>> THANKS, FRED. >> IN OTHER NEWS, WHITEWATER
MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES LAST MONTH AFTER A BREITBART NEWS
STORY CLAIMED A THOUSAND MIGRANTS HAD BEEN DROPPED ON THE
CITY. BUT OFFICIALS SAY THE TRUTH OF
THE MATTER IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
DENZIN, HAS MORE. >> OUR CASE HERE IN WHITEWATER
IS VERY UNIQUE. >> I STARTED NOTICING THE WAY
THE MIGRANTS PROBABLY -- IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
>> WHITE IMMIGRANTS IMMIGRATE TO PLACES IS BECAUSE AS HUMANS, WE
ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE. >> Reporter: WHITEWATER HAS
SEEN A WAVE OF MIGRATION FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH MEXICO
OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, BUT THIS CASE IS NOT LIKE RECENT
HEADLINES WHERE IMMIGRANTS ARE BEING CHARTERED TO NORTHERN
COMMUNITIES LIKE CHICAGO. >> I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK,
OKAY, WHERE ARE THE BUSES DROPPING PEOPLE OFF.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENING HERE. >> IT WAS LIKE 50 AT FIRST AND
THEN IT WAS LIKE ANOTHER 50 AND SO IT WASN'T LIKE A MASSIVE
RUSH. >> BUT NOW CITY OFFICIALS
SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 800 TO A THOUSAND MIGRANTS FROM
NICARAGUA AND VENEZUELA IN WHITEWATER.
CITY. THE 2020 CENSUS INDICATED THAT
ABOUT 15,000 PEOPLE LIVE THERE. NEARLY 8 TO 10,000 OF THOSE ARE
STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY. >> THE EARLIEST WE REALLY
NOTICED IT WAS, I WOULD SAY, EARLY 2022.
>> Reporter: DAN MEYER IS THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE CITY OF
WHITEWATER. >> WE HAD A FAMILY THAT WAS
FOUND IN A 10X10 SHED DURING THE WINTERTIME, SO JANUARY OF 2022,
SO VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. >> Reporter: HE SAYS THAT
BEFORE THEY GOT TO WISCONSIN, MANY OF THE MIGRANTS LIKELY HAD
CONTACT WITH BORDER PATROL. >> THE WAY THE BORDER POLICIES
WORK CURRENTLY IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE CROSSES, CUSTOMS
IDENTIFIES THEM AND ASKS THEM IF THERE IS A SPONSOR FAMILY THAT
CAN TAKE THEM IN. SO IF SOMEBODY IS ABLE TO
IDENTIFY THAT SPONSOR FAMILY AND THEY CAN CONFIRM THAT, THEY'RE
ESSENTIALLY PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION TO THAT SPONSOR
FAMILY. THE U.S., THEY'RE TECHNICALLY IN
DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS, BUT WITH A SPONSOR FAMILY, THEY'RE
RELEASED UNTIL THEIR FIRST COURT DATE.
SEVERAL YEARS IN THE FUTURE DUE TO A HUGE BACKLOG OF CASES.
THEY CAN THEN SPONSOR OTHER FAMILIES THAT THEY KNOW.
THE RESULT IS A PYRAMID EFFECT WHERE MANY FAMILIES FROM A SMALL
AREA IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA HAVE COME TO WHITEWATER.
>> BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF REALLY UNSAFE SITUATIONS
AND THERE'S WORK TO BE HAD. THERE'S SPICE FACTORIES, SOD
FARMS, CHICKEN FARMS. >> Reporter: BRIENNE IS A
MEMBER OF THE WHITEWATER COUNCIL.
NICARAGUA AND VENEZUELA ARE IN VIOLENT UPHEAVAL, DRIVING THOSE
PEOPLE INTO AMERICA. >> WHAT THEY WERE MOST CONCERNED
ABOUT IS IF THEY WALK DOWN THE STREET, THEY HAD TO HAVE A STACK
OF CASH IN THEIR POCKETS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALWAYS HAVING TO PAY
SOMEBODY OFF TO STAY SAFE. >> Reporter: THEIR LEGAL LIMBO
MAKES LIFE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. >> AND MOST OF THEM ARE REALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO WORK.
>> Reporter: BROWN HAS TALKED TO MANY MIGRANTS WHO ARE NOT
ALLOWED TO WORK FOR THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS THAT THEY ARE IN
AMERICA. ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES AND ONLY
ONE PERSON IS WORKING AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS NOT.
>> WE ARE GOING TO WORK TO MAKE MONEY AND TO HELP OUR FAMILIES.
>> JORGE IS AN IMMIGRANT ADVOCATE AND A FIRST GENERATION
IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO. HE HAS LIVED IN WHITEWATER FOR
NEARLY 30 YEARS. >> I LIKE TO PROMOTE EDUCATION.
I LIKE TO HELP OTHERS HELP SPEAK ENGLISH.
FACE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES WHEN THEY GET TO WISCONSIN: GETTING A
JOB, SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE, AND GETTING TRANSPORTATION IS ALL
TOP OF MIND. >> I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE IN
THIS COUNTRY AND NOT KNOWING THE LANGUAGE.
IT IS HARD. EVERY SINGLE HUMAN HAS A RIGHT
TO SUCCEED, WHATEVER YOU ARE,
YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT. >> Reporter: BUT FINDING A JOB
IN RURAL WISCONSIN REQUIRES A CAR, AND IN WISCONSIN,
UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EARN A DRIVER'S
LICENSE. TRANSPORTATION.
HAVE IS THE TAXI, THE TAXI ONLY IS AVAILABLE HERE IN WHITEWATER
FROM 7:30 IN THE MORNING UNTIL 5:00.
ISSUE. PEOPLE ESPECIALLY DRIVING IN
SNOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION.
>> IT'S SAFER FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE DRIVER'S LICENSES.
CLASSES, THEY HAVE TO TAKE A TEST TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN
DRIVE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE INSURANCE.
YEARS, BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DIDN'T LEARN TO DRIVE
UNTIL I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES.
I LEARNED WHAT THE YELLOW LINE MEANS, I LEARNED WHAT THE WHITE
LINE MEANS, I KNOW WHAT THE BROKEN LINE MEANS.
I LEARNED HOW I CAN PASS A CAR. I DID NOT KNOW THAT IN MY
COUNTRY. HERE AND TAKE ALL OF THE
TESTING, THE WRITTEN TEST, PHYSICALLY DO THE DRIVING TEST
SO THAT THEY ARE SAFER AS A DRIVER, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
>> NEARLY 20 STATES ALREADY ALLOW UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS TO
ON TIN A DRIVER'S LICENSE, INCLUDING ILLINOIS.
>> I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY NEED TO LOOK
HARDER AT IN OUR LEGISLATURE, IS JUST GIVING THOSE RIGHTS BACK SO
THAT EVERYBODY IS SAFER. >> ALONG WITH DRIVER'S LICENSES,
CITY OFFICIALS SAY MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HELP WHITEWATER'S
NEWEST IMMIGRANT POPULATION. >> I THINK WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW
TO HELP EACH OTHER. I THINK WE HAVE TO LEARN THAT WE
ARE HUMANS, WE ARE IMMIGRANTS, AND WE HAVE FEELINGS.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M >> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M