The Daily - One Family’s Reunification Story

Episode Date: July 6, 2018

Since President Trump ended the practice of separating migrant children from their parents, very few families have been reunited. Those that have are becoming national symbols. Guest: Annie Correal, a New York Times reporter who accompanied Yeni González, a migrant from Guatemala, on part of her journey to join her three children after more than five weeks apart. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today, since President Trump ended his policy of separating migrant children from their parents, very few families have actually been reunited, which is why there is so much attention around those that have. It's Friday, July 6th.

This call is being recorded. If you do not wish to be recorded, please disconnect estar contigo. Ya no quiero estar aquí. Ok, hágame un favor, me llama de nuevo, ¿ok? Vaya, está bien. Ok, Jenny, que Dios la bendiga. Gracias, igualmente. Ok, adiós. Bye. My name is Annie Correal.

I'm a reporter on the Metro Desk, and I met Jenny on Monday. Her full name is Jenny Gonzalez. She's a migrant from Guatemala, and she had traveled across Guatemala and Mexico to Arizona, where after crossing the border, she was picked up by Border Patrol, along with her three children, Lester, Yamelin, and Dewin. They're 11, 9, and 6, and taken into detention. A few days after being held together, the kids were sleeping on the ground and they were woken up and taken from her.

So Beth, last week you brought us the story of one lawyer who's representing a mother in detention in Arizona and her three children who are in foster care here in New York. Has he been able to reunite that family yet? No, he hasn't, Jamie. The lawyer's name is Jose Javier Arrochena. And this lawyer, Jose Arrochena, he hears about Jenny's case from one of her relatives. And after getting nowhere, he decides to talk to the media and call attention to what's going on. His story suddenly had legs, and it was on WNYC radio. But now he called me today and he said it looks like he will meet with them very soon. He also had his first phone call with the mom.

She's in the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. She's from Guatemala. She wants asylum. So Jose tells reporters that the judge in Arizona has set Jenny's bond at $7,500. And a writer here in New York hears that on the radio and decides to launch a crowdfunding effort, a GoFundMe campaign on her behalf. Ladies and gentlemen, success! We did it! We did it! half. Ladies and gentlemen, success! We did it! We did it! So this paper, this stack of papers means that Yanni is approved for release today. She's officially been in detention since May 18th.

So yeah, she's on her way. We'll be on her way this year. Yes. And within days, they had raised enough money not only to cover her bond, but to actually finance a road trip from Arizona to New York City and join her kids. So everything shifted, and I decided to fly to Pittsburgh to meet Denny for the last leg of her trip. to fly to Pittsburgh to meet Jenny for the last leg of her trip. So we are just leaving Pittsburgh. I'm in the car with Jenny and a few other journalists and our driver, Jorge, who is one of the volunteers who has driven Jenny all the way from Arizona to her destination, New York City, where we are scheduled to arrive tonight.

We are all squeezed into an SUV, and I'm sort of seated right next to Jenny, and I start just making small talk. They were telling me that we were going to arrive and they were getting happy. And I said, without knowing what was waiting for us, that their happiness was going to end. So Jenny's telling me that she left on May 14th from her town in Guatemala with her three kids and they took a bus all the way across Guatemala. and they took a bus all the way across Guatemala. She decided to leave with her three children so that they could be safe and have a future in the United States. And she said if she had known, she never would have made this trip.

She had no idea that zero tolerance was in effect, that there was this policy of separating children from their parents, it had gone into effect only about a week before she set out. So she had no idea, and neither did the mothers that she was with. So Jenny tells me that once they were picked up by Border Patrol, they were taken to a detention center in Yuma. And just a half hour after arriving, they were told by an agent that they were going to be separated,

that the government was going to take her children and that she was going to be deported to Guatemala. And once her children heard that, they started crying, and she was trying to console them. They finally took her children at 5 a.m. on the morning of May 23rd. She wasn't asleep. She was awake. She said she couldn't sleep, but the children were sleeping on the floor. And agents came in and they took the children and she said that she was crying and

they took them and shut the door. She was taken sort of to a cell, she says, where there were so many mothers that it was difficult to walk. She bonded specifically with other mothers from Guatemala, and she told me their stories. She was really eager to talk about what had happened to them. In Illinois, they would only give them soup, this sort of runny soup at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and so sometimes she wouldn't eat at all, and she couldn't get the food down, and she would just take one or two spoonfuls as if it was medicine. At one point she saw them fill the soup with water from the hose,

go around and add water. She said that they all slept very little and they lost track of what time of day it was. They said the lights were always on and sometimes they'd be startled to learn that it was 1 p.m. when they thought it was the dead of night and vice versa. And so they were living in this kind of perpetual twilight. Some of the mothers were fasting as a sort of sacrifice or a way to supplicate so that God might have mercy on them and reunite them with their children. She said that at the beginning,

there had been children among them, and slowly there were no children left. One detail she shared with me that I remembered is that when she couldn't eat the soup anymore, she asked an agent or a guard if she could have a cookie or a cracker and he said to her, no, those are just for the children. And she felt that was a small cruelty given that there were no children there anymore when he told her that. because there you couldn't tell if it was a village. There were even several nights that we would sleep. Sometimes they would tell us not to sleep because for me there were no dreams. Because when I tried to sleep, I would close my eyes and only dream horrible nightmares. And I better not...

So we're near Allentown, and we've hit a little traffic, and Jenny's telling me that she has talked to her kids just a few times, and when she spoke to her daughter, Yamelin, she said that she was having chest pains, and she was told that her mom told her, Jenny told her, just cry, just get all the emotions out. And she said, mom, if they, if I cry, I get in trouble. And they tell me that my, my case is going to take longer. So she was told that she wasn't allowed to cry. take longer so she was told that she wasn't allowed to cry. I'm very depressed.

I asked Jenny whether we should keep going or take a break, and she said that she'd rather take a break because telling the story means reliving it. So we're going to take a little break. I think it's a good idea to go to the beach. I'm going to go to the beach. I'm going to go to the beach. I'm going to go to the beach. Jenny, what do you think of these mountains? Yes, very pretty. Peace, tranquility.

Peace, tranquility. Not everything is bad. Is that thunder? Yes, it's thunder. Yes, it's thunder. Is that thunder? I think it's going to rain. There's just green as far as you can see and the mountains rising in the distance, but they're very dark thunder clouds and it looks like it might start raining soon. As we were driving, I kind of tried to see America through Jenny's eyes,

what this country looked like for someone who may never have imagined all the places she was seeing, cities and towns and vast open spaces. I asked her what it had all looked like to her when she looked out the window, and she said, peace. As far as we know, this isn't happening for a whole lot of mothers. She is kind of the exception, not the rule, because while there are parents being held around the country,

they are not necessarily being reunited with their kids. And for that reason, there's this unusual intensity around her case. She has one Guatemalan mother going to see her three children, and all sorts of crazy stuff is happening. She's gotten the cell phone from her lawyer, but it's also blowing up with calls from people who she doesn't recognize. So we just got a call from a reporter for Voz America who wants to go find Jenny's family in Guatemala. So Jenny's saying that we are getting calls from journalists,

and I end up having to sort of field all of her phone calls. Okay, gracias. Adios. of her phone calls. We're on the road and she gets a call from Adriano Espeyat, a congressman. And she doesn't even know who this is. Hey, Jose, how are you?

Good, thank you. So I think we're about four hours from Newark, and I guess we're going to meet Cory Booker there. Oh, wow. That's the plan. I don't know if it'll happen, but I think that's part of the plan. It's almost like we're traveling with a political candidate. You know, Pantsuit Nation is involved, and there are 1,300 likes in the last hour,

and so all this information is filtering in, very much as I would imagine would happen on a political campaign. Yeah, just before 6. We're literally driving. Okay, good. And then finally we cross into New Jersey and we get to Newark. And it's like, oh, the city. We're here.

And as we arrive to meet Senator Cory Booker, Jenny's, she's telling me the few words she's learned in English. How are you? Muy bien. Mi nombre es... My name is... My name is... My name is...

Jenny Gonzales. Dale de nuevo. Con ganas. So we get there, we get to a parking lot outside the Hilton. There he is, there are a few of his press people, and we get out of the car and everyone's taking photos and the Senator's about twice her height. He towers over her and he gives her this big bear hug and starts telling her in Spanish how committed he is to the cause and that this doesn't represent America, that he's going to be there for her even after she sees her kids.

And she starts crying, and he gives her his handkerchief. I think that the timing has been interesting because somehow Jenny has become a way, a vehicle for elected officials to announce their message, whether it's abolish ICE or immigration reform has to happen now, whatever it might be. Jenny is, you know, she's had to use extra ordinary ways of reconnecting with her family, not through any kind of official process that we've set up. And every day that goes by, these children are traumatized more. Their children both suffer more. And this is just not who we are.

We don't do this kind of torture to children. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. Wow, that is close. Can you see it? As we leave New Jersey and we're headed closer to New York, there's this moment where sort of through the haze

you start seeing the New York City skyline. And I was sitting close to her and I said, what do you think? And she says, que lindo, it's beautiful. My whole heart came here. Really? Yes. My whole heart came here. And then she says, my whole heart is there. Imagine they sent my whole heart there. I asked her had she ever seen the New York skyline in movies or on TV. Did she have any idea of what New York was like? And she said no, she didn't even know about the Statue of Liberty.

Jenny, this is what is called Times Square. This is Times Square. And she said no, she didn't even know about the Statue of Liberty. Jenny, esto es lo que se llama Times Square. This is Times Square. Mira, mira. I was sort of watching her because even to those of us who lived in New York, after this day driving from Pittsburgh, the crowds were overwhelming. It was like sweaty tourists with their shirts off and giant groups of school children crossing the street and honking horns and yellow taxi cabs and, you know, Times Square characters posing with people. We turn up 6th Avenue. She just looked at it all, kind of wide-eyed.

She didn't say anything. There's a big crowd. And as we turn towards Central Park, we started seeing this gathering of people holding signs and lifting them up, and they somehow knew it was us and this cheer went up and we drove by them and all the signs said Jenny Jenny Jenny there's signs here that say in Benvenida a New York, Jenny. Families belong together. Welcome, Jenny.

She'd been told, you do not have to get out of the car. Squeeze my hand if you want to leave. Put your hand up, cover your face. They're coaching her and protecting her. They don't want to just throw her to the wolves. And we're all looking to her to see what she's going to do. And instead of saying, let's keep going and waving out the window, she says, I want to get out.

She jumps out and she's just swarmed by cameras and by journalists with microphones and they start asking her questions and... Jenny, you lived through very cruel times, but have you ever imagined that this human chain would create to bring you from the border to here? I never imagined it. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. To all the people. Let's see if there are children who come to see you.

Children? We're at Central Park and there are a lot of crying moms and a bunch of children here too. There's some tourists that have no idea what's going on. She's one of the mothers who was separated from her kids at the border and they brought her here to New York because her kids were sent here to the city. Oh, okay. Did you hear that?

It's one of the... I know Emma. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's got it sent to you. Thanks. While she was in detention, she did not know that this had become what it had. I think she had no idea.

I mean, from what she told me, she cleans houses in a small village in Guatemala and takes care of her children. She's a single mom. There was nothing really to distinguish her from any of the other people who crossed the border. I think she had no clue that she'd be walking out into this new reality. I don't think she understands the culture wars. You know, within a very short time, simply because of the timing of when she crossed the border, she went from being treated by Americans as a criminal to a victim

to sort of a symbol. Muchas gracias. Muchas gracias. A ver si hay niños que los niños vengan para... to sort of a symbol. You know, I'm getting the tweets and people saying that she's a symbol of what all Americans should be striving toward instead of engaging in Facebook fights, that they should be getting in there and making a difference. On the other hand, of course, people say, this will be remembered when we vote. Liberals have abandoned citizens for undocumented, illegal aliens. I wonder in time how she'll look back at this, whether she'll say, this had nothing to do with me at all.

You know, she just wants to get back with her kids. Is everyone in? So we leave the crowd. We pile back into the rented Suburban. We're loaded back into the Suburban, and Yenny now has a bouquet of flowers. And is waving to the reporters as we drive away. I told her to get a good night's sleep, and we were all going to see each other again at Cayuga in the morning, where her kids were going to be. ¿Almuerzo? ¿A dónde cenan? En la casa. ¿En la casa? ¿Y cuántas familias? ¿Ustedes han andado con cuántas familias? ¿Una o dos?

Una. ¿Una sola familia? ¿Y ellos tienen hijos también? Sí. ¿Sí? Ok. ¿Ya vieron la película de Star Wars? Sí. ¿La última que salió? ¿De Han Solo? Sí. De Han Solo? Isla de Guardians of the Galaxy. ¿Cuándo pasó?

Estoy en marzo. We'll be right back. It's about 9.30 on Tuesday morning, and I am outside Cayuga Centers in East Harlem Manhattan, with about 50 journalists and more than a dozen cameras from local TV stations. And we're waiting for Yenny to come out after meeting her children. It's almost 90 degrees, even though it's still early. And we are right next to the train tracks. And at 10.17, I got a text saying she's coming out soon.

And this message sort of filtered out and the crowd of journalists starts hovering and gathering and elbowing for the best position. and elbowing for the best position. And the doors open, and all the cameras start whirring and flashing. And Congressman Adriano Espaillat is the first to step up to the microphone. ...May 19th, was separated from her children, her three children. Congressman Adriano Espaillat is the first to step up to the microphone.

He gives a short speech. He says it was a very emotional reunion and that she's driven all the way from Arizona. It's taken four days. And he thanks everyone who made it happen and says he wants to see more of these stories become a reality. So Mr. Espaillat steps away, and Jenny steps forward, and she's holding a blue and white lollipop. And she says, thank you to everyone who helped me get here. Thank you all, and thank you to the city of New York.

But then she held up the lollipop and she said, my daughter gave this to me today. And, you know, tears are streaming down her face. My heart is very happy. It was quick. And she stepped away. And then her lawyer, Jose Orachena, steps up and takes her place in front of the mics. This has been a battle that we've been waiting for about five weeks now.

We've been waiting this battle for about five weeks. And out of his brown leather briefcase, he produces a bunch of papers and their color printouts of photographs of other women who have been held with Jenny in Arizona. These are all mothers that Jenny told me to meet with at Arizona. And he starts going through. This is another family.

Their kids are here at Cayuga. The mother is detained in Arizona. And after he says that, Jenny sort of tugs on his sleeve or makes it known that she wants to take the mic. This is a timid woman. She speaks no English. She's from a tiny village in Guatemala.

But I think she sensed that this was her moment to say something on their behalf. And she says very clearly to the women who are still in the detention center, I want to send the message to you, to all the parents who are there, that we're doing all that we can to get you out, that there are people with good hearts on the other side, to get you out, that there are people with good hearts on the other side, that we haven't forgotten you, and that you too can be back with your children.

She turns away, she goes back inside, and the press conference continues with the organizers sort of talking about how they made all of this happen. But Jenny, who's the star of the show, has gone back inside to spend the day with her kids. So people take their final footage and get the phone numbers they need and pack up their cameras and coil up their cords

and everyone goes home. Jenny? Hola. Hola, Jenny. ¿Te acuerdas de mí? Ah, sí. Hours later, I called Jenny to check in and ask how it had been seeing her kids. And the first thing she said to them was, I promised I would come find you wherever you were and here I am Bueno Jenny, te voy a dejar acaso te hablamos en estos días

pero te felicito mucho Muchas gracias y muchos saludos José, gracias por todo estamos en contacto Gracias a ustedes Hasta luego Bye José, gracias por todo. Estamos en contacto. Gracias a ustedes. Gracias a ustedes. Hasta luego.

Hasta luego. Okay, bye. On Thursday, the Trump administration said that nearly 3,000 migrant children remain separated from their parents under the president's zero-tolerance policy, and that of those, about 100 are under the age of five. The administration is now racing to meet deadlines imposed by a federal judge, which requires that children under five be reunited with their parents by Tuesday and that older children be reunited by July 26th. Here's what else you need to know today.

Mr. Pruitt, welcome to the People's House. The list of your failures is long, and your wasteful spending is an embarrassment to government and very offensive to the taxpayers who pay all of our salaries. Scott Pruitt, the head of the EPA, resigned on Thursday amid more than a dozen investigations into allegations of ethics violations, lavish spending, and misuse of his government staff. It's tempting to ask why you spent nearly $68,000 on hotels

and travel from August through February just in five months and $50,000 are modifications to your office, including a privacy booth that costs over $43,000. I think it's important, Congressman, to know where this originated. I did have a phone call that came in of a sensitive nature, and I did not have access to secure communications. I gave direction to my staff to address that, and out of that came a $43,000 expenditure

that I did not approve. That is something that should not occur in the future. Okay, so you're not taking responsibility for the $43,000 that was spent? President Trump has repeatedly praised Pruitt for pursuing his goal of rolling back environmental regulations. But that confidence was steadily undermined

by claims that Pruitt installed a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office, insisted on first-class airline travel, asked aides to find a job for his wife, and fired staff who questioned his behavior. In a tweet on Thursday announcing the resignation, the president wrote, quote, On Thursday announcing the resignation, the president wrote, quote, Within the agency, Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this. Pruitt will be replaced, temporarily, by Andrew Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the coal industry. And President Trump has chosen a former executive at Fox News, Bill Shine, as his head of White House communications, despite the executive's alleged role in a scandal at the network.

Shine, who was named as an assistant to the president, was fired by Fox for allegedly enabling sexual harassment by the network's former chairman, Roger Ailes, a claim that Shine denies. The Daily is produced by Theo Balcom, Lindsay Garrison, Rachel Quester, Annie Brown, Andy Mills, Ike Streis-Conneraja, Claire Tennesketter, Paige Cowan, Michael Simon-Johnson, and Jessica Chung, with editing help from Larissa Anderson.

Lisa Tobin is our executive producer. Samantha Hennig is our editorial director. Our technical manager is Brad Fisher. Our engineer is Chris Wood. And our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsberg of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolmick, Michaela Bouchard, Jake Gorski, Leemangistu, and Stella Tan. That's it for The Daily.

I'm Michael Barbaro. See you on Monday.