THE FEDS ARE CREATING A NEW SCHAL FOR A HANDFUL OF BORDER
TOWNS.
TOWNS. HERE’S CYNTHIA McFADDEN.
>> Reporter: TONIGHT U.S. BORDER
PATROL IS DROPPING CRITICS SAY
DUMPING FAMILIES WITH LITTLE
CHILDREN AWAITING ASYLUM
HEARINGS IN TWO SMALL TOWNS IN
NEW MEXICO.
NEW MEXICO. >> WE HAVE RECEIVED 15,000
PEOPLE THROUGH OUR SHELTERS IN
DEMMING.
DEMMING. >> Reporter: 15,000 PEOPLE?
>> 15,000 PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: CONSIDER TINY
DEMMING, NEW MEXICO, ONE OF THE
POOREST STATES.
POOREST STATES. MANY OF THEM LITTLE KIDS WERE
LEFT BY BORDER PATROL OFFICIALS
AT THE LOCAL McDONALD’S.
THEY HAD NO MONEY, NO FOOD, AND
NO IDEA WHERE THEY WERE.
IN THE LAST MONTH, A STAGGERING
6700 MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
TO DEMMING.
TO DEMMING. TOWN OFFICIAL CHRIS BRICE IS IN
CHARGE OF HELPING THEM.
>> WE’RE GETTING REALLY GOOD AT
THIS.
THIS. >> Reporter: MAYBE TOO GOOD AT
IT.
IT. >> I’M AFRAID.
>> Reporter: WITHIN 24 HOURS THE
TOWN HAD SET UP A SHELTER ON THE
FAIRGROUNDS WITH JUST ABOUT
EVERYBODY PITCHING IN.
>>> HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU
SPENDING A DAY?
>> ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 17,000 A
DAY.
DAY. >> Reporter: THE WHOLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT RELOCATED.
DEPARTMENT RELOCATED. >> ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE
DONE AS A FIREFIGHTER.
>> Reporter: WE GOT A RARE LOOK
INSIDE THIS SHELTER.
IT REPRESENTS A SHIFT IN FEDERAL
POLICY.
POLICY. THE FEDS USED TO BE THE ONLY
ONES RUNNING SHELTERS AND PAYING
FOR THEM.
FOR THEM. REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT A
FEDERALLY-RUN DETENTION CENTER.
THE SHELTER, WHERE FAMILIES
SPEND A FEW DAYS UNTIL MOVING IN
WITH A U.S. SPONSOR WHILE WAIT
WAITING FOR THEIR ASYLUM
HEARINGS, THESE FAMILIES, WE
AGREED NOT TO SHOW THEIR FACES
DUE TO SECURITY CONCERNS, SAY
THEY HAVE FLED TO THE U.S. IN
FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES.
MOST HERE SPENT TWO MONTHS
TRAVELING FROM GUATEMALA OR
HONDURAS.
HONDURAS. LIKE BETSY.
LIKE BETSY. >> Translator: WE LEFT BECAUSE
MY FAMILY LIVED UNDER THREAT.
THEY KILLED MY BROTHER.
THEY CAME TO MY HOME.
THEY TOOK US OUT OF OUR HOME.
THEY TRIED TO KILL US SO WE HAD
TO RUN FOR OUR LIVES.
>> Reporter: HER MURDERED
BROTHER, SHE TELLS US, HAD FLED
TO THE U.S., BUT WAS SENT BACK.
THE ONLY SMILE ON BETSY’S FACE
WHEN SHE SPOKE ABOUT THIS CHILD
FRIENDLY SPACE CREATED BY SAVE
THE CHILDREN.
THE CHILDREN. THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR 100-YEAR
HISTORY THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS RIGHT HERE
INSIDE THE U.S.
BARBARA RAN A SPACE LIKE THIS IN
AFGHANISTAN.
AFGHANISTAN. >> IT TUGS AT YOUR HEART
STRINGS.
STRINGS. >> Reporter: AND THIS DAY A
SPECIAL VISITOR.
SPECIAL VISITOR. SAVE THE CHILDREN BOARD MEMBER
AND VOLUNTEER JENNIFER GARNER.
>> THE BEAUTY OF KIDS IN THE
WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY
BOND, WITHOUT FOOD, WITHOUT
MEDICAL CARE, AND THEY’RE HERE
TO LISTEN TO ME BUTCHER --
BECAUSE THEY’RE CHILDREN.
>> Reporter: ONE AREA OF
EXPERTISE, ASSESSING WHETHER
CHILDREN ARE HERE WITH THEIR
REAL PARENTS.
REAL PARENTS. >> VERY SADLY HAVE CHILDREN
RECYCLED WHO HAVE COME THROUGH
AND THEN ARE SEEN BACK AGAIN
WITH ANOTHER FAMILY.
>> THEY’RE JUST PAWNS.
THEY’RE PAWNS, THEY’RE BEING
USED.
USED. >> Reporter: WHY?
MIGRANTS WITHOUT CHILDREN CAN BE
HELD IN DETENTION INDEFINITELY.
MIGRANTS WITH CHILDREN CAN ONLY
BE HELD 20 DAYS.
D.H.S. TELLS US THEY HAVE
INTERCEPTED NEARLY 5,000 PEOPLE
SINCE OCTOBER TRYING TO ENTER
WITH CHILDREN NOT THEIR OWN.
AND AS FOR THE POLITICS?
>> WE DON’T EVEN DISCUSS THE
POLITICS OF IT.
I MEAN, IT’S THIS, IT’S WHAT WE
DO, OR THEY WOULD BE OUT THERE
ON THE STREETS TRYING TO FIND
THEIR OWN WAY.
THAT’S UNACCEPTABLE TO
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. >> Reporter: LESTER, THE
GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO SUED THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAST WEEK,
TRYING TO RECAP SOME OF THE
FUNDS THAT THEY’RE SPENDING TO
SHELTER THE MIGRANTS.
MEANWHILE, BORDER PATROL TELLS
US THE RELEASES IN DEMMING AND
TWO OTHER BORDER TOWNS ARE,