Thread by @robferdman

I spent today in El Paso reporting from the border, where hundreds of migrants (many of them children), are being detained under a bridge, behind razor wire and fence, in conditions reminiscent of a low-budget zoo, and I think it’s important to share a few things I saw and heard

I know that news of this didn’t make the rounds until earlier this week, but it has been happening for about a month (per CBP). And the families aren’t just being detained here for hours—many of them told me they had been there for days (several of them said 5 days)

I met people from Honduras, Guatemala, and Brazil. I met men, women and children. Lots of children. An 8 year old, a four year old, a five month old. Everyone was wrapped in the same foil you’ve seen elsewhere. It’s what they use to keep warm

There are no beds, cots, or mats outside. These people are sleeping on gravel. I saw it last night—hundreds of people sleeping side by side on gravel. It’s cold here at night (I was cold), and you can see it. At most, these people have light jackets. What they need are blankets.

Border Patrol says that this is only happening because they are overwhelmed (they expect 100k migrants by the end of the month), and have nowhere else to keep people while they process their claims. They call it a last resort. Maybe that’s true, but something feels a little off

No one has prevented us from filming. If anything, they’ve encouraged it, giving us tips about where to get the best shots. Anyone who has worked around CBP knows this is weird and not common at all. Border Patrol is usually very cagey about filming facilities

So is this a stunt? I don’t know. CBP understandably didn’t answer when I asked that question directly. They wouldn’t film a conversation either. That is, until Beto showed up out of nowhere and proceeded to ask most of the questions I wanted to

Beto asked if there was anywhere else indoors that they could house these people. CBP officers said no. He asked how long migrants were being held, and was told about a day (remember, we heard 5 days). He asked if he could speak with the migrants. They said no

I spoke with Beto afterward, who was admittedly doing a bit of a press tour, and he was surprised to learn that I had spoken w the detainees at length earlier. He also seemed skeptical that this was really the only genuine option. He didn’t blame CBP—he blamed the administration

All of this is to say that it’s hard to know where Trump’s version of the crisis ends and where the real thing begins, but this feels particularly cruel and confusing

Also, I have a piece running on the show tonight about it all and I really hope you’ll watch. 7:30pm ET on HBO

Here’s my piece from El Paso, where hundreds of migrants are being housed under a bridge, behind razor wire and fence, on gravel. Please watch and share