OUT.
IT HAS TO.
IT’S TOO BIG AN EFFORT TO KEEP
UNDER WRAPS.
UNDER WRAPS. AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED AT EVERY
STEP OF THIS PROCESS KNOW THAT
TOO.
TOO. SO MUCH SO THAT THERE’S ONE
OTHER SMALL PIECE OF TAPE I WANT
TO PLAY YOU.
THIS IS JUST AUDIO FOOTAGE.
IT’S NOT VIDEO FOOTAGE.
BUT IT WAS OBTAINED BY THE SAME
WORKER INSIDE THE SAME FACILITY
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. AND IN THIS AUDIO FOOTAGE YOU’LL
HEAR AN EMPLOYEE FROM THIS
FACILITY TALKING TO THE KIDS.
AND THE EMPLOYEE FROM THE
FACILITY IS ESSENTIALLY WARNING
THE KIDS THEMSELVES, HEY, DON’T
TALK TO THE PRESS.
IT’S IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS.
IF ANYBODY ASKS YOU, DON’T SAY
ANYTHING.
>> IF YOU TELL A REPORTER, YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO
YOUR CASE?
YOUR CASE? IT’S GOING TO BE ON THE NEWS.
AND THEN ONE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S
GOING TO HAPPEN.
I’M NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU.
I’M JUST TELLING YOU IT’S THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO
TALK.
TALK. WHILE YOU GUYS ARE HERE WE’RE
PROTECTING YOU.
PROTECTING YOU. WE’RE TRYING TO HELP YOU GUYS.
DON’T TALK TO THE PRESS.
OKAY, KIDS?
OKAY, KIDS? OR WE DON’T KNOW HOW LONG WE’LL
BE ABLE TO KEEP YOU HERE.
GOT MORE AHEAD, INCLUDING THE