1 00:00:15,582 --> 00:00:18,818 >> Tonight, I am calling on Congress to finally close 2 00:00:18,852 --> 00:00:22,455 the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13... 3 00:00:22,489 --> 00:00:24,591 >> NARRATOR: The notorious gang MS-13. 4 00:00:24,624 --> 00:00:26,092 >>...break into our country. 5 00:00:26,126 --> 00:00:27,627 >> The recruitment starts right out of the school. 6 00:00:27,660 --> 00:00:30,697 (speaking Spanish): 7 00:00:30,730 --> 00:00:32,465 >> He says, "These people are threatening 8 00:00:32,499 --> 00:00:35,335 that if you don't come with us, we're going to hurt your family, 9 00:00:35,368 --> 00:00:36,736 you know, we're going to hurt your father. 10 00:00:36,770 --> 00:00:39,406 >> NARRATOR: Tonight, the story of a crackdown. 11 00:00:39,439 --> 00:00:42,876 >> We have seen a significant number of MS-13 gang members 12 00:00:42,909 --> 00:00:45,211 who entered the United States as unaccompanied minors. 13 00:00:45,245 --> 00:00:46,946 >> NARRATOR: And the young immigrants 14 00:00:46,980 --> 00:00:48,882 who are being swept up. 15 00:00:48,915 --> 00:00:52,152 >> Anyone can be labeled and cause them to be detained, 16 00:00:52,185 --> 00:00:54,387 and their civil rights to be violated, 17 00:00:54,421 --> 00:00:56,022 and these are children. 18 00:00:56,056 --> 00:00:57,590 >> NARRATOR: Tonight on "Frontline," 19 00:00:57,624 --> 00:01:00,260 "The Gang Crackdown." 20 00:01:23,016 --> 00:01:25,185 >> A significant show of force today in Nassau County. 21 00:01:25,218 --> 00:01:27,687 Police converged on a field in Roosevelt 22 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,155 after they received a tip 23 00:01:29,189 --> 00:01:32,192 about a possible gang-related homicide. 24 00:01:32,225 --> 00:01:34,694 >> NARRATOR: The bodies keep turning up. 25 00:01:34,727 --> 00:01:37,430 >> ...confirms the search stems from a possible homicide 26 00:01:37,464 --> 00:01:40,133 committed by MS-13, the violent Latin American gang 27 00:01:40,166 --> 00:01:44,037 that has been a scourge on Long Island. 28 00:01:44,070 --> 00:01:46,206 >> NARRATOR: Teenagers mainly. 29 00:01:46,239 --> 00:01:48,074 Killed in the woods. 30 00:01:48,107 --> 00:01:52,011 25 corpses since 2016. 31 00:01:52,045 --> 00:01:53,513 And others still missing. 32 00:01:53,546 --> 00:01:56,382 >> At this time, we have not found or identified 33 00:01:56,416 --> 00:01:59,886 any human remains. 34 00:01:59,919 --> 00:02:02,522 >> NARRATOR: Gangs have long been a problem on Long Island. 35 00:02:02,555 --> 00:02:05,191 >> I cannot comment on if it's MS-13... 36 00:02:05,225 --> 00:02:07,894 >> NARRATOR: But why the sudden spike in gang violence? 37 00:02:07,927 --> 00:02:10,597 >> Okay, thank you very much. Thank you very much. 38 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:12,265 >> NARRATOR: And how far will law enforcement go 39 00:02:12,298 --> 00:02:13,900 to win this war? 40 00:02:13,933 --> 00:02:17,237 >> Suffolk County police today declared war on MS-13. 41 00:02:17,270 --> 00:02:22,142 >> I consider them domestic terrorists. 42 00:02:22,175 --> 00:02:24,844 Either they win, or we win. 43 00:02:38,825 --> 00:02:40,627 >> NARRATOR: Long Island stretches eastward 44 00:02:40,660 --> 00:02:46,132 from New York City for about a hundred miles. 45 00:02:46,165 --> 00:02:50,203 The place is known for its beaches and mansions, 46 00:02:50,236 --> 00:02:52,772 but en route is a very different world. 47 00:02:56,576 --> 00:02:58,077 Densely populated communities, 48 00:02:58,111 --> 00:02:59,345 which have become a magnet for immigrant families 49 00:02:59,379 --> 00:03:02,749 from Central America. 50 00:03:02,782 --> 00:03:04,350 Some are here legally. 51 00:03:04,384 --> 00:03:07,153 Others are undocumented. 52 00:03:07,186 --> 00:03:10,223 And their numbers have more than doubled in the last two decades. 53 00:03:14,794 --> 00:03:17,997 It's also home to a vicious gang that has claimed the lives 54 00:03:18,031 --> 00:03:22,969 of dozens-- mainly immigrants-- over that same time. 55 00:03:23,002 --> 00:03:26,372 (man speaking in Spanish) 56 00:03:26,406 --> 00:03:28,608 This is the funeral for Javier Castillo, 57 00:03:28,641 --> 00:03:30,843 a 15-year-old from El Salvador, 58 00:03:30,877 --> 00:03:35,448 believed to be one of the latest victims of MS-13. 59 00:03:37,951 --> 00:03:39,953 >> MS-13, it's a Salvadorian gang. 60 00:03:39,986 --> 00:03:42,655 It's predominantly out of the Central American countries. 61 00:03:42,689 --> 00:03:45,725 I'm gonna describe them as the most violent gang 62 00:03:45,758 --> 00:03:48,061 that we have out here on Long Island. 63 00:03:48,094 --> 00:03:52,265 They're killing teenagers, they're killing children. 64 00:03:52,298 --> 00:03:55,034 It's just pure violence, and that's, 65 00:03:55,068 --> 00:03:57,103 that's what they thrive on. 66 00:03:59,706 --> 00:04:01,407 >> NARRATOR: Law enforcement officials here believe 67 00:04:01,441 --> 00:04:06,846 there are anywhere from 200 to 300 active MS-13 members 68 00:04:06,879 --> 00:04:09,616 and about a dozen subgroups, known as cliques. 69 00:04:09,649 --> 00:04:12,318 Brentwood, Central Islip, and Huntington-- 70 00:04:12,352 --> 00:04:14,721 towns with large Central American presence-- 71 00:04:14,754 --> 00:04:17,824 are hotbeds. 72 00:04:17,857 --> 00:04:19,792 >> Graffiti marks a territory. 73 00:04:19,826 --> 00:04:21,527 It announces to the community 74 00:04:21,561 --> 00:04:24,564 that there is a gang in their area. 75 00:04:24,597 --> 00:04:26,899 When you look for gang graffiti, you look for different colors, 76 00:04:26,933 --> 00:04:29,936 you look for numbers and letters. 77 00:04:29,969 --> 00:04:32,939 You can see, it announces their clique. 78 00:04:32,972 --> 00:04:35,475 The B.L.S. is the Brentwood Local Salvatrucha clique. 79 00:04:35,508 --> 00:04:38,544 So it doesn't necessarily mean that it was in Brentwood. 80 00:04:38,578 --> 00:04:40,613 It could be in another town, and they're letting the other town 81 00:04:40,647 --> 00:04:42,081 know that, not only are we in Brentwood, 82 00:04:42,115 --> 00:04:43,983 we're in your town also. 83 00:04:44,017 --> 00:04:45,485 You see here, you've got the S.L.S.W., 84 00:04:45,518 --> 00:04:49,656 which is the Sailor clique, the MS-13 with the anchor. 85 00:04:49,689 --> 00:04:52,125 Obviously in blue also. 86 00:04:52,158 --> 00:04:54,761 They want to cause fear and panic in an area. 87 00:04:57,363 --> 00:04:58,898 >> NARRATOR: To go after them, 88 00:04:58,931 --> 00:05:03,403 the Suffolk County Police Gang Unit has been working overtime. 89 00:05:03,436 --> 00:05:06,272 >> MS-13 is the type of gang 90 00:05:06,306 --> 00:05:09,509 that likes to hang out in the woods. 91 00:05:09,542 --> 00:05:12,445 We go out every day, we hunt these guys. 92 00:05:12,478 --> 00:05:16,015 They stop suspected MS-13 people. 93 00:05:16,049 --> 00:05:17,884 They engage them, they're in their face, 94 00:05:17,917 --> 00:05:19,519 there's no place for them to go. 95 00:05:19,552 --> 00:05:22,288 We make it known to them that we do not want them here, 96 00:05:22,321 --> 00:05:24,757 and we're doing everything we can to get them out. 97 00:05:30,863 --> 00:05:32,632 These woods are in the heart of Brentwood 98 00:05:32,665 --> 00:05:35,935 that's become a hangout for MS-13. 99 00:05:35,968 --> 00:05:39,205 Right over here is all 503 graffiti, 100 00:05:39,238 --> 00:05:42,742 503 being the area code for El Salvador. 101 00:05:42,775 --> 00:05:44,877 You can also tell by the debris they leave all over the place, 102 00:05:44,911 --> 00:05:48,014 they're disgusting. 103 00:05:48,047 --> 00:05:51,451 They don't care about anything, they don't care about anybody, 104 00:05:51,484 --> 00:05:54,053 they leave trash all over the place. 105 00:05:54,087 --> 00:05:56,856 They think this area is theirs, it's not. 106 00:05:56,889 --> 00:05:58,424 Nothing is theirs. 107 00:05:58,458 --> 00:06:00,093 And over time, they know that 108 00:06:00,126 --> 00:06:02,562 they're not going to be here anymore. 109 00:06:02,595 --> 00:06:03,963 These guys are doing a terrific job, 110 00:06:03,996 --> 00:06:06,265 and they do it every day, relentlessly. 111 00:06:12,138 --> 00:06:13,873 >> NARRATOR: For the past few years, a perfect storm 112 00:06:13,906 --> 00:06:17,777 has been brewing on Long Island. 113 00:06:17,810 --> 00:06:22,315 It all began in 2014, when an influx of nearly 9, 000 minors, 114 00:06:22,348 --> 00:06:25,752 mostly from Central America, started flooding in. 115 00:06:25,785 --> 00:06:27,220 >> More kids this year over last year, 116 00:06:27,253 --> 00:06:30,189 they say that 95% of them are children from the border. 117 00:06:30,223 --> 00:06:31,691 >> What happened? 118 00:06:31,724 --> 00:06:33,526 >> Well, at that time what we were seeing 119 00:06:33,559 --> 00:06:36,896 is a drastic increase in violence in Central America. 120 00:06:36,929 --> 00:06:39,632 We were seeing that gangs had really taken over 121 00:06:39,665 --> 00:06:41,801 entire neighborhoods. 122 00:06:41,834 --> 00:06:43,669 Children were being threatened and forcefully recruited 123 00:06:43,703 --> 00:06:47,140 into gangs under the threat of death to themselves 124 00:06:47,173 --> 00:06:50,810 or to their families. 125 00:06:50,843 --> 00:06:52,378 >> NARRATOR: They came north as unaccompanied minors 126 00:06:52,412 --> 00:06:55,014 or U.A.C.s. 127 00:06:55,047 --> 00:06:59,385 Local officials quickly felt the impact. 128 00:06:59,418 --> 00:07:04,857 >> Since 2014, we have received approximately 5,000 U.A.C.s, 129 00:07:04,891 --> 00:07:07,660 and we have to deal with it on multiple fronts. 130 00:07:07,693 --> 00:07:11,564 Some of these children need special attention in school. 131 00:07:11,597 --> 00:07:14,200 Many of these children need some sort of social services 132 00:07:14,233 --> 00:07:17,370 from the county. 133 00:07:17,403 --> 00:07:19,972 And, unfortunately, some of these children become victims 134 00:07:20,006 --> 00:07:22,909 of crimes or become offenders. 135 00:07:26,379 --> 00:07:28,448 >> NARRATOR: Huntington High is one of the many schools here 136 00:07:28,481 --> 00:07:32,785 that took in some of the new arrivals from Central America. 137 00:07:34,487 --> 00:07:37,456 14-year-old Junior had enrolled as a freshman starting 138 00:07:37,490 --> 00:07:42,161 in the fall of 2016 after fleeing the gangs of Honduras. 139 00:07:43,729 --> 00:07:47,733 For his protection, we've concealed his identity. 140 00:07:47,767 --> 00:07:50,903 His father, George, had come to Long Island a decade ago. 141 00:07:50,937 --> 00:07:52,738 He had told his employer, Arnold, 142 00:07:52,772 --> 00:07:56,475 about his concerns for his son. 143 00:07:56,509 --> 00:08:00,847 >> George knew that his son, when he got to a certain age, 144 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,650 that gangs down in Honduras were looking to pick you up 145 00:08:04,684 --> 00:08:10,056 and make you a gang member. 146 00:08:10,089 --> 00:08:12,491 And George was very, very worried about that. 147 00:08:15,094 --> 00:08:17,964 >> NARRATOR: After turning 13, Junior took a freight train 148 00:08:17,997 --> 00:08:19,198 that has carried hundreds of thousands of migrants 149 00:08:19,232 --> 00:08:22,368 to America. 150 00:08:22,401 --> 00:08:23,336 (Junior speaking Spanish): 151 00:08:42,021 --> 00:08:45,491 >> NARRATOR: The trip lasted over a month. 152 00:08:45,525 --> 00:08:47,426 Junior made it to the Rio Grande in October 153 00:08:47,460 --> 00:08:51,964 and crossed the border. 154 00:08:51,998 --> 00:08:54,634 After being apprehended by Customs and Border Protection, 155 00:08:54,667 --> 00:08:58,771 Junior was taken to a holding cell. 156 00:08:58,804 --> 00:09:01,374 >> Children and migrants call them "hieleras," 157 00:09:01,407 --> 00:09:05,177 ice boxes, and typically children describe sleeping 158 00:09:05,211 --> 00:09:07,213 on a concrete floor. 159 00:09:07,246 --> 00:09:08,147 There's no bed. 160 00:09:08,180 --> 00:09:09,715 Not being fed enough. 161 00:09:09,749 --> 00:09:11,984 Being held in these icy cold jail cells, 162 00:09:12,018 --> 00:09:16,789 which are only meant to be very temporary. 163 00:09:16,822 --> 00:09:18,491 >> NARRATOR: When he arrived in New York unaccompanied, 164 00:09:18,524 --> 00:09:21,961 his father George, and his father's employer Arnold, 165 00:09:21,994 --> 00:09:25,831 were waiting for him at the airport. 166 00:09:25,865 --> 00:09:28,034 >> He came over there with his little thing 167 00:09:28,067 --> 00:09:29,302 around his neck saying, "unaccompanied minor," 168 00:09:29,335 --> 00:09:31,537 and... and George was ecstatic. 169 00:09:33,472 --> 00:09:34,907 (George speaking Spanish): 170 00:09:51,090 --> 00:09:54,226 >> NARRATOR: But Junior had trouble adjusting. 171 00:09:54,260 --> 00:09:56,529 And he would soon find out that the very gangs he had fled 172 00:09:56,562 --> 00:10:01,300 in Honduras were also in his school. 173 00:10:01,334 --> 00:10:02,969 (Junior speaking Spanish): 174 00:10:19,318 --> 00:10:21,387 >> The recruitment starts right out of the school. 175 00:10:21,420 --> 00:10:23,322 They'll approach you, "Hey, we're part of the gang." 176 00:10:23,356 --> 00:10:24,924 A lot of these kids, especially the undocumented ones 177 00:10:24,957 --> 00:10:27,827 that came into the country, you know, 178 00:10:27,860 --> 00:10:29,495 they'd come here with really no friends. 179 00:10:29,528 --> 00:10:31,631 If they did have a family member or if they didn't have 180 00:10:31,664 --> 00:10:34,066 a family member, and they were very easily absorbed 181 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:35,534 by these guys. 182 00:10:35,568 --> 00:10:36,335 It was almost like they were given a feeling 183 00:10:36,369 --> 00:10:37,837 that they have a family now. 184 00:10:37,870 --> 00:10:39,038 >> NARRATOR: Another teenager, 185 00:10:39,071 --> 00:10:41,974 Jesus Lopez had enrolled at Huntington High 186 00:10:42,008 --> 00:10:44,877 in the fall of 2014. 187 00:10:44,910 --> 00:10:46,946 He had fled the gangs of El Salvador 188 00:10:46,979 --> 00:10:51,283 and arrived on Long Island at the height of the surge. 189 00:10:51,317 --> 00:10:52,785 (speaking Spanish): 190 00:11:10,503 --> 00:11:13,706 >> NARRATOR: At night he would work at a local restaurant. 191 00:11:13,739 --> 00:11:14,707 (Jesus speaking Spanish): 192 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,382 >> NARRATOR: He told one of the chefs at work 193 00:11:23,416 --> 00:11:26,919 about the trouble he and his friends were having at school. 194 00:11:26,952 --> 00:11:29,255 >> They were being hassled at school. 195 00:11:29,288 --> 00:11:31,524 You know, if MS wants to come find you 196 00:11:31,557 --> 00:11:36,762 and wants to start trouble, it's difficult to avoid. 197 00:11:36,796 --> 00:11:38,531 It just terrified them. 198 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,736 >> NARRATOR: Junior also was terrified. 199 00:11:43,769 --> 00:11:45,037 (George speaking Spanish): 200 00:11:52,978 --> 00:11:55,781 >> Right down the street from where he lives, 201 00:11:55,815 --> 00:11:58,384 there's a laundromat and these... 202 00:11:58,417 --> 00:12:00,453 these gang members were hanging out 203 00:12:00,486 --> 00:12:03,189 so that his son didn't even wanna go out of the house. 204 00:12:03,222 --> 00:12:05,825 He says, "These people are, you know, are threatening me 205 00:12:05,858 --> 00:12:08,728 and telling me that, "If you don't, 206 00:12:08,761 --> 00:12:11,297 you know, come with us and do what we want you to do, 207 00:12:11,330 --> 00:12:13,766 we're going to-- we're gonna hurt you. 208 00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:15,935 We're gonna hurt your family, you know. 209 00:12:15,968 --> 00:12:17,269 We're gonna hurt your father." 210 00:12:17,303 --> 00:12:19,038 >> The search is on this morning for two missing teens 211 00:12:19,071 --> 00:12:20,306 from Nassau County. 212 00:12:20,339 --> 00:12:22,174 >> NARRATOR: These were not empty threats. 213 00:12:22,208 --> 00:12:23,876 >> The mother says her son left one night 214 00:12:23,909 --> 00:12:26,345 and then never returned. 215 00:12:26,378 --> 00:12:27,413 >> NARRATOR: On Long Island, there had been 216 00:12:27,446 --> 00:12:29,048 a string of disappearances. 217 00:12:29,081 --> 00:12:30,850 >> Her missing 19-year-old son. 218 00:12:30,883 --> 00:12:33,752 Oscar Acosta disappeared two weeks ago. 219 00:12:33,786 --> 00:12:38,324 >> NARRATOR: Teens who never came home. 220 00:12:38,357 --> 00:12:40,860 >> Our person of interest has been missing for two years. 221 00:12:40,893 --> 00:12:42,828 He's right there. 222 00:12:42,862 --> 00:12:45,898 >> We were, at the time, investigating several 223 00:12:45,931 --> 00:12:50,069 missing persons, and we believe that those missing persons 224 00:12:50,102 --> 00:12:54,140 were not missing persons, but homicides by MS-13. 225 00:12:56,709 --> 00:13:00,446 >> NARRATOR: Then one night, a Tuesday, September 13, 2016, 226 00:13:00,479 --> 00:13:02,982 there was a brutal attack next to 227 00:13:03,015 --> 00:13:05,084 an elementary school in Brentwood. 228 00:13:05,117 --> 00:13:06,418 >> A high school student found dead 229 00:13:06,452 --> 00:13:08,521 in this neighborhood last night, on the eve... 230 00:13:08,554 --> 00:13:11,023 >> I was in my den, I remember exactly where I was sitting. 231 00:13:11,056 --> 00:13:14,894 And we first received a briefing sheet on it, 232 00:13:14,927 --> 00:13:18,330 because the injuries were so horrific, 233 00:13:18,364 --> 00:13:23,502 that the first hypothesis was that it's a motor vehicle crash, 234 00:13:23,536 --> 00:13:25,137 a hit and run. 235 00:13:25,171 --> 00:13:27,540 >> NARRATOR: The victims were two teenage girls: 236 00:13:27,573 --> 00:13:32,044 Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens. 237 00:13:32,077 --> 00:13:34,313 >> They were run over by vehicles. 238 00:13:34,346 --> 00:13:36,448 You know, they used machetes, they used baseball bats. 239 00:13:36,482 --> 00:13:37,950 They took it to a level that I don't think anybody 240 00:13:37,983 --> 00:13:39,985 was ready for. 241 00:13:40,019 --> 00:13:41,887 >> Their bodies were disfigured. 242 00:13:41,921 --> 00:13:43,189 One of them was found in the street, 243 00:13:43,222 --> 00:13:45,424 the other behind some homes. 244 00:13:45,457 --> 00:13:47,459 And there was no apparent motive 245 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:50,796 other than they might belong or be friends 246 00:13:50,829 --> 00:13:54,133 with members of some other gang. 247 00:13:54,166 --> 00:13:56,368 >> They were looking to settle the score with somebody, 248 00:13:56,402 --> 00:13:58,237 they didn't find that person 249 00:13:58,270 --> 00:14:00,039 and then they encountered these girls. 250 00:14:00,072 --> 00:14:02,808 One of them had apparently taunted them on Facebook 251 00:14:02,841 --> 00:14:07,580 and so they killed her and they killed her friend 252 00:14:07,613 --> 00:14:10,049 just because she was there with her. 253 00:14:12,017 --> 00:14:13,352 >> This set off a chain reaction, 254 00:14:13,385 --> 00:14:15,321 because for the very first time, 255 00:14:15,354 --> 00:14:18,757 you're not seeing rival gang members being murdered, 256 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:22,127 and that usually was what was happening. 257 00:14:22,161 --> 00:14:25,064 Now you have two girls, 258 00:14:25,097 --> 00:14:29,902 just viciously and senselessly beaten and murdered. 259 00:14:29,935 --> 00:14:31,570 And that's when the Suffolk County police 260 00:14:31,604 --> 00:14:33,138 went into overdrive. 261 00:14:33,172 --> 00:14:35,574 >> These two teenage girls, an act of savagery 262 00:14:35,608 --> 00:14:38,410 on this community, and they're asking for the public's help. 263 00:14:38,444 --> 00:14:39,712 >> Immediately after, police officers going door-to-door 264 00:14:39,745 --> 00:14:43,249 to try to get more information 265 00:14:43,282 --> 00:14:46,085 and the police commissioner himself going out 266 00:14:46,118 --> 00:14:49,255 at one point and asking the community directly 267 00:14:49,288 --> 00:14:51,757 that if someone knew something, 268 00:14:51,790 --> 00:14:54,860 they were almost in an obligation to say something. 269 00:14:54,893 --> 00:14:56,528 >> We are going to be enhancing our presence here 270 00:14:56,562 --> 00:15:01,200 to target those individuals. 271 00:15:01,233 --> 00:15:02,901 >> NARRATOR: Getting the community to help 272 00:15:02,935 --> 00:15:04,870 would be challenging. 273 00:15:04,903 --> 00:15:06,805 Relations between the immigrant community 274 00:15:06,839 --> 00:15:10,609 and the Suffolk County Police have long been fraught. 275 00:15:10,643 --> 00:15:12,645 >> Announcing a $5,000 reward for information 276 00:15:12,678 --> 00:15:14,713 leading to an arrest. 277 00:15:14,747 --> 00:15:16,248 >> Unfortunately, when you have a police department 278 00:15:16,282 --> 00:15:18,450 where the majority of law enforcement officers 279 00:15:18,484 --> 00:15:20,152 don't reflect the communities they police, 280 00:15:20,185 --> 00:15:23,422 when you have a lack of connection 281 00:15:23,455 --> 00:15:27,126 to the populace that you serve, there's a lack of empathy, 282 00:15:27,159 --> 00:15:28,661 if you will. 283 00:15:28,694 --> 00:15:30,462 >> The police department in Suffolk County 284 00:15:30,496 --> 00:15:33,565 had created a climate of fear. 285 00:15:33,599 --> 00:15:37,870 People in the county who were Latino felt intimidated 286 00:15:37,903 --> 00:15:40,973 in going to the police about Mara Salvatrucha. 287 00:15:41,006 --> 00:15:42,641 People said that they had been mistreated by the police 288 00:15:42,675 --> 00:15:45,811 and they were very frightened that rather than 289 00:15:45,844 --> 00:15:48,514 take their claim seriously, they'd simply be dismissed 290 00:15:48,547 --> 00:15:51,417 or maybe suspected of being in a rival gang. 291 00:15:51,450 --> 00:15:53,786 >> Four members of the MS-13 gang were charged in connection 292 00:15:53,819 --> 00:15:58,057 to the September slayings of Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas. 293 00:15:58,090 --> 00:15:59,925 >> NARRATOR: It would take six months for the police 294 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:01,927 to find the suspected killers. 295 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,897 In March 2017, law enforcement officials announced 296 00:16:04,930 --> 00:16:08,334 the manhunt was over. 297 00:16:08,367 --> 00:16:10,936 Among those arrested that day was Jairo Saenz, 298 00:16:10,969 --> 00:16:13,605 a young Salvadoran who had arrived 299 00:16:13,639 --> 00:16:16,775 with the surge of minors. 300 00:16:16,809 --> 00:16:21,380 Police say he became one of the leaders of a local MS-13 clique, 301 00:16:21,413 --> 00:16:23,615 the Westside Sailors. 302 00:16:23,649 --> 00:16:25,651 >> ...a double murder, and according to law enforcement, 303 00:16:25,684 --> 00:16:27,519 most of the suspects arrested in these recent cases 304 00:16:27,553 --> 00:16:29,588 were in the country illegally. 305 00:16:29,621 --> 00:16:30,723 >> NARRATOR: We interviewed Jairo's ex-girlfriend, 306 00:16:30,756 --> 00:16:34,960 a 16-year-old student at Brentwood High. 307 00:16:34,993 --> 00:16:38,931 To protect her, we've concealed her identity. 308 00:16:38,964 --> 00:16:42,334 >> Did you know he was a gang member? 309 00:16:42,368 --> 00:16:44,370 >> No. 310 00:16:44,403 --> 00:16:46,605 He... when we first started dating he was nice to me 311 00:16:46,638 --> 00:16:48,540 and everything. 312 00:16:48,574 --> 00:16:51,977 He would treat me good. 313 00:16:52,010 --> 00:16:54,947 He was respectful and everything. 314 00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:58,717 And then after months he started changing. 315 00:16:58,751 --> 00:17:02,821 He was threatening my family, we went to the police. 316 00:17:02,855 --> 00:17:05,023 Made a report. 317 00:17:05,057 --> 00:17:06,592 And then I got an order of protection 318 00:17:06,625 --> 00:17:12,264 so he couldn't get close to me or my family. 319 00:17:12,297 --> 00:17:16,101 >> NARRATOR: Despite the restraining order against him, 320 00:17:16,135 --> 00:17:17,870 she says Jairo threatened to kill her 321 00:17:17,903 --> 00:17:20,005 if she didn't go with him. 322 00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:23,475 >> He told me that I had to be with him. 323 00:17:23,509 --> 00:17:29,081 So, I left so he wouldn't... he wouldn't kill my family. 324 00:17:29,114 --> 00:17:31,884 >> Where did he take you? 325 00:17:31,917 --> 00:17:36,288 >> At first he took me to a wooded area around here. 326 00:17:36,321 --> 00:17:39,792 'Cause no one was gonna find me there. 327 00:17:39,825 --> 00:17:41,727 No one would go in there. 328 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,695 >> Was he with other kids? 329 00:17:43,729 --> 00:17:46,632 >> Yeah, he was with his friends. 330 00:17:46,665 --> 00:17:49,868 They would be there, making sure I wouldn't leave. 331 00:17:49,902 --> 00:17:51,737 I was really scared. 332 00:17:51,770 --> 00:17:54,406 I thought I was gonna die. 333 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,376 >> NARRATOR: Her parents filed a missing persons report. 334 00:17:57,409 --> 00:18:01,313 They feared Jairo had taken their daughter against her will. 335 00:18:01,346 --> 00:18:03,849 She says for several weeks she was moved 336 00:18:03,882 --> 00:18:07,886 between the woods and Jairo's house. 337 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,056 Eventually, she managed to escape and would discover 338 00:18:11,090 --> 00:18:13,692 that she was pregnant. 339 00:18:13,725 --> 00:18:16,695 >> How do you think the police handled your case? 340 00:18:16,728 --> 00:18:21,033 >> They basically didn't do anything. 341 00:18:21,066 --> 00:18:22,668 My mom called the police officer, 342 00:18:22,701 --> 00:18:25,070 they told me they would look for me. 343 00:18:25,103 --> 00:18:26,939 If they would've gone inside his house, 344 00:18:26,972 --> 00:18:30,209 they probably would've find me. 345 00:18:30,242 --> 00:18:32,044 >> NARRATOR: The Suffolk County Police Department told us 346 00:18:32,077 --> 00:18:34,446 that they actively investigated her disappearance 347 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,584 and even went to Jairo's house at least twice. 348 00:18:38,617 --> 00:18:42,788 >> ...members of the gang MS-13 appeared in federal court... 349 00:18:42,821 --> 00:18:44,656 >> Jairo Saenz is now awaiting trial, 350 00:18:44,690 --> 00:18:47,960 along with five other members of the Sailor clique, 351 00:18:47,993 --> 00:18:52,331 for the murder of Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas. 352 00:18:52,364 --> 00:18:55,601 If convicted, he is eligible for the death penalty. 353 00:18:55,634 --> 00:18:56,869 >> Law enforcement from multiple Suffolk County 354 00:18:56,902 --> 00:19:00,072 gang-fighting units pledging to stand behind a suffering 355 00:19:00,105 --> 00:19:02,274 community of school children. 356 00:19:02,307 --> 00:19:07,412 >> The savages who murdered Nisa and Kayla are now behind bars. 357 00:19:07,446 --> 00:19:10,215 >> NARRATOR: Commissioner Sini would seize the moment. 358 00:19:10,249 --> 00:19:16,188 >> If you're an MS-13 gang member, take a look behind me. 359 00:19:16,221 --> 00:19:19,458 For every person here, there's ten more. 360 00:19:19,491 --> 00:19:22,127 >> NARRATOR: Community advocates were skeptical. 361 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,865 >> Commissioner Tim Sini, in front of a helicopter, 362 00:19:26,899 --> 00:19:30,569 armed police officers, he makes this grandiose announcement 363 00:19:30,602 --> 00:19:35,507 that for every officer that stands in front 364 00:19:35,541 --> 00:19:39,478 of those cameras, there are dozens and hundreds 365 00:19:39,511 --> 00:19:42,214 that are going to make the annihilation of MS-13 366 00:19:42,247 --> 00:19:43,982 their number one priority. 367 00:19:44,016 --> 00:19:47,152 >> We have promised to eradicate MS-13 from our streets. 368 00:19:47,186 --> 00:19:49,087 >> This idea that you're going to sort of launch 369 00:19:49,121 --> 00:19:53,625 this repressive attack, and you're going to annihilate 370 00:19:53,659 --> 00:19:56,828 this gang, violence meeting violence is not going 371 00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:58,197 to solve this issue. 372 00:19:58,230 --> 00:20:02,000 >> And we remain fully committed to finishing the job. 373 00:20:02,034 --> 00:20:03,669 What I say to them is, I am 100% committed, 374 00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:05,737 this department is 100% committed 375 00:20:05,771 --> 00:20:09,241 to bringing everyone to justice. 376 00:20:09,274 --> 00:20:10,475 And we will. 377 00:20:10,509 --> 00:20:12,477 This is not, "Oh, I hope we do." 378 00:20:12,511 --> 00:20:14,980 We will, there's no question about it. 379 00:20:15,013 --> 00:20:17,049 >> ...on Friday, four bodies found on Long Island, 380 00:20:17,082 --> 00:20:19,718 they appear to be linked to gang violence. 381 00:20:19,751 --> 00:20:21,119 >> NARRATOR: A month after the press conference, 382 00:20:21,153 --> 00:20:25,524 MS-13 would send their own message. 383 00:20:25,557 --> 00:20:31,797 The attack came on a Tuesday night-- April 11, 2017. 384 00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:33,599 >> The phone call came in from the chief of detectives 385 00:20:33,632 --> 00:20:36,635 in Suffolk County, and when they say four bodies, 386 00:20:36,668 --> 00:20:39,771 your thought process is, well, they came across four bodies. 387 00:20:39,805 --> 00:20:41,640 Almost like a killing field. 388 00:20:41,673 --> 00:20:46,345 But no, that it was... they were fresh bodies was astounding. 389 00:20:46,378 --> 00:20:48,280 >> Now plunging communities in Long Island 390 00:20:48,313 --> 00:20:50,015 into fear and terror. 391 00:20:50,048 --> 00:20:51,383 Why aren't police... 392 00:20:51,416 --> 00:20:52,918 >> NARRATOR: The bodies were of four young men 393 00:20:52,951 --> 00:20:54,720 who police believe had been lured into the woods 394 00:20:54,753 --> 00:20:57,255 by two girls. 395 00:20:57,289 --> 00:21:01,660 Mike Lopez, Justin Llivicura, Jefferson Villalobos, 396 00:21:01,693 --> 00:21:05,430 and Jorge Tigre were ambushed. 397 00:21:05,464 --> 00:21:07,065 They were hacked to death by machete, 398 00:21:07,099 --> 00:21:11,003 the preferred weapon of MS-13. 399 00:21:11,036 --> 00:21:15,741 >> They were beaten, they were knifed, 400 00:21:15,774 --> 00:21:21,480 they had machetes put upon their bodies savagely. 401 00:21:21,513 --> 00:21:23,282 >> NARRATOR: Relatives and friends didn't know 402 00:21:23,315 --> 00:21:24,816 what had happened. 403 00:21:24,850 --> 00:21:26,718 >> ...a distraught brother desperate for answers... 404 00:21:26,752 --> 00:21:28,787 >> NARRATOR: When they received some worrying messages, 405 00:21:28,820 --> 00:21:31,456 they suspected the worst. 406 00:21:31,490 --> 00:21:33,959 They went to the police, but it was not easy. 407 00:21:33,992 --> 00:21:35,327 Some were undocumented. 408 00:21:36,128 --> 00:21:37,095 (speaking Spanish): 409 00:21:49,474 --> 00:21:51,643 >> NARRATOR: While some family members were asked 410 00:21:51,677 --> 00:21:53,578 to fill out a missing persons report, 411 00:21:53,612 --> 00:21:56,415 others organized a search party. 412 00:21:56,448 --> 00:21:57,416 (speaking Spanish): 413 00:22:13,231 --> 00:22:15,167 >> NARRATOR: The brother of one of the victims 414 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,103 discovered the bodies. 415 00:22:18,136 --> 00:22:21,006 >> He calls his father, crying, hysterical, 416 00:22:21,039 --> 00:22:22,874 and his father is still in the police precinct, 417 00:22:22,908 --> 00:22:26,912 and says, "Dad, I found them. He's dead. 418 00:22:26,945 --> 00:22:30,882 They're dead." 419 00:22:30,916 --> 00:22:34,386 >> NARRATOR: Jorge Tigre was 18 when he was killed. 420 00:22:34,419 --> 00:22:38,457 His family says that for months, MS-13 had been harassing him. 421 00:22:41,526 --> 00:22:44,296 His mother, an Ecuadorian immigrant who cleans houses 422 00:22:44,329 --> 00:22:46,765 for a living, would not talk about MS-13, 423 00:22:46,798 --> 00:22:52,437 but she told us about their lives. 424 00:22:52,471 --> 00:22:53,405 (speaking Spanish): 425 00:23:03,648 --> 00:23:04,783 (interviewer speaking Spanish): 426 00:23:15,026 --> 00:23:17,929 (sniffling) 427 00:23:47,259 --> 00:23:48,860 >> I'm talking about illegal immigrants 428 00:23:48,894 --> 00:23:50,996 that were here that caused tremendous crime. 429 00:23:51,029 --> 00:23:53,632 That have murdered people, raped people. 430 00:23:53,665 --> 00:23:57,369 They're getting the hell out or they're going to prison, and... 431 00:23:57,402 --> 00:23:59,237 >> NARRATOR: A week after Jorge Tigre and the three others 432 00:23:59,271 --> 00:24:03,608 were murdered, President Trump would make MS-13 433 00:24:03,642 --> 00:24:07,179 a key exhibit in support of his immigration agenda. 434 00:24:07,212 --> 00:24:09,514 >> We're not going to allow them to take over a block, 435 00:24:09,548 --> 00:24:12,551 a corner of our communities and... 436 00:24:12,584 --> 00:24:14,052 >> They are utterly without laws, conscience, 437 00:24:14,085 --> 00:24:16,354 or respect for human life. 438 00:24:16,388 --> 00:24:20,759 >> The last very weak administration allowed thousands 439 00:24:20,792 --> 00:24:25,263 and thousands of gang members to cross our borders... 440 00:24:25,297 --> 00:24:29,267 >> I knew they were going to capitalize on the narrative 441 00:24:29,301 --> 00:24:33,705 they've been promoting the entire election to sow division 442 00:24:33,738 --> 00:24:36,475 among the people of this country. 443 00:24:36,508 --> 00:24:37,943 >> We've seen the horrible assaults 444 00:24:37,976 --> 00:24:42,714 and many killings all over Long Island. 445 00:24:42,747 --> 00:24:45,817 >> I knew that they were going to use this particular case 446 00:24:45,851 --> 00:24:48,186 to fuel that narrative. 447 00:24:48,220 --> 00:24:50,488 And that's exactly what happened. 448 00:24:50,522 --> 00:24:53,792 >> And we're sending them the hell out of our country. 449 00:24:53,825 --> 00:24:55,293 >> NARRATOR: We requested interviews with President Trump, 450 00:24:55,327 --> 00:24:56,962 his chief of staff John Kelly, 451 00:24:56,995 --> 00:24:59,497 and his attorney general Jeff Sessions. 452 00:24:59,531 --> 00:25:00,899 They declined. 453 00:25:00,932 --> 00:25:05,337 But Sessions number two, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, 454 00:25:05,370 --> 00:25:08,607 agreed to talk about the focus on MS-13. 455 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,576 >> The reason MS-13 has been our priority this year 456 00:25:11,610 --> 00:25:13,745 is because the unprecedented growth of the gang, 457 00:25:13,778 --> 00:25:16,715 and the extraordinary depravity we see 458 00:25:16,748 --> 00:25:18,216 in some of the criminal activity it commits. 459 00:25:18,250 --> 00:25:19,618 But in terms of the overall objectives 460 00:25:19,651 --> 00:25:23,722 of the administration, our goal is to keep out the criminals 461 00:25:23,755 --> 00:25:25,524 in the first place. 462 00:25:25,557 --> 00:25:27,459 In fact, the majority of the MS-13 members that we prosecute 463 00:25:27,492 --> 00:25:28,860 are illegal aliens. 464 00:25:28,894 --> 00:25:32,197 And a large proportion of them are unaccompanied minors. 465 00:25:32,230 --> 00:25:34,132 And people here unlawfully and pose a danger 466 00:25:34,165 --> 00:25:37,769 to American citizens are removed as quickly as possible. 467 00:25:40,572 --> 00:25:42,440 >> NARRATOR: In late April, two weeks after 468 00:25:42,474 --> 00:25:45,677 the quadruple homicide, Rosenstein's boss, 469 00:25:45,710 --> 00:25:47,445 Attorney General Jeff Sessions, 470 00:25:47,479 --> 00:25:50,148 would accept an invitation to Suffolk County. 471 00:25:50,181 --> 00:25:53,218 >> Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Long Island... 472 00:25:53,251 --> 00:25:54,753 >> I called the attorney general, 473 00:25:54,786 --> 00:25:57,122 his office called me back a day or two later 474 00:25:57,155 --> 00:25:58,556 and asked me if I could arrange to have him come in 475 00:25:58,590 --> 00:26:02,127 and I said, "Yeah, absolutely." 476 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,229 That was sending a signal to all of the federal officials 477 00:26:04,262 --> 00:26:07,499 involved that this was now gonna be a top priority 478 00:26:07,532 --> 00:26:09,701 within the Justice Department. 479 00:26:09,734 --> 00:26:11,269 >> When the attorney general came, 480 00:26:11,303 --> 00:26:14,372 I think that really was a big boost 481 00:26:14,406 --> 00:26:15,807 to local law enforcement. 482 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:19,411 >> I want to express my sincere appreciation for what you do. 483 00:26:19,444 --> 00:26:22,747 >> It just felt like somebody cared and that he realizes 484 00:26:22,781 --> 00:26:24,716 that we are part of the solution 485 00:26:24,749 --> 00:26:27,152 and we're not part of the problem. 486 00:26:27,185 --> 00:26:28,420 >> And the president did make a promise 487 00:26:28,453 --> 00:26:30,655 to make America safe again. 488 00:26:30,689 --> 00:26:32,657 >> What Attorney General Sessions learned on that trip, 489 00:26:32,691 --> 00:26:35,060 about the need for support from state and local law enforcement 490 00:26:35,093 --> 00:26:37,996 who were looking for federal help in prosecuting the cases 491 00:26:38,029 --> 00:26:39,698 and in deporting gang members so they wouldn't be around 492 00:26:39,731 --> 00:26:41,933 to commit more crimes. 493 00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:43,868 >> NARRATOR: Attorney General Sessions also focused 494 00:26:43,902 --> 00:26:46,705 on the influx of unaccompanied minors. 495 00:26:46,738 --> 00:26:48,740 >> They recruit unaccompanied minors. 496 00:26:48,773 --> 00:26:50,976 And every time they convert a young person 497 00:26:51,009 --> 00:26:54,212 to their depraved life of violence and crime, 498 00:26:54,245 --> 00:26:59,417 they steal those young people's future and our nation's future. 499 00:26:59,451 --> 00:27:02,520 >> All of a sudden, Long Island is getting attention 500 00:27:02,554 --> 00:27:05,457 from Washington. 501 00:27:05,490 --> 00:27:11,596 So, when Jeff Sessions came, we were all on edge, 502 00:27:11,629 --> 00:27:14,799 because we knew that things were gonna change. 503 00:27:14,833 --> 00:27:17,035 That we would become fearful of each other. 504 00:27:17,068 --> 00:27:18,903 Become suspicious of each other. 505 00:27:18,937 --> 00:27:22,207 >> ♪ Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here. ♪ 506 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:26,578 >> Outside, there is a lot of protesting going on. 507 00:27:26,611 --> 00:27:31,116 And I spoke with protesters who said this is just going to open 508 00:27:31,149 --> 00:27:33,618 the floodgates for racial profiling, 509 00:27:33,651 --> 00:27:35,887 for anti-immigrant sentiment, 510 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,590 that's already been brewing in this county. 511 00:27:38,623 --> 00:27:39,724 >> They are illegals. 512 00:27:39,758 --> 00:27:42,727 Any other country, you would be at least jailed, 513 00:27:42,761 --> 00:27:46,297 probably shot on sight, trying to cross that border. 514 00:27:46,331 --> 00:27:49,167 >> ♪ No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here. ♪ 515 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,904 >> We were protesting the premise that these killings 516 00:27:52,937 --> 00:27:56,341 were reflective of the entire community. 517 00:27:56,374 --> 00:27:59,244 Because we said, "You cannot use this to promote this 518 00:27:59,277 --> 00:28:02,514 us versus them, immigrants versus citizens, 519 00:28:02,547 --> 00:28:05,950 English-speaking versus Spanish-speaking 520 00:28:05,984 --> 00:28:11,122 sense of justice that does not serve our community 521 00:28:11,156 --> 00:28:14,659 >> Certainly, the current administration 522 00:28:14,692 --> 00:28:17,128 has done things that have made our job easier 523 00:28:17,162 --> 00:28:19,464 and harder at the same time. 524 00:28:19,497 --> 00:28:22,834 The rhetoric that is often used in the immigration context, 525 00:28:22,867 --> 00:28:25,603 and the anxiety is not helpful. 526 00:28:25,637 --> 00:28:27,205 'Cause we want individuals to feel comfortable 527 00:28:27,238 --> 00:28:29,507 coming to police. 528 00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:31,176 >> Where did this group come from? 529 00:28:31,209 --> 00:28:32,911 It appears related to our immigration policy, 530 00:28:32,944 --> 00:28:34,145 is that right? 531 00:28:34,179 --> 00:28:35,647 >> They've been growing by leaps and bounds, 532 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,583 and a lot of people associate that with these hundreds 533 00:28:38,616 --> 00:28:40,885 of thousands of unaccompanied minors. 534 00:28:40,919 --> 00:28:43,221 >> The rhetoric came from the national level 535 00:28:43,254 --> 00:28:45,657 and it just percolated down. 536 00:28:45,690 --> 00:28:47,258 >> ...and they're as vicious as can be. 537 00:28:47,292 --> 00:28:49,094 And we've gotta stop the political correctness, 538 00:28:49,127 --> 00:28:51,696 go after these guys, and get them deported. 539 00:28:51,729 --> 00:28:56,935 >> Once you begin to connect unaccompanied minors with MS-13, 540 00:28:56,968 --> 00:29:03,708 that connection is what then creates that frenzy, 541 00:29:03,741 --> 00:29:07,011 right, of now, we need to do something 542 00:29:07,045 --> 00:29:09,414 about these unaccompanied minors. 543 00:29:11,950 --> 00:29:14,452 >> NARRATOR: In Suffolk County they had already been focusing 544 00:29:14,486 --> 00:29:16,154 on unaccompanied minors. 545 00:29:16,187 --> 00:29:19,457 >> Schools are ground zero for this gang problem. 546 00:29:19,491 --> 00:29:22,160 And if the state doesn't step in to do something... 547 00:29:22,193 --> 00:29:23,995 >> NARRATOR: By late 2016, 548 00:29:24,028 --> 00:29:26,164 local law enforcement began to look more closely 549 00:29:26,197 --> 00:29:28,099 at the new arrivals in the schools. 550 00:29:30,235 --> 00:29:34,305 School resource officers, who are police embedded inside 551 00:29:34,339 --> 00:29:37,408 the schools, would be given criteria to identify 552 00:29:37,442 --> 00:29:39,277 potential gang members. 553 00:29:39,310 --> 00:29:42,213 >> You really don't see this guy anymore. 554 00:29:42,247 --> 00:29:43,715 You're going to see these guys. 555 00:29:43,748 --> 00:29:46,518 It's going to be the kid in the skinny jeans, 556 00:29:46,551 --> 00:29:50,388 and the polo shirt, and maybe the Chicago Bulls cap. 557 00:29:50,421 --> 00:29:53,291 >> NARRATOR: The criteria would be shared with the schools. 558 00:29:53,324 --> 00:29:55,793 >> This year, we have received more unaccompanied children. 559 00:29:55,827 --> 00:30:01,166 >> They put on a presentation, they show images of bandanas, 560 00:30:01,199 --> 00:30:03,701 or Bulls horns. 561 00:30:03,735 --> 00:30:06,137 And they tell us that those are items 562 00:30:06,171 --> 00:30:09,607 that if we see the students wearing or drawing, 563 00:30:09,641 --> 00:30:14,145 that we should be on the alert, because it's related to a gang. 564 00:30:14,179 --> 00:30:16,581 >> Parents are being very aware of what colors 565 00:30:16,614 --> 00:30:18,917 their teen students are wearing to school. 566 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:20,885 >> NARRATOR: And one by one the students were called in 567 00:30:20,919 --> 00:30:22,554 to the principal's office. 568 00:30:22,587 --> 00:30:25,123 >> A number of immigrant 15- and 16-year-old students 569 00:30:25,156 --> 00:30:29,294 were suspended on allegations of ties to the gang MS-13. 570 00:30:29,327 --> 00:30:31,729 >> We started to hear from parents who have had 571 00:30:31,763 --> 00:30:33,965 their children suspended from school 572 00:30:33,998 --> 00:30:36,834 for allegedly engaging in gang activity-- 573 00:30:36,868 --> 00:30:40,939 either making some gesture, hand gesture 574 00:30:40,972 --> 00:30:46,511 or wearing a certain t-shirt with a logo on it. 575 00:30:46,544 --> 00:30:48,947 >> I really think a number of these schools panicked. 576 00:30:48,980 --> 00:30:51,182 You may rationalize with all these reasons as to why 577 00:30:51,216 --> 00:30:54,686 you felt you had to label these kids or why you felt 578 00:30:54,719 --> 00:30:57,922 that they were gang members, right? 579 00:30:57,956 --> 00:31:01,860 I've heard things like, "Oh, well they scribble 503 580 00:31:01,893 --> 00:31:03,328 in their notebooks." 581 00:31:03,361 --> 00:31:04,562 Duh. 582 00:31:04,596 --> 00:31:07,298 That's the area code of where they come from. 583 00:31:07,332 --> 00:31:08,933 >> As for what got the three suspended, 584 00:31:08,967 --> 00:31:11,002 one wore a Chicago Bulls t-shirt to school. 585 00:31:11,035 --> 00:31:14,606 >> NARRATOR: Among those identified early on was Jesus. 586 00:31:14,639 --> 00:31:15,673 (Jesus speaking Spanish): 587 00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:33,858 >> He was disciplined for having written MS-13 on his arm. 588 00:31:33,891 --> 00:31:37,762 And he, you know, adamantly denies the charges. 589 00:31:37,795 --> 00:31:43,234 And also his school records show no signs of that at all. 590 00:31:43,268 --> 00:31:46,104 Like, there's no paper trail or anything, 591 00:31:46,137 --> 00:31:50,608 there's no documents indicating that this event ever happened. 592 00:31:50,642 --> 00:31:52,677 >> NARRATOR: Then there was Jairo's ex-girlfriend. 593 00:31:52,710 --> 00:31:55,980 School resource officers at Brentwood High 594 00:31:56,014 --> 00:32:00,084 suspected that her new boyfriend was a gang member. 595 00:32:00,118 --> 00:32:03,254 >> He got suspended in school for a shirt he was wearing, 596 00:32:03,288 --> 00:32:05,857 and we also got stopped by detectives, 597 00:32:05,890 --> 00:32:08,826 and they were accusing him of being a gang member. 598 00:32:08,860 --> 00:32:12,230 >> Is your current boyfriend a gang member? 599 00:32:12,263 --> 00:32:14,699 >> No, he's not a gang member. 600 00:32:14,732 --> 00:32:17,268 >> How do you know that? Tell me. 601 00:32:17,302 --> 00:32:20,471 >> He would never go out with friends or go out, 602 00:32:20,505 --> 00:32:23,875 he would go to work, from work to his house. 603 00:32:23,908 --> 00:32:27,011 Or else he would go to the school. 604 00:32:27,045 --> 00:32:31,316 He had good grades, he was a good student. 605 00:32:31,349 --> 00:32:34,419 >> NARRATOR: Junior would also be suspected. 606 00:32:34,452 --> 00:32:38,890 In March, Huntington High School summoned his dad to a hearing. 607 00:32:38,923 --> 00:32:39,924 (Junior speaking Spanish): 608 00:32:48,533 --> 00:32:50,468 >> NARRATOR: The school accused him of displaying 609 00:32:50,501 --> 00:32:53,938 MS-13 gang signs and threatening another student, 610 00:32:53,971 --> 00:32:56,174 which Junior denies. 611 00:32:56,207 --> 00:32:59,077 >> They said, "Look, we wanna keep this kind of simple. 612 00:32:59,110 --> 00:33:02,980 He's been accused of making signs of MS-13. 613 00:33:03,014 --> 00:33:07,652 Just sign the paper and we're going to suspend Junior, 614 00:33:07,685 --> 00:33:09,620 and if he wants to come back to school, 615 00:33:09,654 --> 00:33:13,491 he can come back to school next year, 2018." 616 00:33:16,861 --> 00:33:20,665 And George, he signed the paper. 617 00:33:20,698 --> 00:33:23,968 And as soon as he signed the paper, 618 00:33:24,001 --> 00:33:26,904 it was just a snowball going downhill. 619 00:33:29,707 --> 00:33:31,743 >> NARRATOR: School officials at Huntington and Brentwood 620 00:33:31,776 --> 00:33:34,078 declined to speak to us on camera, 621 00:33:34,112 --> 00:33:38,383 so we asked Tim Sini to discuss the criteria. 622 00:33:38,416 --> 00:33:39,784 >> What is the criteria? 623 00:33:39,817 --> 00:33:40,952 >> We don't publicly disclose the criteria, 624 00:33:40,985 --> 00:33:42,320 because if we did, 625 00:33:42,353 --> 00:33:44,088 when our officers and detectives are attempting 626 00:33:44,122 --> 00:33:46,491 to generate intelligence, MS-13 would be 627 00:33:46,524 --> 00:33:47,925 one step ahead of us. 628 00:33:47,959 --> 00:33:50,428 >> But that's what advocates and lawyers complain about. 629 00:33:50,461 --> 00:33:53,398 They say, "What if I suddenly showed up at school 630 00:33:53,431 --> 00:33:55,933 with a certain color shoe, and didn't know 631 00:33:55,967 --> 00:33:58,569 that that was the criteria, and then my son..." 632 00:33:58,603 --> 00:33:59,837 >> Yeah, we're not rounding people up 633 00:33:59,871 --> 00:34:01,406 based on the color of shoe they're wearing, 634 00:34:01,439 --> 00:34:03,074 and they know that. 635 00:34:05,243 --> 00:34:06,878 >> NARRATOR: Over the course of a year, 636 00:34:06,911 --> 00:34:09,046 information compiled by school resource officers 637 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,350 led to the suspension or discipline 638 00:34:12,383 --> 00:34:15,520 of up to a dozen teens. 639 00:34:15,553 --> 00:34:18,689 But the police knew that throwing gang signs 640 00:34:18,723 --> 00:34:23,861 or drawing MS-13 graffiti in a notebook was not a crime. 641 00:34:23,895 --> 00:34:27,331 So they looked for other ways to tackle the issue. 642 00:34:27,365 --> 00:34:32,136 They turned to ICE-- Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 643 00:34:32,170 --> 00:34:34,806 >> Why do you need to even bring in ICE? 644 00:34:34,839 --> 00:34:37,308 Because the evidence isn't strong enough? 645 00:34:37,341 --> 00:34:38,609 >> For example, if we have intelligence 646 00:34:38,643 --> 00:34:40,011 that they are a gang member, 647 00:34:40,044 --> 00:34:41,946 that's not necessarily a crime, right? 648 00:34:41,979 --> 00:34:44,048 Certainly being a gang member is not a crime, 649 00:34:44,081 --> 00:34:45,616 and the intel that we may have 650 00:34:45,650 --> 00:34:48,653 may not indicate a significant state crime. 651 00:34:48,686 --> 00:34:49,987 We may have something small on them, 652 00:34:50,021 --> 00:34:51,856 but nothing that's gonna keep them in jail. 653 00:34:51,889 --> 00:34:54,292 So if we perceive someone as a public safety threat, 654 00:34:54,325 --> 00:34:57,595 we utilize all of our tools, which include immigration tools. 655 00:34:57,628 --> 00:34:59,564 So we'll partner with the Department of Homeland Security 656 00:34:59,597 --> 00:35:02,600 to target them for detention and removal. 657 00:35:02,633 --> 00:35:04,602 >> A new crackdown on gangs in our area. 658 00:35:04,635 --> 00:35:06,571 The Department of Homeland Security and ICE say 659 00:35:06,604 --> 00:35:08,306 that they have arrested more than... 660 00:35:08,339 --> 00:35:09,974 >> NARRATOR: Beginning in the summer of 2017, 661 00:35:10,007 --> 00:35:12,143 the Department of Homeland Security began 662 00:35:12,176 --> 00:35:15,646 a major operation against MS-13 on Long Island. 663 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:17,115 >> This is 41... 664 00:35:17,148 --> 00:35:20,585 >> NARRATOR: It was dubbed Operation Matador. 665 00:35:20,618 --> 00:35:23,054 We spoke to Angel Melendez, the special agent 666 00:35:23,087 --> 00:35:26,791 in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations. 667 00:35:26,824 --> 00:35:29,594 >> Matador. 668 00:35:29,627 --> 00:35:32,797 The symbol of the MS-13 that they utilize 669 00:35:32,830 --> 00:35:34,832 is a bull or the horns. 670 00:35:34,866 --> 00:35:38,035 But there's three stages to a bullfight. 671 00:35:38,069 --> 00:35:41,339 The matador comes in in the third stage 672 00:35:41,372 --> 00:35:43,307 to end the bullfight. 673 00:35:43,341 --> 00:35:44,642 >> A gang crackdown focused here on the island, 674 00:35:44,675 --> 00:35:46,244 we've just learned that... 675 00:35:46,277 --> 00:35:48,546 >> Police say 45 gang members, including 39 linked 676 00:35:48,579 --> 00:35:51,649 to that notorious gang, have been arrested in Long Island. 677 00:35:51,682 --> 00:35:53,718 >> NARRATOR: In the middle of the crackdown, 678 00:35:53,751 --> 00:35:55,353 President Trump himself came to Long Island 679 00:35:55,386 --> 00:35:58,389 to show his support for law enforcement. 680 00:35:58,422 --> 00:36:02,860 >> We cannot accept this violence one day more. 681 00:36:02,894 --> 00:36:06,964 >> This has been a month-long operation targeting MS-13. 682 00:36:06,998 --> 00:36:09,200 >> And when you see these thugs being thrown into 683 00:36:09,233 --> 00:36:11,102 the back of a paddy wagon, 684 00:36:11,135 --> 00:36:13,538 you just see 'em thrown in, rough. 685 00:36:13,571 --> 00:36:16,807 I said please don't be too nice. 686 00:36:16,841 --> 00:36:19,377 >> Depending on status, they can also be subject 687 00:36:19,410 --> 00:36:21,946 to immediate removal from the country. 688 00:36:21,979 --> 00:36:26,384 >> We will find you, we will arrest you, we will jail you, 689 00:36:26,417 --> 00:36:29,487 and we will deport you. 690 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,290 >> H.S.I., for them, this is not the end 691 00:36:32,323 --> 00:36:35,760 but the beginning of the crackdown on MS-13. 692 00:36:35,793 --> 00:36:38,095 >> NARRATOR: Operation Matador relied on a series 693 00:36:38,129 --> 00:36:41,032 of ICE "gang memos." 694 00:36:41,065 --> 00:36:42,767 The information in many of them came from 695 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,036 school resource officers. 696 00:36:45,069 --> 00:36:47,772 We obtained copies of several of them. 697 00:36:47,805 --> 00:36:53,477 In one, Junior was identified as an active MS-13 gang member. 698 00:36:53,511 --> 00:36:54,445 (Junior speaking Spanish): 699 00:37:01,352 --> 00:37:02,353 (woman speaking Spanish): 700 00:37:11,696 --> 00:37:14,932 >> NARRATOR: Four days after Junior's gang memo was drafted, 701 00:37:14,966 --> 00:37:19,303 several black vehicles followed him on his way to church. 702 00:37:19,337 --> 00:37:22,073 >> I got a phone call from George 703 00:37:22,106 --> 00:37:24,475 and he said that they took Junior. 704 00:37:24,508 --> 00:37:26,077 They said, "We're taking the boy. 705 00:37:26,110 --> 00:37:28,379 We're government." 706 00:37:28,412 --> 00:37:29,914 >> NARRATOR: In another memo, 707 00:37:29,947 --> 00:37:33,150 Jesus was accused of associating with MS-13 members 708 00:37:33,184 --> 00:37:36,621 and being part of the gang himself. 709 00:37:36,654 --> 00:37:40,258 >> Lopez was observed having MS-13 written on his arm 710 00:37:40,291 --> 00:37:42,593 by Huntington High School administration, 711 00:37:42,627 --> 00:37:45,730 assistant principal, as well as school resource officer, 712 00:37:45,763 --> 00:37:48,132 Suffolk County police officer. 713 00:37:48,165 --> 00:37:51,902 >> NARRATOR: In late June, ICE came looking for him 714 00:37:51,936 --> 00:37:53,537 at the restaurant. 715 00:37:53,571 --> 00:37:56,007 >> A truck was waiting for him in the back of the restaurant, 716 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,743 and when he walked out of work they picked him up. 717 00:37:58,776 --> 00:38:01,479 They took them out so fast. 718 00:38:01,512 --> 00:38:03,447 >> NARRATOR: Worried he'd be deported, 719 00:38:03,481 --> 00:38:05,549 she hired a lawyer. 720 00:38:05,583 --> 00:38:09,720 >> These MS accusations didn't make any sense to me. 721 00:38:09,754 --> 00:38:13,157 He was not criminally involved in anything. 722 00:38:13,190 --> 00:38:14,659 It was perplexing. 723 00:38:14,692 --> 00:38:18,262 >> NARRATOR: His lawyer saw problems with Jesus' gang memo. 724 00:38:18,296 --> 00:38:22,233 >> "Polanco has been identified as an MS-13 member 725 00:38:22,266 --> 00:38:26,537 by the Suffolk County Police Department Gang Unit." 726 00:38:26,570 --> 00:38:29,073 >> What do you think of this memo? 727 00:38:29,106 --> 00:38:31,909 >> I... number one, there's various mistakes on it. 728 00:38:31,942 --> 00:38:34,412 His name is not Polanco. 729 00:38:34,445 --> 00:38:38,482 The other thing that was shocking to me 730 00:38:38,516 --> 00:38:40,685 was the fact that there was no evidence provided. 731 00:38:40,718 --> 00:38:45,156 That was literally the only two pages they provided for me. 732 00:38:45,189 --> 00:38:47,091 >> NARRATOR: We then asked ICE about mistakes 733 00:38:47,124 --> 00:38:50,561 and discrepancies in another gang memo. 734 00:38:50,594 --> 00:38:52,630 >> That's an ICE memo though, right? 735 00:38:52,663 --> 00:38:53,931 That's what it looks like? 736 00:38:53,964 --> 00:38:55,166 >> Yeah, that's a memo. 737 00:38:55,199 --> 00:38:57,935 >> So, on this one it says that this individual... 738 00:38:57,968 --> 00:38:59,603 (woman in background): 739 00:39:02,506 --> 00:39:05,276 >> Well, but I have to ask this question. 740 00:39:05,309 --> 00:39:09,847 It says here that he had "503" written all over his notebook, 741 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,050 but in the school files of this individual, 742 00:39:13,084 --> 00:39:17,855 it says that there was only one "503" drawn 743 00:39:17,888 --> 00:39:20,891 in the notebook, not written all over the notebook. 744 00:39:20,925 --> 00:39:24,128 Do you understand why there's a discrepancy? 745 00:39:24,161 --> 00:39:28,199 >> Um... 746 00:39:28,232 --> 00:39:30,401 I could see where... what you're... 747 00:39:30,434 --> 00:39:32,536 what you're seeing and what, you know, I'm seeing it, 748 00:39:32,570 --> 00:39:35,272 but like I said, it's, you know, we don't... 749 00:39:35,306 --> 00:39:38,375 Not all information known to us is provided in these documents 750 00:39:38,409 --> 00:39:40,745 and I don't go into the detail 751 00:39:40,778 --> 00:39:43,581 of these pending litigation matters. 752 00:39:45,149 --> 00:39:47,118 >> NARRATOR: Operation Matador led to the round up 753 00:39:47,151 --> 00:39:51,188 of around 60 unaccompanied minors, many from Long Island. 754 00:39:51,222 --> 00:39:54,759 Those who were still under 18 were then sent 755 00:39:54,792 --> 00:39:58,395 to high-security detention centers around the country. 756 00:39:58,429 --> 00:40:02,066 It was part of a new directive by the Trump administration. 757 00:40:02,099 --> 00:40:04,835 All unaccompanied minors arrested 758 00:40:04,869 --> 00:40:07,505 on gang-related allegations would be placed 759 00:40:07,538 --> 00:40:11,342 in the most secure facility available for minors. 760 00:40:11,375 --> 00:40:13,878 >> They get labeled dangerous people 761 00:40:13,911 --> 00:40:16,080 and they get sent across the country 762 00:40:16,113 --> 00:40:22,286 to high-security prisons, simply because of one suspicion. 763 00:40:22,319 --> 00:40:23,854 We think that these young people should be treated 764 00:40:23,888 --> 00:40:26,924 just the way that any other young person should be treated. 765 00:40:26,957 --> 00:40:29,426 Which is they should have due process. 766 00:40:29,460 --> 00:40:32,463 >> NARRATOR: Some of the minors were sent to Yolo County 767 00:40:32,496 --> 00:40:36,734 Juvenile Detention Facility in Woodland, California. 768 00:40:36,767 --> 00:40:39,069 But others, like Junior, were taken 769 00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:42,873 to Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Virginia. 770 00:40:42,907 --> 00:40:46,177 >> They ended up sending him down to Virginia. 771 00:40:46,210 --> 00:40:51,348 And George said, "Arnold," he says, "They-they have my son." 772 00:40:51,382 --> 00:40:52,616 And I said, "Well, give me the number. 773 00:40:52,650 --> 00:40:56,887 Let me call and find out what's going on here." 774 00:40:56,921 --> 00:40:59,523 >> NARRATOR: They called Junior's immigration lawyer, 775 00:40:59,557 --> 00:41:01,625 Dawn Pipek-Guidone. 776 00:41:01,659 --> 00:41:05,196 It was the first she'd heard that Junior had been picked up. 777 00:41:05,229 --> 00:41:08,365 >> Despite the fact that I was attorney of record 778 00:41:08,399 --> 00:41:11,802 on all immigration documents. 779 00:41:11,836 --> 00:41:15,706 Before I was even notified, he was transferred 780 00:41:15,739 --> 00:41:20,511 down to Virginia to a secure facility. 781 00:41:20,544 --> 00:41:22,213 >> NARRATOR: Junior was held for months, 782 00:41:22,246 --> 00:41:25,082 without a hearing or being able to post bond. 783 00:41:25,115 --> 00:41:26,550 (George speaking Spanish): 784 00:41:40,297 --> 00:41:41,799 (phone ringing) 785 00:41:41,832 --> 00:41:44,935 >> NARRATOR: With the help of Junior's immigration lawyer, 786 00:41:44,969 --> 00:41:47,605 they reached out to the New York Civil Liberties Union, 787 00:41:47,638 --> 00:41:49,807 an organization that was already 788 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:52,142 fielding scores of similar calls. 789 00:41:52,176 --> 00:41:55,579 >> During the summertime, I remember our office would get 790 00:41:55,613 --> 00:42:00,918 calls almost every Friday or so beginning around June or July 791 00:42:00,951 --> 00:42:02,553 where we'd hear from a family saying, 792 00:42:02,586 --> 00:42:04,588 "Our kid was just taken from us. 793 00:42:04,622 --> 00:42:05,956 We don't know where he is." 794 00:42:05,990 --> 00:42:08,158 And so then we're calling around trying to figure out 795 00:42:08,192 --> 00:42:09,894 would the immigration attorney know, 796 00:42:09,927 --> 00:42:12,296 and the immigration attorney has no idea as well. 797 00:42:12,329 --> 00:42:13,898 And that seemed to be a pattern that happened, you know, 798 00:42:13,931 --> 00:42:15,766 weekend after weekend. 799 00:42:15,799 --> 00:42:20,304 >> NARRATOR: That summer, the NYCLU took on Junior's case. 800 00:42:20,337 --> 00:42:22,840 >> In Virginia, he was kept in solitary confinement, 801 00:42:22,873 --> 00:42:25,242 you know, where all he had in his cell was a bed, 802 00:42:25,276 --> 00:42:27,978 a toilet, and no window. 803 00:42:28,012 --> 00:42:30,147 It was really a traumatizing experience for him. 804 00:42:30,180 --> 00:42:32,549 This is a kid who has never been arrested, 805 00:42:32,583 --> 00:42:34,184 never been charged with a crime. 806 00:42:34,218 --> 00:42:36,320 There's no allegation that he committed a crime. 807 00:42:36,353 --> 00:42:39,290 But nonetheless, he's been in detention for four months. 808 00:42:41,892 --> 00:42:43,327 (Junior speaking Spanish): 809 00:44:02,906 --> 00:44:04,341 >> NARRATOR: Junior was finally stepped down 810 00:44:04,375 --> 00:44:06,810 from Shenandoah to a less restrictive facility 811 00:44:06,844 --> 00:44:09,747 in New York: The Children's Village. 812 00:44:12,483 --> 00:44:15,452 Junior's lawyers asked for a hearing. 813 00:44:15,486 --> 00:44:19,256 And he would see a judge for the first time since his arrest. 814 00:44:19,289 --> 00:44:21,892 Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom. 815 00:44:21,925 --> 00:44:23,694 But we hired a sketch artist and obtained 816 00:44:23,727 --> 00:44:25,763 a recording of the hearing. 817 00:44:29,533 --> 00:44:31,301 (woman speaking Spanish) 818 00:44:31,335 --> 00:44:32,536 >> Junior. 819 00:44:34,671 --> 00:44:35,606 (woman speaking Spanish) 820 00:44:39,043 --> 00:44:41,912 >> Junior actually finally got a court hearing 821 00:44:41,945 --> 00:44:45,382 and we were served with the memo, 822 00:44:45,416 --> 00:44:48,252 very unsubstantiated information. 823 00:44:48,285 --> 00:44:52,523 Wearing certain colors to school. 824 00:44:52,556 --> 00:44:54,324 Um... 825 00:44:54,358 --> 00:44:56,994 Allegations of throwing gang signs. 826 00:45:12,976 --> 00:45:17,181 I objected to it being entered into the record, 827 00:45:17,214 --> 00:45:19,349 because it was an unsigned memo. 828 00:45:19,383 --> 00:45:22,986 And the individuals that had prepared the memo 829 00:45:23,020 --> 00:45:25,255 were not available. 830 00:45:37,201 --> 00:45:40,604 It is a big runaround. 831 00:45:40,637 --> 00:45:46,577 Ironically, that hearing still doesn't allow the judge 832 00:45:46,610 --> 00:45:48,712 to release them. 833 00:45:48,745 --> 00:45:51,482 It's just a recommendation from the judge, 834 00:45:51,515 --> 00:45:54,852 or a finding that they're not a danger to the community, 835 00:45:54,885 --> 00:45:57,988 essentially. 836 00:45:58,021 --> 00:45:59,623 >> NARRATOR: Although the judge concluded Junior 837 00:45:59,656 --> 00:46:01,959 was not a danger to the community, 838 00:46:01,992 --> 00:46:04,828 it was beyond her authority as an immigration judge 839 00:46:04,862 --> 00:46:07,664 to release him from detention. 840 00:46:07,698 --> 00:46:09,767 >> Three Long Island teenagers detained in California 841 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:11,368 for months... 842 00:46:11,401 --> 00:46:13,904 >> NARRATOR: Most of the other minors remained in detention too 843 00:46:13,937 --> 00:46:17,908 without any scheduled court dates to contest the evidence. 844 00:46:17,941 --> 00:46:19,877 >> Is there like a parallel legal system 845 00:46:19,910 --> 00:46:22,446 that applies to immigrants that doesn't apply 846 00:46:22,479 --> 00:46:25,682 to the rest of the people that hold U.S. passports? 847 00:46:25,716 --> 00:46:27,684 >> The federal government seems to think so. 848 00:46:27,718 --> 00:46:30,154 But that's clearly wrong. 849 00:46:30,187 --> 00:46:32,322 Under the Trump administration, the federal government really 850 00:46:32,356 --> 00:46:34,625 has been taking the stance that these kids have the burden 851 00:46:34,658 --> 00:46:36,160 to show that they're not a danger, 852 00:46:36,193 --> 00:46:38,962 where in every other setting involving, you know, 853 00:46:38,996 --> 00:46:41,565 vulnerable minors, the burden would be flipped. 854 00:46:41,598 --> 00:46:42,733 It would be the government 855 00:46:42,766 --> 00:46:44,401 that would have to justify its actions. 856 00:46:44,434 --> 00:46:45,569 That's against our laws. 857 00:46:45,602 --> 00:46:47,671 That's against due process. 858 00:46:47,704 --> 00:46:50,274 >> ...arrested and accused of being gang members. 859 00:46:50,307 --> 00:46:52,075 But no evidence was ever presented. 860 00:46:52,109 --> 00:46:55,512 >> NARRATOR: That summer, a lawyer with the ACLU 861 00:46:55,546 --> 00:46:57,347 went to a facility in California to meet 862 00:46:57,381 --> 00:47:02,052 one of the unaccompanied minors being held there. 863 00:47:02,085 --> 00:47:05,789 >> This teenager who lived with his mother in Suffolk County, 864 00:47:05,823 --> 00:47:07,257 he was arrested. 865 00:47:07,291 --> 00:47:09,326 He tried to ask to speak to his attorney 866 00:47:09,359 --> 00:47:10,894 and they didn't let him. 867 00:47:10,928 --> 00:47:14,231 They put him on a plane and they shipped him to Yolo County. 868 00:47:14,264 --> 00:47:18,735 And I really thought this was a shocking and outrageous conduct 869 00:47:18,769 --> 00:47:21,171 and I wanted to get involved. 870 00:47:21,205 --> 00:47:23,240 >> NARRATOR: In August, she would file 871 00:47:23,273 --> 00:47:26,276 a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration 872 00:47:26,310 --> 00:47:28,979 on behalf of all the unaccompanied minors 873 00:47:29,012 --> 00:47:33,150 who had been detained on allegations of gang membership. 874 00:47:33,183 --> 00:47:37,454 Junior would be one of the 34 class members in the suit. 875 00:47:37,487 --> 00:47:39,990 >> The government can't take away your liberty. 876 00:47:40,023 --> 00:47:41,158 They can't lock you up. 877 00:47:41,191 --> 00:47:42,793 They can't take away your property 878 00:47:42,826 --> 00:47:44,661 unless they give you a hearing 879 00:47:44,695 --> 00:47:47,297 in front of a neutral person like a judge, 880 00:47:47,331 --> 00:47:49,800 where you can hear the evidence against you 881 00:47:49,833 --> 00:47:53,337 and respond to it. 882 00:47:53,370 --> 00:47:55,739 >> Lawyers say that kids have been accused 883 00:47:55,772 --> 00:47:59,209 of having gang affiliation with very flimsy evidence, 884 00:47:59,243 --> 00:48:02,646 and held in detention for months. 885 00:48:02,679 --> 00:48:05,115 Is that something that concerns you? 886 00:48:05,148 --> 00:48:07,918 >> I think that's probably a very unfair characterization. 887 00:48:07,951 --> 00:48:10,554 The reason I say that is that what we see 888 00:48:10,587 --> 00:48:12,556 within the Department of Justice 889 00:48:12,589 --> 00:48:14,224 is an extraordinary level of due process 890 00:48:14,258 --> 00:48:16,727 that illegal aliens receive. 891 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,396 That's why we have a backlog of more than 600,000 cases. 892 00:48:19,429 --> 00:48:20,864 So based upon what I've seen, 893 00:48:20,897 --> 00:48:24,268 I think we have pretty substantial due process rights 894 00:48:24,301 --> 00:48:27,638 for people who are in the United States unlawfully. 895 00:48:27,671 --> 00:48:29,773 Much more so than you see in many foreign countries. 896 00:48:29,806 --> 00:48:32,075 >> ...arrested on Long Island... 897 00:48:32,109 --> 00:48:34,511 >> NARRATOR: But three months after the class action lawsuit 898 00:48:34,544 --> 00:48:38,081 was filed, a federal judge in northern California ruled 899 00:48:38,115 --> 00:48:42,419 against the Trump administration and sided with the ACLU. 900 00:48:42,452 --> 00:48:45,422 >> Well, the ACLU had filed suit on the teens' behalf. 901 00:48:45,455 --> 00:48:49,593 Now a judge has ruled in favor of the ACLU lawsuit. 902 00:48:49,626 --> 00:48:52,362 >> NARRATOR: The minors arrested by ICE would finally be given 903 00:48:52,396 --> 00:48:56,166 a hearing and a chance to contest the gang allegations. 904 00:48:56,199 --> 00:48:58,902 >> Now, a couple of months later, 905 00:48:58,935 --> 00:49:03,807 28 hearings have been completed under this court order, 906 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:07,611 and 26 of those kids were released. 907 00:49:07,644 --> 00:49:14,851 What it says to me is that at least 26 kids were arrested 908 00:49:14,885 --> 00:49:19,890 without sufficient evidence, and that's... 909 00:49:19,923 --> 00:49:24,695 absolutely goes contrary to, you know, 910 00:49:24,728 --> 00:49:26,396 what the Constitution requires, 911 00:49:26,430 --> 00:49:29,800 and what I think most Americans would believe in. 912 00:49:33,270 --> 00:49:35,205 >> NARRATOR: Junior was one of the 26 minors 913 00:49:35,238 --> 00:49:36,606 eventually released. 914 00:49:36,640 --> 00:49:38,108 (engine starting) 915 00:49:38,141 --> 00:49:41,378 His father and his father's employer were waiting for him. 916 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:46,016 >> I have Junior Mints. 917 00:49:46,049 --> 00:49:47,117 (laughing) 918 00:49:47,150 --> 00:49:49,619 >> Thank you. 919 00:49:49,653 --> 00:49:51,321 (Junior speaking Spanish): 920 00:50:07,504 --> 00:50:09,272 >> Oh boy. 921 00:50:09,306 --> 00:50:11,808 I tell you, it's a good day today. 922 00:50:33,797 --> 00:50:35,465 >> NARRATOR: But the class action ruling 923 00:50:35,499 --> 00:50:37,300 that led to Junior's release 924 00:50:37,334 --> 00:50:41,171 did not apply to detainees who were 18 years or older, 925 00:50:41,204 --> 00:50:43,373 like Jesus. 926 00:50:43,407 --> 00:50:45,909 We found him at an adult detention facility 927 00:50:45,942 --> 00:50:48,612 in New Jersey, where he had already been held 928 00:50:48,645 --> 00:50:51,014 for five months. 929 00:50:51,048 --> 00:50:52,382 (Jesus speaking Spanish): 930 00:51:17,941 --> 00:51:21,978 >> NARRATOR: In December 2017, Jesus was deported. 931 00:51:24,247 --> 00:51:25,215 (Jesus speaking Spanish): 932 00:51:40,864 --> 00:51:45,769 ♪ 933 00:51:50,207 --> 00:51:52,476 >> ...38 of the suspected gangsters 934 00:51:52,509 --> 00:51:55,245 were pulled off our Long Island streets. 935 00:51:55,278 --> 00:51:56,546 But, some of the arrests were in Maryland, 936 00:51:56,580 --> 00:51:59,916 where authorities say MS-13 is also... 937 00:51:59,950 --> 00:52:02,185 >> Associates of the sailors clique lured the victim 938 00:52:02,219 --> 00:52:05,155 to a secluded area, and then stabbed the victim to death. 939 00:52:05,188 --> 00:52:09,192 >> More than 1,200 gang members have been convicted so far 940 00:52:09,226 --> 00:52:12,295 this year according to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 941 00:52:12,329 --> 00:52:14,831 >> ...gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes 942 00:52:14,865 --> 00:52:20,203 in our laws to enter the country as illegal unaccompanied 943 00:52:20,237 --> 00:52:22,706 alien minors. 944 00:52:22,739 --> 00:52:25,442 Most tragically, they have caused the loss 945 00:52:25,475 --> 00:52:28,612 of many innocent lives. 946 00:52:30,847 --> 00:52:32,449 >> NARRATOR: Coming to "Frontline"... 947 00:52:32,482 --> 00:52:34,284 >> ...tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran... 948 00:52:34,317 --> 00:52:36,153 >> NARRATOR: The epic story of two of countries, 949 00:52:36,186 --> 00:52:37,988 Saudi Arabia... 950 00:52:38,021 --> 00:52:40,991 >> The Saudis started the sectarian mess, not us. 951 00:52:41,024 --> 00:52:42,259 >> NARRATOR: ...and Iran. 952 00:52:42,292 --> 00:52:44,728 >> The Iranians are the ones who are exporting terrorism. 953 00:52:44,761 --> 00:52:47,030 >> NARRATOR: And their decades-long battle for 954 00:52:47,063 --> 00:52:48,765 control of the Middle East. 955 00:52:48,798 --> 00:52:51,167 >> Is the Sunni-Shia divide about to explode wide open? 956 00:52:51,201 --> 00:52:53,169 >> ...the Shia feel threatened by the Sunni... 957 00:52:53,203 --> 00:52:54,304 >> NARRATOR: A two-part Frontline special, 958 00:52:54,337 --> 00:52:55,639 "Bitter Rivals." 959 00:53:01,344 --> 00:53:04,481 >> Go to pbs.org/frontline 960 00:53:04,514 --> 00:53:07,984 for the latest on the fight against MS-13. 961 00:53:08,018 --> 00:53:11,454 >> We are making tremendous strides. 962 00:53:11,488 --> 00:53:13,657 This problem will be eradicated. 963 00:53:13,690 --> 00:53:16,893 >> And learn about the history of the gangs rise in the U.S. 964 00:53:16,927 --> 00:53:18,562 >> The rise is linked to 965 00:53:18,595 --> 00:53:21,398 a United States policy of deporting ex-convicts in masse. 966 00:53:21,431 --> 00:53:23,567 >> More on how immigration policy 967 00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:24,868 is changing under President Trump. 968 00:53:24,901 --> 00:53:26,503 Then connect to the Frontline community on Facebook, 969 00:53:26,536 --> 00:53:29,973 Twitter, or pbs.org/frontline. 970 00:53:58,201 --> 00:54:00,103 >> For more on this and other programs, 971 00:54:00,136 --> 00:54:04,374 visit our website at pbs.org/frontline. 972 00:54:04,407 --> 00:54:07,744 ♪ 973 00:54:13,950 --> 00:54:17,520 "Frontline's" "The Gang Crackdown" is available on DVD. 974 00:54:17,554 --> 00:54:23,927 To order, visit shop.PBS.org or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 975 00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:26,796 "Frontline" is also available for download on iTunes.