MARK POCAN REPORTED BACK THIS
WEEK ON HIS RECENT VISIT TO A
MIGRANT CHILDREN'S FACILITY IN
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA.
HE REPORTED TEENAGERS WERE BEING
HELD WELL OVER 20 DAYS.
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY IT'S A
TEMPORARY SHELTER AND NOT BOUND
BY LENGTH OF STAY REQUIREMENTS.
FOLLOWING A MIDWEEK BEFORE THE
SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY
COMMISSION, CHAIRMAN RON JOHNSON
CALLED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF HIS
PLAN TO SPEED UP ASYLUM
CONSIDERATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS
CROSSING THE BORDER.
"OPERATION SAFE RETURN" WOULD
ALLOW HOMELAND SECURITY TO
DEPORT IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WITHIN
15 DAYS IF NO DETERMINATION OF A
CREDIBLE FEAR OF THEIR RETURNING
TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN HAS
BEEN AFFIRMED BY AN IMMIGRATION
JUDGE.
WE CHECK IN ON THESE TOPICS NOW
WITH CHRISTINE NEUMANN-ORTIZ,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF VOCES DE
LA FRONTERIA, WHO JOINS US NOW
FROM MILWAUKEE.
THANK YOU FOR DOING SO.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
SENATOR JOHNSON'S RETURN PLAN TO
RETURN THOSE WITHOUT VALID
COMPLAIMS TO THEIR HOME
COUNTRIES?
>> THERE'S NO QUESTION THIS WILL
CREATE MORE FARM FOR FAMILIES
THAT ARE COMING TO THE UNITED
STATES TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR
FAMILY AND ARE FLEEING VIOLENCE.
RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS THAT
THERE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS
THAT'S HAPPENING, WHERE PEOPLE
ARE BEING -- WHO ARE SEEKING
REFUGE, WHO ARE FLEEING
HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS, ARE BEING
PARADED IN FRONT OF THE -- NOT
JUST THE UNITED STATES, BUT THE
WORLD TO SEE HOW THEIR HUMIDITY
IS BEING DEGRADED.
THEY ARE BEING DENIED.
THEIR RIGHT TO SEEK ASYLUM
THROUGH EFFORTS AS IN TRYING TO
STRONG-ARM OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO
PREVENT THEM FROM COMING TO THE
UNITED STATES.
THEY'RE ALSO BEING DENIED IN
MANY WAYS LEGAL REPRESENTATION,
BEING DENIED FOOD, WATER,
LEADING TO DEATH OF CHILDREN.
SO THESE ARE CONDITIONS THAT
DON'T HAVE TO EXIST, YET THEY
ARE BEING CREATED INTENTIONALLY
TO DEGRADE AN ENTIRE GROUP OF
PEOPLE.
AND SENATOR JOHNSON IS MOVING --
BASICALLY ACCELERATING A PROCESS
THAT IS ABHORRENT AND IS
OUTRAGING SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
WHICH IS WHY WE SAW NATIONALLY
ALL THESE PROTESTS THAT WERE
BEING ORGANIZED AROUND WHAT
WE'RE WITNESSING AT THE BORDER.
>> AS WE NOTED, REPRESENTATIVE
MARK POCAN VISITED THE HOMESTEAD
FACILITY AND HE SAID THAT THE
NUMBERS OF CHILDREN THERE WERE
DOWN AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T SEE
HORRIFIC CONDITIONS.
DO YOU SUPPOSE THINGS ARE
GETTING BETTER?
>> NO.
THEY'RE NOT GETTING BETTER,
BECAUSE WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT
PEOPLE ARE STILL -- RIGHT NOW
THEY'RE STILL BEING -- THAT
PROCESS, IT'S BEING INTERFERED
WITH.
WE JUST HAVE HAD THOSE RECENT
REPORTS AND OTHER SITE VISITS.
SO MAYBE IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE,
IF THEY KNOW HE'S VISITING AND
WHAT HE'S GOING TO REPORT OUT, I
DON'T WANT TO SEE THOSE
CONDITIONS, I DON'T WANT THAT TO
BE REPORTED.
BUT GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT IS
HAPPENING -- AND ALL OF THE
OFFICIAL REPORTS THAT HAVE COME
OUT BASICALLY DECLARING THAT
THIS IS STATE-SPONSORED TERROR
THAT IS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF
HOW THESE KIDS ARE BEING
IMPACTED.
AND THIS IS FROM, YOU KNOW, A
FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS AND
INTERVIEWS.
I WOULD SAY NO, THINGS ARE NOT
HAPPENING THE WAY THEY SHOULD.
AND WE CONSTANTLY SEE THAT EVERY
DAY WHEN SOMETHING IS BEING
ANNOUNCED.
>> HOW MANY CHILDREN AND/OR
FAMILIES SEEKING ASYLUM HAVE
COME TO WISCONSIN, IF YOU KNOW?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL
NUMBERS, BUT WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING WITH FAMILIES.
THE ONES THAT WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING WITH CLOSEST HAVE BEEN
COMING FROM THE KENOSHA
DETENTION FACILITY, AND A NUMBER
OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE ALSO LIKE
IN SOME CASES -- WELL, PEOPLE IN
THAT SITUATION WHAT WE FIND
MOSTLY IS THAT THE THING THAT
THEY'RE MOST DESPERATE FOR IS TO
TRY TO CONNECT UP WITH A FAMILY
MEMBER.
AND THIS WHOLE DETENTION
PROCESS, IT'S NOT JUST FUELED BY
THIS KIND OF HATRED AND
DEGRADATION OF PEOPLE FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES.
IT'S ALSO FUELED BY BIG
BUSINESS.
SO THERE'S NOW LIKE FEES TO CALL
SOMEONE.
THERE'S ALL THESE WAYS THAT
MONEY IS BEING MADE OUT OF THE
DETENTION OF PEOPLE THAT FOLKS
STRUGGLE.
THAT'S PART OF THE CHALLENGE OF
BEING ABLE TO EVEN APPLY YOUR
RIGHT WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO
MAKE A PHONE CALL OR TO GET A
CREDIT CARD TO CONTACT SOMEONE.
SO IN MANY WAYS THAT'S HOW THE
COMMUNITY HAS BEEN HELPING
PEOPLE TO ESTABLISH THOSE
CONNECTIONS OR RAISE MONEY FOR A
A BOND, A BOND WHICH CAN BE VERY
EXPENSIVE, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY
TO KIND OF PRICE OUT SOMEONE OUT
OF THEIR -- OUT OF THE RIGHTS
THAT THEY HAVE.
>> THIS PAST SUNDAY WAS SUPPOSED
TO BE A DAY WHEN ICE CONDUCTED
RAISED TO PICK UP UNDOCUMENTED
PEOPLE IN TEN CITIES ACROSS THE
U.S.
THAT DIDN'T APPEAR TO TAKE
PLACE.
BUT WHAT IS LIKE IN THE
IMMIGRANT POPULATION EVEN HERE
IN WISCONSIN WHEN THESE RAISED
ARE ANNOUNCED?
>> THERE IS, OF COURSE,
NATURALLY, TREMENDOUS CONCERN.
PEOPLE ARE -- YOU KNOW, THEY
HAVE LIKE WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE
SAY.
IT'S LIKE I HAVE TO GO ABOUT MY
-- I HAVE TO GO ABOUT MY DAILY
BUSINESS BECAUSE I HAVE -- I
HAVE TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY.
BUT YEAH.
PEOPLE LIVE IN FEAR.
AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO CONQUER
THAT FEAR IS SINCE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION CAME INTO OFFICE
AND ALL THESE PROTECTIONS WERE
TAKEN AWAY, THAT WOULD TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, YOUR RECORD,
HOW LONG YOUR FAMILY TIES, ALL
OF THAT, WHICH NOW IS IRRELEVANT
UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS CREATE A
24-HOUR, SEVEN-DAY EMERGENCY
NUMBER.
THIS IS COMMON NATIONALLY AS A
WAY THAT IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RESPONDED SO
THAT IF THERE IS AN ICE
SIGHTING, THAT IS REPORTED AND
CAN VERIFY IF IT'S A LEGITIMATE
RUMOR OR NOT.
WE ASK PEOPLE TO VIDEOTAPE OR
PHOTOGRAPH, HAVE PEOPLE GO
THERE.
IF IT IS THE CASE, TO WORK WITH
THOSE FAMILIES.
IF THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN REAL
TIME OR HAVEN'T HAPPENED, THERE
IS NOW A STRONG SENTIMENT OF
RESISTANCE.
THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A MAJOR
RAID RIGHT BEFORE THE 2018
ELECTIONS HERE, THE LARGEST I
HAD SEEN IN 20 YEARS OF
ORGANIZING THAT LASTED SEVERAL
DAYS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, A --
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MADISON, YOU HAD
HOTEL WORKERS THAT REPORTED THAT
ICE AGENTS WERE STAYING IN THE
HOTEL AND THAT WAS ABLE TO GET
OUT AND THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY
COMMUNITY MEETING AND FOLKS WERE
READY TO GO AND DO CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE IN THE STREETS TO
DEMAND THAT ICE LEAVE THE
COMMUNITY.
JUST IN MILWAUKEE THERE WAS A
SHUTDOWN OF ICE FACILITIES BY 30
FAITH LEADERS.
THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED
BEFORE.
SO THE EXTREME SENSE OF
SOLIDARITY AND STANDING UP FOR
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES AT THIS
TIME I WOULD SAY IS THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE COIN OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING, THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING THAT IS VERY INSPIRING
AND GOOD.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.