01x03 - The Power of the Vote

[bunniefuu]

My case is now in the government's hands.

The government can decide

if they want to give me the opportunity

or they don't give me the opportunity.

- Eric.

- Huh?

How are you?

Good, and you?

Good, my son.

I'm glad to see you.

This is the first time I've seen you

on a video call.

Where are you?

I'm here, next to Milo.

Are you together?

Yes, my son.

Do you want to come here? We are close.

We are far.

Rebecca! Rebecca!

I want to see you.

I'm tired.

Tired, sweetie?

Tired, but beautiful.

Yes, I'm tired.

One day, in any moment,

we can be together.

That's not going to happen.

What?

What I want is for you to send me money

to buy a piece of land and a house.

And then down the line,

if you ask me to come,

I'll tell you, "Okay."

That was not the deal.

Yes, but no.

For the moment, let's worry

about paying what we owe and my house,

a plot of land and then, "Rebecca, come!"

And then I'll go with pleasure.

Do you like that idea?

I do!

Do you like that idea?

No. No.

Why not?

Because I want to have you close.

- Huh?

- Is it not better to be together?

- Huh?

- At the moment

- Yes.

- No.

Yes. Do you not love me?

I love you plenty,

but I want a house first

and a piece of land.

What do you want more?

Love between family or material things?

If they deport us, where will we go?

Okay. So, don't talk anymore about that

to me.

Rebequita. Don't be like that.

I'm not like that.

This nightmare started

the day you got arrested.

I'm running a name right now.

- What have we got?

- No movement yet.

We have two vehicles,

both belonging to the individual,

so hopefully

they go to work at some point.

Even though they're not

legally allowed to work,

they're working. We know that.

You know, they have to

They do what they do to survive.

You know?

That's why they drive.

They're not allowed to drive,

but they drive anyway.

And the more they do,

the more they put themselves out there.

If people

stayed home,

they probably wouldn't be encountered

all that much,

but you gotta live.

It is what it is. I mean

Tango?

Um, no.

- You got his ID?

- Yeah.

- Your name is Brian?

- Yes.

- You're from Honduras?

- Yes.

- What type of work do you do?

- Construction.

Please let me go.

He was arrested

by Border Patrol at the border.

Have you been arrested by the police here?

- Nothing?

- No. Nothing.

I have a son here.

That's his child's birth certificate.

- He wants you to know he has a child.

- He waits for me.

We're gonna take your fingerprints, okay?

Here. All right.

- Do you wanna hold this?

- Yep, I got you.

All right, let me see

your right hand here. Thumb.

Technology at its best.

Where it gets sensitive is

when the kids are involved.

I'm a dad, and I have a grandchild,

and it's tough when the kids are involved.

No g*ns, no knives, no nothing? No knives?

Nobody wants to see children hurt.

Sometimes, it happens.

It's not very nice, but

that's the law.

Bad timing for that dude to be coming out.

Yeah. But you did the right thing, though.

You had to move in.

You had to make contact.

Collateral damage there, man.

Even under the Obama administration,

when we had the priorities,

that really didn't limit anything.

What people didn't realize is

there was this little

I call it the fine print at the bottom

that said,

"You can arrest anybody

you basically want to,"

you know, if you think

they present a threat to the United States

"or could possibly present a threat,"

and we did.

It's so easy to say, "You got arrested.

Boom. You're a threat to public safety."

It doesn't matter what for.

There's millions of people to choose from.

Ma'am.

Every person

that commits additional crimes

here in the United States

after entering illegally,

every one of them we take

off the streets makes everyone safer.

Here in Charlotte, we were able

to do a lot of our enforcement work

inside the jail

with our local law enforcement partners.

Everyone that is brought in

to our arrest processing,

which is, last year, over 35,000 people,

they're asked the same two questions,

every single person:

Where were you born?

Where are you a citizen or national of?

Depending on how they answer

those questions,

is whether they're gonna enter

into the 287 program.

There's thousands of jails

across the country.

ICE can't have officers

at every jail all the time.

We have limited resources.

We're not there all the time.

If you're a 287 program,

hey, you get arrested,

a local deputy is right there.

Run the checks.

Find out who that person is.

So it's faster,

and people don't slip through the cracks.

So, essentially, it's a force multiplier.

So, a person is brought in for,

let's say, DWI.

There's no ID on them.

We don't know who they are.

They're ran through this federal database.

So, if we do not have this program,

they will be released

back out into the community

once they satisfy their state charges.

But because we have the program,

ICE comes in,

and at that time, ICE makes the decision

whether they're removed

from this community, or they're not.

Most likely, they will be removed

from this community,

because they're here illegally.

The fundamental premise

of law enforcement is

that federal, state and local

work together collaboratively.

And why it's a big issue

in Mecklenburg County

we've been doing this for 12 years.

Just right now, it's an election.

The sheriff's a really good guy too.

Just, you know

sheriff's an elected official

in North Carolina, obviously,

and he's gotta do what the voters want.

So the sheriff

who's currently in office right now,

he supports a few programs

that are a little problematic.

Yeah.

So, I'm Latino, and I'm an immigrant,

so for me, one of the biggest issue is

that he's partnering

with Immigration and Customs Enforcement

to basically deputize sheriffs

and place people

into deportation proceedings

if they come in contact with the jail.

And that could be something

as little as a traffic citation,

driving without a license.

So, we're really trying to make sure

that people know that on May 8th,

you can go out to vote.

- Okay.

- You can vote for our community.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

So we're trying

to push people to vote for Garry McFadden.

Because he's committed

to ending the program.

If we can get more Latinos out,

it will make a big difference.

- I wish I could vote.

- I wish I could vote.

I can't vote.

So I'm trying to motivate people

who can vote

to vote for issues

that will affect people like me,

people who like

who are affected by these policies.

Go tell everybody you know.

If they live in Mecklenburg County,

it matters so much right now,

'cause we have a possibility

of getting rid of the program.

Five seconds.

Hi.

Please, McFadden,

- we want to do something.

- Sure.

I, Garry McFadden, promise

that I will burn the 287 if I got elected.

I, Garry McFadden,

promise I will burn 287.

I want him to sign this

for "The Voice of Immigrants."

- You're going to sign it.

- Burn it!

Sign here!

We're just leaving the literature.

We're just leaving the literature,

and we left one on your door.

Thank you, ma'am.

I worked in homicide for 22 years.

287 has hindered my investigations.

Why?

Witnesses don't wanna come forward.

Even victims don't wanna come forward.

They are reluctant to talk to us.

People won't even name the suspect

because they're afraid

they will also be deported.

People approached me,

and one thing stood out

more than anything else was that fear,

the fear of being deported,

the fear of, you know, coming home,

and your father is gone.

Do I understand that? Yes.

In the African-American community,

we have that fear of being shot and k*lled

by law enforcement.

So when the people are talking

about these fears and uneasiness,

I can relate to that.

I do believe that once

the government's got their sights on you,

you're done, man.

It doesn't matter what you do.

You're done.

And that's where I'm at right now.

The government has got me done.

I've been stopped by the cops twice.

And once they stop me,

and my record comes up,

they can't believe it.

"They're like,"

Are you a Marine?

I'm like, "Yes, I am.

That's what it says on my record, right?"

And they're like, "Yeah."

Bulk Fuel Specialist, 1391.

Pumping gas and kicking a*s.

That was my job.

I refueled cars, tanks, helicopters.

And they're like,

"It also says you were deported."

I'm like, "And that is right too."

And they just can't get it

through their head.

They're like, "So, right now,

I have to turn you in."

Yeah, that's what the law says.

Those two times, they haven't.

They've been Marines,

and they're like,

"No, man, I just can't do that.

You're a Marine. You served this country.

You're as American as I am."

And both times, they let me go home.

I got in trouble with the law

in New Mexico.

I got caught with some marijuana.

Under the advice of my lawyer,

I pleaded guilty to it.

I didn't serve any time in jail.

They let me out right there and then.

They said that was gonna be the end of it,

and I moved on with my life.

Twelve years later,

I got a translator job,

and I'm offered to go to Costa Rica.

Relax, Mama.

When I was coming back,

they didn't let me back into the country.

They said that because

of a previous conviction that I had,

that I was a t*rror1st,

and that I wasn't allowed in the country.

And I told them, like,

"A t*rror1st? I'm a Marine, man."

And I got deported because of that.

The day that I got deported,

we got to a point on the Mexican side

where they ask if you have tattoos.

So I showed him,

and he was shaking his head,

and he told me

that he felt really bad

about what the US government was doing

to his countrymen,

and

but he said especially

to servicemen like me.

And that kind of got me wondering,

because I had never heard that before.

That was the first time I got exposed to,

"What? Wait. Wait a minute.

You mean there's more than me?"

I never doubted

that the United States was my country.

There's nothing I would've changed

about that.

I feel like I would have died

for that country.

I got over 160 combat missions.

I got blood on my shoes. How about you?

People enjoy those freedoms

'cause I got blood on my shoes,

on my boots, on my desert camo.

I remember the judge saying

something about deportation

when I took my plea deal,

but, you know, I never knew

that veterans could be deported.

And then I just started seeing

more people and more people.

Now, there's hundreds of us,

and possibly, there could be thousands

of us out there.

ICE came to pick me up at the facility.

Even the ICE agents were like, "Oh, man!"

"Oh, I'm a veteran too.

You're a veteran? Oh, wow!

It sucks that you're getting deported,

that you're going through this right here.

I wish we could just let you go,

and you didn't have

to go through this process.

"You served this country, you know.

You deserve to be here."

I went to Vietnam.

I feel betrayed

by the United States government,

especially our president, Donald Trump.

He's a dodger.

He refused

to go to the service so many times.

My mom brought me to the US

when I was two years old.

Man, what a great nation to pick me up

and my mother from the ground

and just give us shelter,

give us food,

give us an opportunity to work.

That's the f*cking country

I wanna be a part of.

And if that requires

I always heard that freedom ain't free.

Freedom is built on the blood of patriots.

f*ck, I want it to be my blood

to be part of that patriot blood

on the ground, you know?

I'm okay to die for it,

but I'm not okay to live in it, you know?

That's kind of bullshit.

Basically, we're deported

for life right now.

And the only way

to go back to the United States

is if we die.

It we're dead, then we're able to get back

to the States, our remains,

and they'll honor us. You know

what I mean? Do a military funeral.

Flag will be given

to your mom or your dad,

and they'll say, "Thank you

from a grateful nation,"

and there's no honor in that.

I think we need

to bring these men home alive.

See that big wall, Mama?

You see that big wall?

Do you know what this wall's for?

So that we can't cross no more.

Look. See? Watch.

We can't cross right here.

Say, "Uh-oh."

Uh-oh!

How do I feel

about everything that I've been through,

and being so close to home

and never being able to go home?

There's not words.

I just don't wanna go back illegally.

You're always gonna have

to watch your back.

Any type of trouble you get into,

and you're gone.

I have these nightmares

of ICE agents raiding the house.

Just coming in and storming us like that.

I established cameras with censors.

So if they're coming in,

at least I know they're coming in.

I can make some type of preparations.

Hold the door.

I mean, they're just not coming in

unless they got warrants or whatever,

but I'm not letting nobody in.

We can put two plants here. Just two.

And then I can plant my peas

and one tomato in the middle.

I think there might be some other drips.

When I met Cesar,

that was eight years ago.

I was working as a host

in a Mexican restaurant.

He was one

of those pain-in-the-butt customers.

What the heck?

Every time he takes a to-go order,

he calls to complain.

He was like, "Well, I used to do that

just to get to talk to you."

After probably, like, five months,

I'm like, "Okay,

I'm gonna give you a chance. Let's go."

And two months later, we got married.

"We married immediately.

I'm like, "Hey, baby,

let me get your paperwork started."

I never thought he was gonna get deported.

I thought I was gonna be the one

to get deported,

because he got papers. He was a resident.

"And I told him,"

I'm not like that.

I didn't marry you for your papers

"or your money."

I'm like, "You don't even have money."

I'm like,

"But I didn't marry you for that."

That went on for two years

until she finally decided to do it,

- and then

- Months later, he got deported.

It was like, "Is this really"

It looks like a joke.

"Like," All right,

now you wanna get your papers?

Guess what. You're not gonna have it."

When I first came back into the country,

we decided that we wanted

to build a little safety net.

And so in six years,

we have managed to buy a house.

But because I'm undocumented now,

we are building on quicksand.

That's what me and my wife are on

right now.

We're building on quicksand,

and at any moment, it could give away.

This is our little patch of land, man.

For now.

By being undocumented, I lost everything.

It's like,

"Where do you want me to start?"

I cannot drive.

I cannot go to the hospital.

I can't get insurance.

I cannot work.

I cannot fly.

I lost, uh

the freedom to live.

He even lost his hair

thanks to all this.

Yeah, he changed a lot.

He was a happy person.

He tries to be. He tries to

keep all the funny in him,

because that's how I met him.

That's why I wanted to go with him.

His personality, I know it's still there,

but I know it's not gonna come out

until all this

is over.

Just

to me, this is, like, unreal, you know?

It's like

It's like I'm looking at America

through a mirror or a window,

because it's not the America I grew up in.

- And you're not allowed

- And I'm not allowed in it.

Sorry. Your ticket has been expired.

I'm gonna come around in the front

and see if I can just stop this right now.

- Tango or no?

- -No.

No?

That's not him. That's not our guy at all.

- Run him.

- Yep.

Ask him where he's from.

- Who? The driver?

- Yep.

Okay.

Evidently, you rolled

through that stop sign on the way out.

He's checking them out.

I just wanna know where what country?

- He's saying the US.

- Is he?

- Yeah.

- Where you from?

California.

He's a USC.

Let's let him go quickly.

Sorry about the inconvenience.

I really am. Okay?

- Okay.

- Take care of yourself.

All right, we're out.

Regardless of this election,

we're not gonna stop doing what we do.

I understand it's not

the most popular thing in the world.

We're gonna continue to do what we do

until somebody stops us from doing it.

- Hey, how are you?

- Hi.

We're out here today trying

to inform people

there's a sheriff primary going on.

So, what's the No 2

- 287?

- Yeah.

The current sheriff has signed

an agreement with ICE

that's responsible

for over 15,000 removals of individuals.

Yes, first-generation immigrants.

This is, like, one of our key issues

for us.

Because our families are affected,

our friends are affected,

and it's tough

to live in fear constantly, right?

- Oh, yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

-It's been a melting pot over here,

-Mm-hmm.

So, you know, we know lots of people

who have

these issues.

- Yeah.

- So

A lot of my friends

who I grew up with

lost family members due to 287.

There was lots of ICE activity

in our city.

I was the only person

with a driver's license in my neighborhood

that could go pick up people

who had their children

who were stuck at an ID check.

So, I was there and got to witness people

with their families

on a two-way road getting put

into sheriff's office vans.

I was given people's cars

with their children

and told, "Please take them home."

So I saw the risk and the fear.

We decided we had to do something.

We couldn't stay still.

We took a moment to realize

what should we really focus on

and what was at stake.

And we noticed that the 287 program

was something that

it was here locally,

and we had power to do something about,

especially because we knew

the elections were coming up.

ICE out of Charlotte!

ICE out of Charlotte!

ICE out of Charlotte!

ICE out of Charlotte!

The race for Mecklenburg County

sheriff is quickly becoming a referendum

on the controversial 287 program.

I understand earlier this week

your county commissioners meeting

debated this program.

How frustrating is that for you?

Well, you know

we've heard from city council,

county commissioners,

folks running for office

that they do not support this program.

This program is about safety and security

of our county.

I saw the national news.

Well, it truly is a referendum.

The immigrant community here

has been very vocal.

They make it known who they like,

and they make it known who they dislike.

They are tired,

and they are letting

their voice be heard here.

It's a factor. I mean, it's a factor.

ICE out of Charlotte!

The current administration

has publicly stated

that one of its priorities is an expansion

of 287.

Obviously, local elections are

for local people to decide,

"but our role is to say,"

All right,

Sheriff, whomever you may be,

if you are under the impression

that not cooperating

with ICE will somehow result

in less immigration enforcement

in your community,

just be aware, that's not true.

ICE will then have no choice

"but to send more officers

into your community."

But, you know, those jurisdictions

are gonna make their own decisions.

Thank you all for being here tonight.

We have some members here from ICE.

The purpose of this meeting is to talk

about 287.

I really appreciate that you're here,

that you're doing this training for us,

because I've been very curious as to how

and why the county even implemented

the 287 program.

Bottom line is

the overwhelming majority

of ICE encounters for the current year

were pursuant to a criminal conviction

or a criminal arrest.

Another thing that comes up quite a bit

is fear in the community.

They think that if they call the police,

they're gonna get arrested

because they are undocumented.

Unless they themselves have committed

a criminal offense,

they have nothing to worry about.

My problem with all of this,

when we hear the word "criminal offense,"

we're thinking Law & Order: SVU

or whatever,

that they've done something horrendous.

People are thinking felonies.

They're thinking m*rder.

They're thinking major drug dealers.

They're not thinking broken taillight.

You're right.

"Criminal" is somewhat of a broad word

that includes everything from m*rder*r

to, you know

Jaywalking.

So, there is a spectrum there.

I would simply say our focus is on persons

who are in the country unlawfully

who also commit criminal offenses.

I do wanna compliment you as a PR person.

You're really good

at fielding all of this stuff.

I mean, you're pretty slick, because you

- I'm not slick.

- I'm just saying

It's a complex issue.

Part of my job is to explain it.

It's very smooth,

which means you've done this a lot.

As of public affairs person,

where better to be

than where the action is?

I mean, what issue are we dealing with

as a country right now

that is more high-profile

than immigration?

ICE is sworn

to enforce federal immigration law.

So, this agency is going to do so

with or without local cooperation.

So, I think 287 itself,

you know, obviously it's a decision

of the local jurisdiction

as to what they want to do.

It is not our place

as federal law enforcement

to tell a local municipality

what their local policies should be.

This is a passionate issue

people feel strongly about,

but that's understandable.

I mean, my job is to explain to people

what arguably

the most controversial agency

in the federal government does.

Good morning.

Welcome and thank you for being here.

So, what is the purpose of 287?

Basically, at the end of the day,

the purpose is

to enhance the safety and security

of communities.

- You don't live here!

- Here's why.

You're not from here!

You don't see our community!

You know nothing about our community!

And you sit up here

and give us this professional line.

These people are in the classrooms.

We live next door to these people.

Ma'am, if you're gonna make

a statement calling me a liar

and stating that we are violating

I'm not going to

Get out!

Hold on. Let me talk.

Basically, at the end of the day,

ICE is a law enforcement agency.

Again, I'm a career official,

not a political appointee.

Salesman!

- Yeah!

- All right, well

you know, call me any names you like.

I'm still gonna give the presentation.

So, since the program has been active,

you've had less than 50 persons removed

from the United States as a result.

- In Knox County?

- In Knox County.

What about Morristown?

How many of those 50 people

had children at home?

I don't know.

Why don't you know how many of

those people had children at home alone?

I don't know

Why don't you know?

I don't know

what color hair they had either.

There are certain data points

I don't have.

That's something that we can look at.

No, sir!

I know we have a lot of people

who wanted to talk.

And so, let's go down the list,

and we'll turn it over.

My name is Meghan Conley.

I'm a professor

in the Department of Sociology

at the University of Tennessee

where I teach and write

about immigration politics and policies.

Our data show that 90% of inmates

with ICE holds in the Knox County jail

are arrested on misdemeanor offenses.

Shame.

Now, as far as I can tell,

ICE is an unaccountable organization.

Say that!

So, my question is for the sheriff

of Knox County.

How do you continue to justify

Knox County's participation in 287

knowing that it leads to the separation

of families in our community

predominantly through arrests

for minor offenses?

Please use the microphone.

I'm sorry.

- Use the microphone.

- Microphone!

I'll just as soon stand right here.

- No

- I can't hear you!

- My son has hearing A*DS

- This is a perfect forum

I think y'all should listen

because this program is here to stay.

I'm getting exact numbers of the people

in our jail that are misdemeanors.

There are certainly horror stories

that have come out from police agencies

about ICE detainees,

and I'm standing here telling you

that the things you're talking about

are not happening in Knox County.

It may be happening somewhere else,

but they're not happening here. Period.

Her research is a lie? She made that up?

I did not say she lied.

Research is research,

and we all know what research is.

You can make it any way you want It.

- f*ck you! f*ck you!

- I can stand here

- I can stand here and tell you

- Shame!

You're getting ready to leave.

If you say one more profanity,

I will take you out myself.

- Shame!

- Anybody

- Anybody can use the numbers

- JJ is making you look bad, ICE.

He's making you look bad.

Thank you very much. Our hour is up.

I wanna thank you all for coming.

- If you have any further questions

- We're not leaving!

That's up. We are done. Thank you.

There should be no apology

that we maintain vigilance

and take this seriously.

Our job is to, bottom line,

protect the public.

Every individual who comes

into the United States unlawfully

could be detained.

Under the law, absolutely,

ICE could make the initial decision

to say, "We're gonna detain you."

ICE operates a national network

of detention facilities

all across the country

with a total capacity of about 50,000 beds

on any given day.

I've been covering immigration

for a decade.

The last couple of years,

our collective focus has been

on these border patrol facilities,

on the conditions inside of them.

But I felt it was important

to show to everybody that,

"Hey, those are temporary facilities.

ICE is where they end up long-term."

This facility is a detention center.

It's not a prison. It's not a jail.

In this facility,

the persons that are detained,

they're undergoing

an administrative immigration process.

So, there are no sentences here.

No one is being punished in the sense

from a sentencing perspective.

They're here to await

either removal to their country,

or they're here

to see an immigration judge

who will determine

if they could be released,

or they could be removed.

There's at least 220 facilities.

They're all around the country.

They're spread out in 47 states.

Of all this sprawling network

that ICE has,

they only own and operate five of them.

This much broader network are run

by private companies.

There's money in almost every aspect

of immigration detention.

First, ICE pays for each person

that you detain for each day.

Those detainees in turn then pay

to use the telephone

for what can be these incredibly expensive

phone calls and video chats

with their families.

If they want something

that's not handed out in the cafeteria,

they have to pay money

to use the commissary,

and they're allowed

to voluntarily sign up to work.

Detainees that do the work

get paid a dollar a day.

You can't do double shifts.

You can't do 16 hours for $2.

It's one shift a day.

You get paid a dollar.

The idea of using private

companies to run ICE detention centers

is not something new,

but it really exploded

under this administration.

This has been big, big business for them.

Right after the election,

we saw the stock prices of the GEO Group

and CoreCivic literally double overnight.

The for-profit prison industry

is making a k*lling in the Trump era.

- Invest every cent you have in them.

- No, don't.

Because they are having a field day.

I try and look away

from the morality of it,

because it's just a necessary evil,

and it's a necessary evil I like having

as part of my portfolio.

They call themselves private prisons,

but they are privately run,

publicly financed.

It is our taxpayer money

that goes to these very corporations

that push for policies

that incarcerate us.

Their client is ICE. The detainees

they're more the product.

I know

that sounds incredibly dehumanizing,

but immigrants for them mean money.

You're talking about the treatment

of tens of thousands of people.

Two-thirds of those have

zero criminal record

other than their immigration violations.

Right now, I am such a good driver

that I could be

a teenage driving instructor.

I follow all my turn signals,

all my laws, speed limits.

I am one of the best drivers there is.

It's all because I gotta watch myself.

A lot of people have been deported

because of traffic tickets, man.

So

those are the big, MS-13 criminals,

speeding.

They've been doing a lot of raids here

from after Trump took office,

and they go to raid

in the Hispanic sides of town,

you know, so

But that's one thing

my people don't understand.

Don't conglomerate where they're gonna be

coming to get you, but

So me myself, I hide in plain sight

in a white neighborhood.

I'm the only military person in my family,

and I believe in America 100%.

I believe in the Constitution.

Even though

I'm breaking the law right now,

I do believe in the law.

But also, I believe

that the law has gotta be just.

Thomas Jefferson said,

"When injustice becomes law,

resistance becomes duty."

So, that's the way I see it.

I'm a patriot,

even though I had to break the law

to come back home.

Somebody had to ring the bell,

and I did that.

This is the video I made

the day I came back to the US.

Okay, so this is

This is the moment where I'm gonna be

crossing back into the US.

I'm coming home.

Sorry, guys, but f*ck you.

You can't f*cking send me out of my house.

So, that over there, that's TJ.

I don't know if you guys can see it.

That's all Tecate, all that.

I'm going through here,

and I'm going up the mountain.

So, hopefully,

everything will be all right,

and I'll be home soon, baby.

I love you. Bye.

The first year I came back

across the border,

I was completely useless.

I mean, in the sense that I was terrified

to even just go out to the store.

The year after that, I was tired.

I'm like, "No, all of us gotta come home."

There's over 500 to 1,000 military

deported all over the world.

And we shed our blood for this country.

We shed red blood for all Americans.

Honor us now. Bring us home.

Without Cesar,

we wouldn't have the ability

to have our presence in Washington, DC.

And that's really what we need.

We need our congressmen and senators

to wake the f*ck up.

We're gonna go about

who are our best targets.

I already have a list of congressmen

that I already see a soft-meet.

And out of all the ruckus I did,

Miss Michelle Lujan, she found out

that we were doing this around Congress,

and she invited us to come over.

They willingly put their own lives

on the line

and served this country.

I have a real problem with that.

Congresswoman Michelle Lujan

Grisham wants to change that.

Now, Ms. Lujan is running

for governor of New Mexico.

This is my opportunity

to get straight again.

If she gives me a pardon,

it's my way to get back home legally, man,

and finally be able to put this behind me.

Hey, babe.

- They found a way in.

- Hey, guys.

We need to go to New Mexico

to talk to the governor.

- After the election.

- Yes, Mama, the election's tomorrow.

Okay. That's true.

Enchiladas and tacos.

If they're really willing to help out,

hopefully, we can convince her

to give us a pardon

at the beginning of her governorship.

Pardoning a veteran,

I think, would be a positive note

to start her tenure as governor.

The amazing thing to me is

that one signature, just a signature,

can give me my life back.

- It can go back

- One person can give me my life back.

You can go back to work.

And we can have babies.

And we can have babies, Mama.

That's one of the reasons

that we haven't had the babies,

because we're not gonna have a baby

on the run.

I refuse to have a child on

being a fugitive.

I know, but we're running out of time.

I know, Mama, we're running out of time,

but I'm not gonna

raise a child on the run.

- I'm just not. I refuse to do that.

- I know.

Here. Do you want crust?

- Of course. Crust is great.

- Here, have the whole thing.

I still think

that since Trump getting in power,

on me, he has tried

to cancel every single program

- Yeah.

- That is working for immigrants.

He would like to have just a red button

just to delete them.

Just to delete all of us at once.

Oh, yeah, if he could just circle

everybody and just

- Yeah.

- Yeah, no, I could see that.

Mija, how many years we have been

covered for TPS?

My parents, my brother,

in fact, as well, are protected

under Temporary Protected Status.

My cousins, my aunts,

we're all TPS holders.

Trump has recently rescinded TPS

for Salvadorans.

So my family's situation currently lies

in limbo.

I have my family members who will

at one point be at risk for deportation.

Ever since I can remember,

my parents instilled in me

that just one screw up

one tiny little thing can land you

right back to El Salvador.

You have to be twice as good. Literally.

It just takes one mistake

to boot us out, so

We know that this is our chance

and our opportunity

to challenge the sheriff's office

that has never been truly challenged

the way that it needs to be.

We know what our end goal is,

and we don't know

if we're gonna necessarily get there,

but people are starting to take notice.

So, um

we'll see.

How you doing, guys?

Yeah. Vote for a progressive candidate

for sheriff.

We don't want Carmichael in there,

so make sure you vote

for a progressive person.

Garry McFadden is the best choice.

We need a change. We need a change.

That's Carmichael.

Just touch it.

Just touch it? I got you.

Keep it up. Keep up the great work.

I appreciate you.

I've got students who are undocumented,

and their moms and dads are undocumented.

If they get pulled over,

and then this program is

what takes them away from their families,

- that's not good.

- Right, and I agree.

And we shouldn't be getting rid

of folks who

- No, I totally agree. Absolutely.

- I mean, we got some amazing families.

Can they get a driver's license

in North Carolina?

No, you cannot.

Garry McFadden, 56%.

So if there's one thing you've learned

from this campaign season with 287,

- what do you think it is?

- Irwin Carmichael, last place!

I doubt it!

- I doubt it.

- Right here. Via We Election.

Really? Already?

- Already, early vote totals.

- How do you have that?

Where? Where does it say?

Right there.

Wow!

57% for Garry McFadden?

Aw, nice! Nice.

- That's interesting.

- Yeah, that is. That is.

But I feel you.

I feel sorry for you actually sometimes.

- I'm looking around, and I'm like

- You see how yeah.

I mean, I get it, yeah.

But I also I hear them.

Democrat Michelle Lujan

Grisham with a nine-point lead

over Republican opponent, Steve Pearce.

She's got a comfortable lead,

but the night is still young,

and this one is too early to call.

The one that I'm watching today is

the governor of New Mexico.

Okay.

I contacted her, and I told her,

"if you win the the governorship,

I need you to pardon me."

Me not being able to vote,

now, I really know and understand

the true power of voting.

Garry! Garry! Garry!

Garry! Garry! Garry!

Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry!

Okay, so now, let me tell you.

History has been made.

- I want to introduce to you

- Garry!

Your next and my next sheriff

of Mecklenburg County.

What's next? 287

- It's gone.

- Say it. Say it!

287 is going to be history

in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

- I got to burn something, right?

- Oh, my God!

Yes, yes, yes!

Yeah, that's the one I need!

This is a state that's ready to lead

in so many ways.

I gotta f*cking push, push, push, push.

Everything that I've already done

this is when we go for it right now.

Yeah, in 2020,

we bring everybody back, Miguel,

like the way we talked about it.

I'm gonna be going to New Mexico.

I'm gonna be driving over there

to remind her and to tell her,

"What else do you need from me?

I got all the paperwork filled out."

- You better be careful.

- I will.

I'll be back home, Mama.

- I love you.

- I love you more, though.

I've been doing this for about five years,

and one thing I know is

that politicians are really good

at listening and telling you

that they're willing to help,

but they got very

very short memories.

And even though it's dangerous

for me to be traveling,

it has to be done.

I lost my compass

because I don't have nothing

to guide me anymore.

I'm out of options. This is it.

The governor in New Mexico is

my last shot.

I get so nervous putting on my uniform.

I love being a Marine.

We're a different kind of people.

I meet Marines on the street,

and we hug each other,

and we just laugh, and we

My wife is like, "Do you know 'em?"

I'm like, "Yeah, they're Marines."

Not bad. I can still fit after 15 years.

Thank you

Thank you, Father, for another day.

Thank you for protecting me.

Thank you for protecting my wife.

Thank you for taking care of my family

and my brothers.

Please continue to protect us

on this journey to the

To what we believe to be right.

I know that

we will always come home eventually,

but we want to come back home alive.

Please, Lord,

make this happen in our lifetime.

Amen.

We're asking the governor

to pardon deported veterans

that have been convicted of state crimes

here in New Mexico.

- Understood.

- I am one of those veterans

that have been convicted here.

- And Dominic has the file?

- Yes, he does.

- Okay.

- And since I live in Las Vegas

- Sure.

- And I'm still undocumented,

I'm risking federal imprisonment.

Let me pull Dominic out.

I didn't know Dominic actually had

the paperwork on this.

Let me go back and visit with Dominic

in a little while. We'll go from there.

- Gentlemen, thank you for your service.

- Thank you. We appreciate it.

- Thank you, sir. We appreciate that.

- Thank you very much.

When you're speaking to her,

stick to the script.

Don't go too far out.

Don't go too far out.

Try and stay as organized

and direct as possible,

because again,

she might only give you five minutes, bro.

- She's busy.

- Yeah.

- I'll get my point across in 30 seconds.

- Get your point across in 30 seconds,

get a few answers

by the second or third minute,

and then we'll go from there, all right?

Our fallen heroes on the wall.

It's a tribute to those

that have courageously given their lives

to protect the freedoms

that we know today.

Honorary servicemen.

Enjoy your visit.

If she says she can't

see you or won't see you,

what do you plan to do?

Try to get an appointment to come back.

And if they don't give you an appointment?

Then I'm gonna be coming back.

- Get kicked out.

- Hmm?

- Get kicked out.

- Mm-hmm.

- Get security to come get you out.

- Mm-hmm.

It's gonna look really bad.

Get the banner, open it up,

get kicked out.

Okay. Let's do it.

And I'll record it.

You can get press and everything.

You know it.

- Make sure you call my lawyer.

- No.

Okay, gentlemen, the plan is

we're not leaving this building

without an answer.

So, I'm not moving

until she gives me an answer.

But since I first made you aware

of the issue, three men have died.

How many more before you listen?

- Cesar.

- I'm Claudia Tristán,

press secretary for the governor.

I'm sorry for the wait.

I've been trying to get answers for you.

Everyone's been stuck in a meeting.

Is there gonna be a chance for me

to speak with the governor in person?

The governor is definitely way too busy.

I gave you business card earlier.

I had Chris give it to you.

So, here's my business card.

And this is where we can request

for more meetings with the governor.

But today, I mean,

she's got a busy schedule.

- If you talked with our transition team

- I sent emails to Dominic.

Dominic says he has your file.

That's for sure.

We do have your file

and are looking at the case.

I never received any answer.

I called, no answers.

Can we get an appointment

to speak with the governor?

Yeah, you can email me,

and we can go ahead and do that.

- I'll check with our scheduler

- Can you get me an appointment?

I don't have that access on my phone.

I'm not the scheduler for the governor.

Can we talk to the scheduler?

The scheduler actually just walked out

with the governor as well, so

I've been undocumented for six years,

fighting, going back and forth

to Congress,

and they don't listen.

And the governor,

when she was in Congress,

she said she wanted to help us,

and that's why I came.

She already said she wanted to help us.

Help us.

Quit talking about it.

You can save my life.

She is my political Marine right now,

and I'm wounded.

I've been wounded for six years,

alone, in the dark,

screaming about this issue,

but I'm tired.

I'm tired,

and I'm tired

of the politicians not listening to us.

How can they do this to us?

We were willing to give our lives.

I would have given my life

for you right now.

I would stand in front of a b*llet

for anyone here.

All I ask is for her to say,

"You know what?"

You guys are worth it.

You guys are Marines, are Army.

"You should have never been deported.

This should have never happened."

This is a tear

in the American fabric of our society,

and we need to mend it.

And we need to mend it with actions,

not words.

We need to do it now.

Save me, please.

I want to come home legally.

I want to have a child

with my wife. I want to move on.

Please.

Please tell her to just give me this.

I corrected my mistakes.

I have always have been a man,

and I have always taken the responsibility

for everything I've done.

But I will not take more punishment

than I deserve,

and I don't deserve what they done

to me and my family,

and she can correct that.

One signature can correct my life.

Just do it.

I don't know. I'm f*cking lost.

I'm lost, I'm screaming,

and nobody listens.

Please.

- I don't know what else to say.

- We need them.

No, I hear you.

And I want to make sure

I stay on top of this.

I understand what's going on

as much as I can understand

what's going on.

So, I just wanted to make sure

that you're updated

on what we're trying to do on our end,

and I'll send you guys an email

with my contact information

just to make sure we

at least get a group chat going.

Breaking right now:

Mecklenburg County's new sheriff

just got rid of a controversial program

that some believe targeted

undocumented immigrants.

Sheriff Garry McFadden signed the document

that will end 287.

We've seen families being torn apart.

We're still seeing the effects of 287

in this community.

Sheriff McFadden, you don't understand

how big of a deal this is.

This was the moment

that Charlotte's Hispanic community

has looked forward to for 12 years.

Emotional!

Latin community, we're happy, right?

Garry! Garry! Garry!

Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry! Garry!

Thank you.

We need more meetings

and assemblies like this

with all communities.

This would help us and you

to become less fearful of each other.

Invite us to your parties.

Invite us to your restaurants.

Invite us to your weddings.

And we will come.

ICE has been informed

that they cannot operate

inside the Mecklenburg County Jail

unless they have a criminal warrant,

not a detainer.

Mecklenburg County's decision

to restrict cooperation with ICE serves

as an open invitation to aliens

who commit criminal offenses

that Mecklenburg County is

now a safe haven

for persons seeking

to evade federal authorities.

This decision to undermine

cooperative law enforcement efforts

seriously undermines public safety

and makes the people of Mecklenburg County

less safe today than they were yesterday.

And they are to notify us

if they want to come

to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.

Yes, they have jurisdiction,

but I have the authority.

- I can tell you that

- That's exactly what we've said.

If you do this, we have no choice.

There will be a seriously increased

presence of enforcement.

And make no mistake about it.

Every case that we get,

we're gonna point out.

We're gonna work with you,

and do press releases

and things like that.

Oh, sure. This is a person

that we could have taken into custody

but was out on the street to re-offend,

and we had to go get ourselves.

I can't wait to do the one where,

you know,

Juan Miguel Torres was arrested today

by Charlotte fugitive operations

along with six other people.

You know what I'm saying?

- It would have been one

- -It would have been one

- but now, it's everybody.

- But now, it's a total of seven.

I have to protect you

whether you are documented

or undocumented.

I am Garry McFadden, your sheriff.

If that's the way they wanna go,

then they can own that,

and we'll have to make clear

that that is why

we have fugitive operations

with an increased presence

in those communities.

We charge probably

over 600 people a year.

We got to make up that number of arrests.

There's 45,000 beds in the United States,

and in this field office,

we got about 4,000 of them.

We plan on keeping every one of them full.

We're gonna fill our beds for sure.

We're gonna do everything we can.

Everyone look here, please!

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.