>>> WELCOME BACK.
IF ITS THURSDAY RIGHT NOW, THAT
MEANS THERE IS A NEW EPISODE OF
OUR STREAMING SHOW "MEET THE
PRESS REPORTS" WHICH AIRS ON ABC
LIVE NOW.
LAST NIGHT PRESIDENT BIDEN URGED
CONGRESS TO PASS COMPREHENSIVE
IMMIGRATION REFORM, BUT HE ALSO
SIGNALED AN OPENNESS TO
COMPROMISE ON THE ISSUE, AND
THAT PROSPECT OF A SMALLER, MORE
TARGETED LEGISLATION IS OUT OF
CONCERN FOR MIXED STATUS
FAMILIES, LIKE THE ONE IN LOS
ANGELES THAT MY COLLEAGUE JACOB
SOBOROFF SPOKE TO FOR TONIGHTS
NEW EPISODE OF "MEET THE PRESS
REPORTS."
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> ANNAS PARENTS, LIKE MOST OF
THE MILLION UNDOCUMENTED U.S.
RESIDENTS, ENTERED THE COUNTRY
BY EVADING DETECTION.
NOW PEOPLE ARRIVING ON THE
BORDER ENTER DIFFERENTLY.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO TURN
THEMSELVES IN SO THEY CAN
DECLARE ASYLUM.
BUT OFTEN THE FORCES DRIVING
THEM ARE THE SAME: ECONOMIC
RUIN.
FOR YEARS HUNGER AND POVERTY HAS
BEEN INTENSIFYING, DRIVING
CENTRAL AMERICANS TO THE U.S.
IN 2019, THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM
TOOK US TO A VILLAGE IN REMOTE
GUATEMALA WHERE THEY WERE
FEEDING SCHOOL KIDS WHOSE
PARENTS COULD NO LONGER BUY CASH
CROPS OR EARN A SUPPLEMENTAL
LIVING.
SO EVERYONE RAISING THEIR HAND
RIGHT NOW KNOWS SOMEONE WHO LEFT
TO GO TO THE UNITED STATES
BECAUSE THEY COULDNT SURVIVE
HERE.
WHO DO YOU KNOW WENT TO THE
UNITED STATES?
>> PAPA.
>> WHAT IS HE DOING NOW?
HES CLEANING.
HER DAD IS CLEANING.
>> DO YOU WANT TO STAY HERE OR
GO THERE?
>> SHE WANTS TO STAY.
>> NOW THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM
SAYS CONDITIONS ARE WORSENING,
COMPLICATING PRESIDENT BIDENS
IMMIGRATION AGENDA.
>> NOW YOU THINK THE CURRENT
CONTROVERSY MIGHT DISTRACT FROM
HELPING PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED
HERE FOR YEARS, IF NOT DECADES,
JUST LIKE YOU?
>> YEAH.
>> WERE GOING TO PICK UP ON
THAT POINT RIGHT NOW.
JACOB SOBOROFF JOINS ME.
HES BEEN REPORTING ON THE
BORDER CRISIS AND THE FAMILY
SEPARATION ISSUE FOR YEARS, AND
HE JOINS ME NOW.
JACOB, WHAT WAS INTERESTING
THERE IS THIS CONCERN THAT ANNA
AND HER PARENTS HAVE ABOUT
THIS -- ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE THIS
NEW CRISIS AT THE BORDER, BUT
WEVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE 11
MILLION FOLKS THAT ARE HERE
UNDOCUMENTED, AND WE USED TO SAY
FOR A DECADE.
I THINK WERE ON OUR SECOND
DECADE.
>> Reporter: THREE DECADES WHEN
IT COMES TO ANNAS FATHER,
CHUCK, WHO EVERYBODY WILL MEET
TONIGHT ON "MTP REPORTS."
IM GRATEFUL FOR YOU GUYS ASKING
US TO DO IT, BECAUSE THE TRUTH
OF THE MATTER IS WE SPENT A LOT
OF TIME FOCUSING ON THE
SITUATION AT THE BORDER ITSELF,
AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO IT.
THERE IS WHATS HAPPENING IN
CENTRAL AMERICA, BUT ITS ALSO
THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHATS
HAPPENING IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND
ON THE BORDER TO THE POLITICS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND WHO THAT
ULTIMATELY AFFECTS, AND IT
AFFECTS DIRECTLY THE 1 MILLION
UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS, INCLUDING
ANNA, TWO DECADES WHEN IT COMES
TO HER MOM, AND THEY WANT TO
GIVE ALL THOSE UNDOCUMENTED
CITIZENS STATUS, BUT STATUS FOR
D.R.E.A.M.ers AND FARM WORKERS
WILL COME TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING THAT FIGHT FOR JUST AS
LONG AND WITH AS MUCH SKIN IN
THE GAME.
>> YOU NOTED THAT THESE MIXED
STATUS FAMILIES, THEYRE
ACTUALLY TRAPPED IN THIS COUNTRY
NOW FOR A WHILE.
THEY CANT LEAVE BECAUSE THEYRE
NOT HERE LEGALLY, AND IF THEY
LEAVE, AND THEN THEY GET
SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILY -- I
MEAN, ITS REALLY BEEN A
NIGHTMARE FOR FOLKS WHO, AGAIN,
WE COULD HAVE THE DEBATE ABOUT
WHY THEY CAME, BUT, BOY, THEYVE
BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, BEEN
PAYING TAXES, THEIR KIDS ARE
CITIZENS.
THIS IS SORT OF THE REAL LIFE
IMPACT HERE.
>> Reporter: IM SO GLAD YOU
BROUGHT THAT UP, BECAUSE FAMILY
SEPARATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE
ASSOCIATE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP
AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
AND SURELY THE POLICY THAT THEY
CARRIED OUT, ZERO TOLERANCE, WAS
CRUEL, IT WAS DELIBERATE, THEY
MEANT TO SEPARATE FAMILIES AT
THE BORDER, BUT THERE IS AN
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF
FAMILY SEPARATION THAT PLATZYS O
EVERY DAY WHEN IT COMES TO
BORDER SEPARATION IF THEY GET
SNAGGED BY THE PATROL AT THE
BORDER.
THEYRE STILL AT RISK OF
SEPARATION TODAY, ESPECIALLY IF
PRESIDENT BIDEN GOES WITHOUT THA
MORE TARGETED IMMIGRATION REFORM
PROPOSAL.
>> ITS WHY YOU NEED MORE THAN
FIVE MINUTES TO DO A STORY, AND
TONIGHT WE HAVE MORE THAN FIVE
MINUTES.
YOULL BE ABLE TO SEE MUCH MORE
OF JACOBS REPORTING YEARS IN
THE MAKING IN SOME CASES ON
TONIGHTS EPISODE OF "MEET THE
PRESS REPORTS."