(electronic warbling)
(wind whistling) (camera whirring)
(engine rumbling)
(wind whistling) (camera whirring)
(mellow music)
- [Marco] Everyone needs a plan.
That's what my mom told me as she
was carrying me north across the border.
Everyone needs a plan.
(copy machine whirring)
I'm 22 years old and still undocumented.
Illegal.
I don't care what you call it, really.
They're all just other words for afraid.
I grew up knowing that any one of us,
my mom, my dad, my sisters,
could be basically kidnapped by the government.
- My mother and my brother were just taken by immigration.
- My dad was detained in front of me on my way to school.
(mellow music) (shutter clicking)
- [Marco] Most immigrants pass through
a kind of purgatory on their way out of the country.
A detention center.
Inside, there's been cases of abuse
and even mysterious death.
Well, tonight, I have one question.
How can I get in?
(mellow music)
(waves splashing)
(leaf blower whirring) (birds chirping)
Our inside man was Claudio Rojas.
He just didn't know it yet.
- [Man] Yeah?
- Yes. - Okay.
(pensive music)
(engines rumbling)
(Claudio speaking in foreign language)
(police scanner chattering)
- Claudio Rojas!
(Claudio speaking in foreign language)
- [Emiliano] Papa?
- [Officer] We have an order for your deportation.
(police scanner chattering) (dog barking)
(engine rumbling)
- [Dispatcher] 19108.
- [Dispatcher] 1950YN.
(pensive music) (gates clanging)
(engine rumbling) (pensive music)
(crickets chirping)
- [Woman] In cases like your father's
there's really nothing that can be done.
We can help speed up his deportation.
- Okay, thanks.
(phone thuds)
(dog barking) (crickets chirping)
(protestors yelling in foreign language)
- My name is Marco Saavedra.
I am undocumented and unafraid.
I am originally from Oaxaca, Mexico.
I crossed the border at the age of three
through the Sonoran Desert.
Went to school in Massachusetts.
I believe that none of us are free as long as one family
is suffering deportation or separation.
(gentle music) (keyboard keys clacking)
- Everyone needs a plan.
(pensive music)
For two years I've been working with a group.
We're all young illegals.
Our mission?
Stop the deportations.
It was self defense.
Our strategy?
Organize, escalate, shut something down.
We came outta the shadows and stopped a few deportations.
Our own.
The new plan?
Get into the Broward Detention Center and get people out.
(engine rumbling)
What was the number again?
- [Mohammad] Come on Marco, 207.
(engine rumbling)
- All right.
See you guys soon, I hope.
(engine rumbling)
(line trilling)
- [Mohammad] Good luck.
(crickets chirping)
(engine rumbling)
- [Marco] The Border Patrol.
My own personal Death Star.
(police radio chattering)
Customs and Border Protection
is twice the size of the FBI.
The largest law enforcement agency the world has ever known.
(bell rings) (crickets chirping)
(police scanner chattering)
- What can I do for ya?
- Hi.
I'm looking for my cousin.
- [Officer] Your cousin, why?
- We may think he, he's detained by the Border Patrol.
- Is he an illegal alien?
Does he have papers to be here?
- [Marco] No, he don't have papers.
- [Officer] Did he come here, to America illegally?
- [Marco] We all came together.
- [Officer] Do you have papers to be here legally?
- [Marco] No.
- [Officer] You know I have to arrest you.
- [Marco] Oh.
- [Officer] Keep your hands behind your back.
- Come on, turn around, now.
Put your hands behind your back.
(pensive music) (handcuffs clinking)
(machine beeps) (pensive music)
I've determined you're in this country illegally.
You're gonna be transported to a detention facility
and most likely deported given your previous arrest.
Any questions?
- No.
(officers chattering) (engine rumbling)
They called Broward a model detention center.
(mellow music)
Detainees with no criminal record,
minimum security, TVs in every room.
(mellow music)
I kept telling myself it was a Florida motel
where I couldn't check out.
(mellow music)
(birds chirping)
A year ago I was reading Kafka.
Now I was living it.
Because none of the men in here committed crimes,
they weren't being legally punished.
And so they don't get a right
to a trial before getting locked up.
They don't get a court appointed lawyer.
They don't even get a sentence.
They just get warehoused.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
I'm with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance.
- [Officer] Now who's on the mess hall for turn over?
(pensive music)
(Claudio yells)
(detainees chattering)
(mellow music)
- Rojas.
(police scanner chattering)
(detainees chattering)
(phone ringing)
- [Automated Voice] Call from
an inmate at Broward Transitional Center.
This call is subject to recording and monitoring.
- Mohammad, did you know they have solitary in here?
- [Mohammad] Sure.
- You did?
And you didn't tell me this?
- [Mohammad] Why, are you scared?
- No, I'm not scared.
Of course not.
I just didn't know.
- [Mohammad] Just don't get sent there.
And also, we have somebody comin' by later,
they're gonna bring you some paperwork.
- Gotta go my love, Maria.
- Okay, okay, bye.
- [Woman] Okay, it's going.
- Should I speak up louder or is that fine?
Just so I know I'm not-- - That's good.
- Okay.
I hate videos.
- [Woman] Let's go.
- Hi everybody, my name's Mohammad.
I am undocumented.
My parents immigrated here from Iran
when I was just three years old.
(upbeat music)
- If you were deported where would you be deported to?
- If I was deported I would be deported to Iran,
and because I'm gay that's probably
not the best place to go.
- Please support the youth, support education,
pass the DREAM Act.
(protestors yelling)
- [News Anchor] The federal bill
would give undocumented immigrants
brought to the U.S. as children
a pathway to permanent citizenship.
- One day my mom just learned about the DREAM Act
and what she told me was, "Don't ever search for it
"'cause the government will find us somehow."
And so the first thing I did is I Googled the DREAM Act.
From there I sorta got connected
with other undocumented youth.
Essentially what we're gonna do from now
is the training is still gonna happen.
It's gonna start as soon as we kick everybody else out.
We're just gonna do the legal part
for the folks that are doing the action,
so we'll talk about that.
We're here ask Senator McCain to cosponsor the DREAM Act.
So we're here to ask him to cosponsor the bill right now.
- [News Anchor] Five protestors,
reportedly all illegal immigrants are refusing to leave.
- [News Anchor] Marking one
of the first known instances activists
have risked deportation.
- [Protestors] DREAM Act now!
DREAM Act now!
How do you wish to plead, Sir?
- Not guilty.
The one thing that every undocumented kid is told
is if you see a police officer run and hide
because you could get turned over to immigration.
(shutters clicking) (mellow music)
What we learned is that to actually
have power as an immigrant,
you have to do the exact opposite.
Whenever we got arrested publicly,
ICE was nowhere to be found.
- Let's go, let's go. - Let's go, turn around.
Let's go.
(mellow music)
- [Mohammad] So once we sort of had the safety
of knowing we could not be deported,
we sort of had infinite possibilities.
(crickets chirping)
(birds chirping)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Okay.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
Hey, I'm working with a group
and we're tryin' to get people outta here.
I was wondering if I could give you their number?
- Wait, get people out?
How?
- Well, how'd you end up in here?
- So stupid, man.
I don't have a driver's license,
so I was riding my bike on the sidewalk
and I get stopped by the cops.
They hand me over to ICE.
- But the flip side is this.
As quick as they sweep you up they can release you.
All it takes is someone from ICE,
from the President on down to make that call.
That's what our group does.
We put pressure on those people.
Let me see your book.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
Call this number.
Tell 'em Marco told you to call.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Copy that, comin' now.
I want that cleaned up by lunch.
- Sure thing, boss.
- You got a minute?
- Sure.
- [Marco] From India?
- Sri Lanka.
- How long you been in here?
- Two years.
- Hey, my friend, my friend.
- Oh (speaking in foreign language).
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(Claudio sighs)
(engine rumbling) (mellow music)
- [Officer] He's resisting.
(man groans)
Hey, do not resist.
Up against the wall.
Grab the ankles, damn it.
(officer speaking faintly)
(man groaning)
Do not resist!
(pensive music)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(phone rings)
- Hi.
Do you know a guy named Marco?
He said I should call you,
and to tell you I'm a DREAMER at Broward.
- We basically did this whole intake when people called us.
We got their name, their alien number,
how they got detained, their history.
- Ismael, what's his story, Viri?
- Ismael came by himself to the U.S.
at the age of 12 and he's from Guatemala
and he has been here since and he's 18 years old now.
- Every deportation can be stopped.
The government has the power
to grant discretion for anybody not to be deported.
- Yeah, so it's the National ICE
in D.C. that can do something.
The perfect example is Obama's uncle who's undocumented.
He had a DUI.
His deportation was stopped.
- [Viri] Once it was like okay, this case is solid,
we started an online petition.
- [Mohammad] Every time somebody would sign the petition,
there was an automatic email
that was generated that was sent
to the personal email of someone that worked at Immigration.
We had probably 4,000 signatures in just
the period of like, 12 hours.
His name is Ismael.
(scanner chattering)
- [Dispatcher] 5360, 5360.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(engines rumbling)
- Ismael, I got a question for you, man.
What's your room number inside?
264?
Obama was saying, "We're not jailing people
"unless they are criminals."
Hey, question for you.
Do you have a GED or high school diploma?
- [Viri] At this point there was already
the online petition calling for his release,
but we needed more.
- We reached out to Senator Nelson
and Ted Deutch who's a representative
because his district is the Broward Detention Center.
The purpose of petitions was really
to annoy the hell out of the offices.
- Some offices clearly were overwhelmed
by the calls that came in.
It's because of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance
that we were first made aware
of what was happening at this facility.
That's why we got involved.
- Okay, I'm gonna hand you back to Bryan
but I'm all good at my end.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Ismael Garcia?
Ismael Garcia?
Are you Ismael?
Come with me to processing, let's go.
I ain't got all day.
(woman speaking faintly)
- Yes, hi.
I'm calling to find out the status of a case.
- [Woman] Okay.
What is his name?
- Ismael.
I-S-M-A-E-L.
Okay, he has been released?
- [Woman] Yes.
- Okay, okay.
That's what I wanted to know.
Thank you (laughs).
- You're welcome. - Okay, buh bye.
- [Woman] Buh bye.
- Ismael got released.
DREAMER released, DREAMER released,
DREAMER released! - Ismael got released.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(pensive music)
(Claudio speaking in foreign language)
(game host speaking in foreign language)
(game show participants cheering)
(all speaking in foreign language)
(pensive music)
- [Officer] Here you go.
(Claudio speaking in foreign language)
- Okay.
(blade scrapes)
(crickets chirping)
- So I call my dad and my dad comes in,
and as soon as he came in, like Border Patrol showed up.
So, they were like, "Okay, we have to take you in."
- I was there for three months with my dad.
- But my dad came out with a different deal.
He came out with the condition
of leaving the country after three months.
(Claudio sighs)
- Oh, Marco.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- [Dispatcher] Thank you (speaking faintly).
(officer chattering)
(Claudio whistles)
- [Marco] Call the group that freed Ismael.
- Call this number with your case,
they're waiting for your call.
(upbeat music)
(voicemail beeps)
- [Man] Hey, this message
is for Viridiana-- - Hold on.
Hello, hello? - Hi, I'm calling
on behalf of my husband who is at BTC Detention Center.
- [Viri] Calls were coming in
from sunrise to sundown everyday.
- My brother is in ICE. - My husband.
- My cousin. - He's in
the Broward County Detention Center.
And I was wanting to see...
- [Marco] The 600 man warehoused in here
all had different cases.
Ismael was easy.
Claudio will be hard.
To get him out was gonna take a big campaign.
Time, people, planning.
Whether or not he got to stay
in the country was a question of who will move faster?
Us or them?
- The GEO Group has a contract to run
this facility on behalf of Homeland Security.
The job program allows detainees
to get involved and be productive.
(scanner chattering)
Look at your credentials.
Speak English, Spanish.
Got some computer skills.
With that you're lookin' at library and or nurse station.
- [Marco] That was my first legitimate job interview,
and my first legal job in this country.
Working for the GEO Group earning a dollar a day.
- [Nurse] Take the aspirin.
It should help control the swelling.
- (groans) Come on, please.
- [Nurse] What do you want?
- Oh, the Job Office sent me.
- Oh, yeah.
First mission, run this to the station on the east wing.
- Thank you.
(gentle music)
Nurse told me to take these to the east wing.
Since the company only paid a dollar a day,
they had to offer something else as compensation.
Visitors.
If you agreed to work, you get more visitors.
That's why most men worked in here.
That's why I took a job, too.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Get through, come back. - Yeah.
- I didn't even know there was
a woman side to the detention center
until Marco turns himself in
and he gets in and he's like,
"Yeah, there's a woman's side."
And then Mo is like, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
This little light bulb went on and he's like, "Hey Viri."
And I'm like, "Yeah, I know (laughs).
"I know what you're gonna say."
But like Ricardo could
be here and Ricardo the east. - Okay, guys let's go eat.
Viri, are you ready to get detained?
(singing in foreign language)
- So how did you meet each other
'cause you all come from different state?
- We all did organizing around legislation,
and so we all kind of talked
to each other on the phone for awhile,
those sorts - Oh, wow.
- of things and then-- - Have you heard of it?
The DREAM Act? - No.
- Oh.
- Do you know there's
an immigration detention center in Broward?
So they have 600 men and 100 women
and they're in there for like eight months.
Six, seven months.
So she's gonna go there to find
a story so that we can work on the cases.
- She's the bait.
- She's our bait, yeah.
(all chuckling)
There you go.
I think that's the best analysis of what's going on here.
- I'm gonna have my birthday in detention.
I mean, I had a dress on and like, makeup, my hair was done.
(Viri laughs) (mellow music)
I called my mom and my dad and I said,
"This is what I'm about to do."
They were scared for their daughter.
I remember me telling them,
"Well, the reality is that these people could be you."
- She's gonna walk to the Border Patrol.
You remember the Border Patrol building, right?
- Yeah. - The one on the left.
- Yeah. - The parking lot was empty.
- [Viri] Yeah.
- Go in.
I'm looking for my friend, Marco.
Left here.
(all chattering) (mellow music)
The idea for Viridiana to infiltrate was to escalate.
(mellow music)
(bell rings)
- Are you like, lost?
- Me no papers.
(officer speaking faintly)
- Okay, how did you get here?
Who dropped you off?
(officer speaking faintly)
Can one of you guys get out here?
- Wrong place.
Sorry.
(Viri speaking in foreign language)
- Damn it, why did she dress so fancy?
They saw the Mustang?
- They asked if someone dropped her off
and that he wanted to know the truth, what's going on.
- [Mohammad] Okay, tell her not to walk here.
Tell her to keep walking.
- [Mohammad] Just keep walking, tell her--
- [Mohammad] Just keep walking.
She came in the car, slammed the door.
Her face was red, just really upset.
- He's an asshole.
It wasn't just enough to go turn myself in.
I needed to prepare to actually play this role.
(birds chirping)
- [Officer] All visitors be advised,
all bags and large personal belongings will be searched.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- [Officer] Berlinger here to see Saavedra.
- [Marco] Radam, short for Radical Adam.
He was a U.S. citizen, the only one in our group.
- ID. - Since most of the guys
in here have undocumented families,
those families can't come visit.
My parents couldn't visit me.
- Go in.
- [Marco] Mo and Viri couldn't visit me.
But Radical Adam could.
(all chattering)
- Hi.
- Hey.
- I'm Radam. - Yeah, I know.
Mo told me.
- You doin' okay?
- A lot better than most of these guys in here.
I miss my mom's cooking.
- She has a restaurant, right?
- Yeah, Mexican food in New York.
I keep tellin' her to call
it The Five Burros but...
- Okay, well let's do this.
There's a senator who's interested
in learning more about Claudio's case.
There's not much time.
I'll come back in an hour to pick his up.
- Okay. - Now there are waivers
in there for the other urgent cases, too.
Raoul Contralis, Gustafo Galindo, Pablo Oriano.
- Okay, I'll try to get 'em all done.
Thanks.
Okay, these are basically permission slips
to waive your right to privacy.
(Marco speaking in foreign language)
(gentle music)
- [Officer] Spread 'em.
(dispatcher chattering)
- [Dispatcher] Dispatch.
(dispatcher chattering) (pensive music)
- Everything's in there.
Beni didn't sign.
- I'm working on getting you some money for your commissary,
you can buy some better food.
(engine rumbling) (gentle music)
- [Marco] With the privacy waivers out,
the team on the outside could build powerful campaigns
to press for the detainees to be freed.
(Viri speaking in foreign language)
(phone chimes)
- Oh, fuck this shit.
Don't tell me the call dropped.
- [Mohammad] My call dropped, too.
Were you the same? - Yeah.
(upbeat music)
- Beni had been in the U.S.
for 10 years trying to get asylum.
He had been tortured back in his home country.
I understand why he didn't wanna sign the waiver.
He didn't like government documents.
But his asylum request was denied,
and now he was in limbo.
(upbeat music) (officers chattering)
Beni?
(upbeat music)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Call from an inmate at Broward Transitional Center.
- Mohammad, they're deporting Beni.
His flight leaves tonight.
- Yeah, yeah, I know.
He just called his wife.
Hey, can you please, please, please try
and find out what time his flight is?
- Hey Claudio?
- Okay, but what do I tell him?
- So, tell him to try and refuse to board.
Like, do the same strategy as Andy that he did,
which was he told the pilot that he
was afraid his life was in danger.
He refused to board.
Tell him to refuse to put on his seatbelt
and those sorts of things.
I mean, ICE can't drug him right there
on the spot if they want to,
but can you please, please, please try
and find out what time his flight is?
- Okay, okay, I'll try.
- And call me back right away.
- [Marco] I'll do it.
- 'Cause what he told his wife
is that he's gonna get moved at 11.
(dispatcher chattering)
(stamp thuds)
(handcuffs clinking) (dispatchers chattering)
(solemn music) (airplane engine whirring)
(dispatchers chattering) (solemn music)
- [Officer] What are you lookin' at, man?
Let's go.
(bugs chirping) (dog barking)
- Hey, Anita? - Hey, Mo?
- Yes.
Hey, so we had somebody just call the deportation officer.
- [Anita] Uh huh.
- And they said that he refused to board
so they're bringing him back to Broward.
(Anita screams)
- [Anita] Oh my God!
And he's for sure?
- Yeah, so that's what the deportation officer said
that he's on his way back to Broward
because he refused to board.
- [Anita] Oh my God.
- Let's see if we can use the urgency right now
and get them to release him.
- [Anita] Okay, perfect, Mo.
Thank you very much.
- No problem.
I'll talk to you soon, buh bye.
- [Anita] Bye.
- Aw, she's so happy.
- [Viri] Aw.
- She's so happy.
- [Viri] That's too much.
I can't handle it.
- [Mohammad] She's so happy.
- I can't handle it hearing somebody cry.
- [Mohammad] And that's just because
he's coming back to Broward.
- I know. - We need to get him out
- I know. - right away.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(engine rumbling)
- There was a man that reached out to us.
His wife was detained, Maria.
We said to him there's a girl from our team
who's gonna turn herself in.
Oh, this is perfect.
- [Mohammad] It's a complete different look.
- [Boy] This is how you get detained.
- In order to get Viridiana inside
we had to sort of become the stereotypes
that we advocated against.
- Really?
This is not believable (laughs).
Mister, I'm here to turn myself in.
- No, too modest. - Too formal.
- [Mohammad] Too DREAMER.
- [Boy] Too DREAMER.
- I'm here to-- - It's gotta be Spanish.
- I here turn self in.
(all laughing)
- You've been taking too many calls (laughs).
- [Viri] I can almost compare it to a theater play.
Mo being the director and Marco and I being actors.
- All right. - You're very good
when you're whining as well.
Like, when you made it sound very whiny.
No, no, like very whiny
in terms of like-- - No, I know.
That's what I'm tryin' to-- - 'Cause then more
of your sadness came out in it,
and that's really good 'cause it's natural desperation.
So make it sound desperate.
(engine rumbling)
- I'm going up there to see if they'll let me in.
- Yeah and when you go up there,
be like I wanna go to Border Patrol,
I wanna go to Border Patrol.
And he's like, wait, why are you coming?
You wanna smoke before you go?
- No, I don't wanna smoke before I go.
- [Mohammad] Do you want a shot of Patron?
- No, I don't want a shot of Patron.
- You good? - Good luck, Viri.
- Yeah, I'm gonna cry
so that I do it - Perfect, perfect.
- because if not I'm gonna-- - Be emotional.
(engine rumbling) (pensive music)
(phone beeps)
- Damn it. - Did you hang up?
- [Santiago] She hung up.
Should I call her again?
- No.
(line trilling)
- Hello?
- Hi.
- [Officer] Oh hi.
Hi, how are you?
Who am I speaking with?
- Santiago.
- Don't say a last name. - I'm sorry?
- Santiago.
- [Mohammad] Don't say a last name.
- [Officer] Okay, hi Santiago.
My name is Santiago, too.
- Oh.
- [Santiago] So I like that name.
Okay.
Check this out.
- Okay.
- [Santiago] Do you speak Spanish or English?
Which one's better
for you 'cause I-- - English.
I prefer English.
- [Santiago] Okay.
All right.
Hey, is your mother there?
- My mother?
Yes.
- [Santiago] Yeah, can I talk to your mother?
It makes it easier for me.
- She doesn't speak English.
- [Santiago] Yeah, no, I'll speak Spanish to your mother.
- She says that she doesn't
feel comfortable speakin' on the phone.
- [Santiago] Okay.
- [Viri] He bought it.
(door creaking)
(solemn music)
(Viri exhaling) (solemn music)
- Line it up!
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
Let's go!
Line it up!
Let's go.
(men chuckling)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- [Mohammad] Viri, I have a question for you.
- [Viri] Yeah?
- At what point did you stop talking in only Spanish?
- [Viri] When I finally made it to BTC.
- Okay, okay.
Cool.
Hey, and you saw Marco?
- [Viri] I saw him, yeah.
Aw, cute.
Just careful not to attract too much attention.
- [Viri] Yeah, I'm not.
I'm just being really quiet.
- Okay. - Because people are
kind of like not really trusting.
- Yeah. - There's word that
there might be some infiltrators or people
who get along with the officers.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(pensive music)
- Found our guy, boss.
- So you're back.
Who do you work for?
- I'm not working for anyone.
- [Warden] Are you a lawyer?
- No.
I'm visiting a detainee.
I made an appointment.
- I don't know what you're up to,
but from now on things are gonna be very different.
Get him out.
- The facility came up with a new policy that said,
"Oh, you're not allowed to bring documents
"in if you're just a visitor."
Kind of freaking out because
without the privacy waiver,
we can't get people out in a day or two,
we can't get members of Congress moving
because they all need this permission slip.
(engines rumbling)
(Woman sobbing softly)
(Viri chuckles)
- Okay.
(gentle music)
(engines rumbling)
- [Marco] Samuel had just seen his name on the board.
In 48 hours he's gonna be loaded up
on a plane and sent back to Honduras.
Here he had an American wife
and four citizen children.
Back there gangs had killed his two brothers.
- Does he have a criminal record?
Has he ever been arrested besides this?
According to ICE policy your husband's
not supposed to be in there at all.
And he is.
So would you be willing to make your case public?
Are you okay with that?
- These are my four kids.
My husband was stopped by the police on the way to work.
He was arrested for havin' an expired license.
At this moment he could be deported, at any moment,
and my kids are gonna be without a father.
(solemn music)
- Another break? - No, Sir.
- Get up! - It's my first break.
- Every time I turn around you're sitting down.
- No, that's not true.
Please, boss, it's not true.
(water splashing)
- [Officer] Get to work.
(detainees chattering)
- Hey, Ashan, are you okay?
What was that all about?
- Who cares?
The guy's an ass.
- Yeah, he's an asshole.
All right, man.
- Hey?
Are you still giving out that number?
My friends called it.
- When?
- [Ashan] A week ago.
- What'd they say?
- I'm not sure.
I think Mohammad is trying to help him.
God help me.
(detainees chattering)
(phone ringing)
- [Marco] Samuel had been taken to processing.
Time was running out.
We had to get his paperwork out, now.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- Hey Ashan.
- Hey.
- Hey, I was wondering,
and it's okay if you don't want to,
but would you be able to do something?
It's not for me, it's for...
- For Mohammad?
(gentle upbeat music)
- [Marco] Samuel's asylum application,
13 privacy waivers and a letter to mom promising
I'll come back to help with the restaurant
if I ever get outta here.
(upbeat music)
(buzzer buzzing)
(upbeat music)
- [Officer] All right, here we go.
Step out, watch your step.
Single file.
Single file, watch your step.
Come on.
(dispatchers chattering) (gentle music)
- Yes, I have somebody that's being deported
in a couple hours and I was told
to call headquarters and speak to somebody who's on call.
It's very urgent.
We filed an emergency stay of removal
and there hasn't been a decision
and we haven't heard anything
but the family member contacted us
and said they're being deported at five in the morning.
(passengers whispering)
- [Officer] Samuel Rosales.
- Come with me.
(officer speaking in foreign language)
(dispatcher chattering)
- Beni, you gotta help us out, buddy.
We got a job to do.
(dispatcher chattering)
- Miss Moran, I'm here with Beni.
- No.
- [Anita] Hello?
- We just need a minute to discuss
a few things with him.
(Anita speaking in foreign language)
(solemn music)
(airplane engine whirring)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- [Officer] Clear the yard.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(door creaking) (dispatcher chattering)
- You're coming with us, asshole.
- No, no, no, no! - We're putting
you on a plane.
- [Marco] No, no!
- [Officer] God damn it, you're comin'.
- [Marco] No, no, no, no.
(extinguisher thuds) (officer groans)
(Marco panting) (gentle music)
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- I had my birthday in there.
So I remember talking to Mo and saying like,
"I don't know how much longer
"I'm gonna be able to stay here."
(detainees chattering)
Hey, Neema, you want my biscuit?
Ever since I did time at McDonald's I stay away from them.
I was quiet back then.
My mom used to say (speaking in foreign language),
which means like, I never broke a plate,
but it really means like, I was careful,
always followed the rules.
You?
Well, I always followed the rules, big time.
Graduated top of my class.
And then I learned that I couldn't go to college,
so I had to learn how to make biscuits.
I shoulda just partied by ass off in high school.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(solemn music)
(gentle music)
- What you sayin'?
- If the group does it then I'll do it, too.
- If we do it as a group then
we can get a lot of media attention.
- Listen to Mr. TV now.
- No, but listen.
What is the point if no one's watching?
- 30 days?
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
(Claudio yells)
- He's fasting right now for like, this is, what?
16 days maybe, already.
Tomorrow will be like 17.
So, that's another thing that concerns me,
'cause I don't know how he is.
Like, he talks on the phone
and he said that he's fine but,
like I don't see him, I don't see his face,
I don't see his expressions and stuff,
so, it worries me a lot.
(gentle music)
- Claudio? - Hey.
(solemn music)
- [Marco] The plan was that Mo would go to the media,
go public with the campaign,
put national pressure on ICE.
But no one was taking the story.
(news anchors speaking in foreign language)
- What?
- Hey look. - What?
- Neema.
- [Woman] It is true?
- Everyone was like (speaking in foreign language).
And oh my, (speaking in foreign language).
(Viri laughs)
- [Neema] Viri?
- Yeah?
- If you go public, will my name be on the news?
- We don't have to use your name.
It could just be-- - No.
I want my husband to see.
- Her name is Neema, she's from Congo.
Her husband was beating her and she finally
went to the cops to turn him in.
Like, she thought she was doing
the right thing and they detained her.
She's been here for almost three years
and she hasn't been able to see her son the whole time.
Yeah, three years.
(engine rumbling)
(news anchor speaking in foreign language)
(door unlatching)
(news anchor speaking in foreign language)
- [Man] Mr. TV man.
- You saw it?
- We want to join the fast.
(Marco speaking in foreign language)
(news anchors speaking in foreign language)
(Claudio speaking in foreign language)
(news anchor speaking in foreign language)
- He said we're gonna bring down the wall.
- Line up, please. - Viridiana Martinez,
welcome to "Democracy Now!"
Why were you willing to be arrested
and deported to find out what
was happening inside this jail?
- [Viri] I have found several stories
of women who have been held for over a year.
We want the immediate release
of all low priority cases here at Broward.
(detainees speaking in foreign language)
- What now?
(Viri sighs)
- We stop eating with the men.
(Viri speaking in foreign language)
- [Woman] Stop eating?
(all chattering faintly)
- [Neema] The men are already doing it.
(women speaking in foreign language)
- Food sucks anyway, right?
Let's do it.
(birds chirping)
- [Mohammad] This is months before the election.
- [News Anchor] Elaine where have
the candidates been focusing in Florida lately?
- It's pretty evenly split
between republicans and democrats.
However, there is also a large group of Hispanic voters.
- Obama needs the Latino vote.
He's going after the Latino vote.
We have sort of a national effort
with the petition and everything online trying
to push for these deportations to be stopped.
Claudio Rojas, he's an Argentinian father
whose been in there since February,
and he's actually the reason
why we even infiltrated this detention center.
If Obama was serious about all of this,
he could just give us an executive order, very simple,
and that's something that is an actual law
that has to be followed with actual rules
and actual accountability.
(birds chirping)
- Hey, so this group you're workin' with, who are they?
- The National Immigrant Youth Alliance.
- What exactly do they want?
- What do they want?
Freedom.
(Marco chuckles)
(officer speaking in foreign language)
- Wait.
Wait, hold on, hold on.
(pensive music)
- Handle this fool.
- Hey.
- Hey, are you okay?
What-- - Quiet.
- [Officer] Warden?
They're here.
- Sit.
We've reviewed your cases.
You're both here illegally.
You both have prior arrests.
But today I got some good news.
You both qualified for immediate release.
- Release?
- [Warden] Yeah, immediately.
- Just like that?
- Oh, we'll give you a few minutes
to pull your belongings together.
- What changed about our case?
- Look, all I need is the name
and address of the person that's comin' to pick ya up.
- We need to make a phone call.
(mellow music)
- [Warden] You got that name for me?
- Actually several.
We're not leavin' until these men get released.
- What did you say?
You gotta be kidding me.
- These women deserve to be released
just as much as I do.
(mellow music)
- On my list, Claudio Rojas.
He has a family here.
- Maria Soledad is a political refugee from Venezuela.
Are you really planning to send her home to be killed?
- Would you please just give me
the name and address of the person comin' to pick you up?
(water splashing) (thunder rumbling)
- Stop right there.
- [Mohammad] We came to pick up Viridiana.
- Just stay right here.
They'll bring her out.
- [Mohammad] Why can't we just come pick her up?
- 'Cause I said no. - 51.
- 10/4.
It's about, it's 15 people.
- I'm not leaving.
- We're not leaving.
(detainees yelling in foreign language)
- [Warden] We have a situation in the courtyard.
We need boots on the ground.
(detainees yelling in foreign language)
- The Broward County Sheriff's Office has been called.
In 10 minutes you can walk out or be hauled out.
(detainees yelling in foreign language)
(mellow music)
(dispatcher chattering)
- [Marco] Everyone needs a plan,
but sometimes you have to improvise.
(mellow music)
- Stand back, stand back.
- [All] Undocumented, unafraid.
Undocumented, unafraid.
- [Viri] Now you're not scared?
- Please leave
our property now. - My name is Viridiana.
- That's nice.
I don't work for you.
- Viridiana, Viridiana? - Please go.
- What is the fear?
I don't understand what the fear is?
- [Boy] Bye, Viridiana.
- But I wanna know-- - Another two more weeks.
(all chattering)
- You want me to leave but where
are the other people that need to be out here
that should not be held inside,
and yet they still are and they're waiting
for answers and nobody will give us answers.
(thunder rumbling)
- [Man] Marco?
- [Viri] Marco, woo!
(all cheering)
(gentle music) (rain pattering)
(all cheering)
- Hey.
Oh, good to see you out.
- Hey, how you doin'? - You got a new shirt.
- [Marco] Yeah.
(girl laughs)
- How are you?
(officer speaking in foreign language)
- That sounds good. - Aw, they're gonna get out.
- Yeah. - You mom is coming--
- In every family I have been able
to see my own family and that's sacred.
Family is sacred.
What would I want someone to do for my family?
(water splashing) (all chattering)
- Hurry up.
(pensive music)
(footsteps thudding)
(door unlatches) (gentle music)
- Gather your belongings.
(all sobbing)
(gentle music) (engine rumbling)
(crickets chirping) (all chattering)
- I can pick you up!
I'm picking my wife up!
- It's hard to be in there to like,
just trust whoever you know. - Yeah.
- Like there's a lot at stake.
- Hey, how are you?
- Good, good. - How are you?
- Good, good, how are you?
- Oh man. - Long drive?
- Oh man, you have no idea.
You have no idea.
- Okay. - What the hell?
- [Viri] Oh my God.
* Happy birthday to you
Oh, you guys!
* Happy birthday to you
* Happy birthday dear Viridiana *
* Happy birthday to you
(all cheering) (all applauding)
(glasses clinking)
- [Viri] Infiltrating (laughs)!
- [Mohammad] Infiltrating!
- [Boy] 2012!
(all laughing)
- [Mohammad] Thank you so much.
(Viri speaking in foreign language)
(crickets chirping) (engines rumbling)
- We have to put you in isolation for your own safety.
You lost 12 pounds in the last 10 days
and we're worried about your health.
(hand patting)
(door clangs) (gentle music)
(phone ringing) (all chattering)
- Okay (speaking in foreign language).
Bye.
360 people didn't go to breakfast,
but they're saying that it's even smaller now.
The people that are lining up for meals.
(all chattering)
- Claudio told me that he had already lost his family.
What else does he have to lose?
So, I'm choosing to go back in jail
again as a symbol knowing that
I will see my mother Natalia, my father Antonio,
my sister Yahida and Carolina.
And believing that that same organizing
will allow Claudio to see Emiliano
and his wife and son again.
- The fact that you're all here,
they're gonna see that on the TV
and they're gonna be able to wake up tomorrow
and have more hope than they did today.
So every time you chant, you chant loud.
- Undocumented!
- [All] Unafraid!
- [Woman] Undocumented!
- [All] Unafraid!
- Undocumented!
- [All] Unafraid!
- [Woman] Undocumented!
- [All] Unafraid!
- [Woman] Undocumented!
- [All] Unafraid!
(all yelling)
(Claudio yells)
(all chanting in foreign language)
(horns honking)
- These folks don't have drivers license.
They can't visit their families in there.
They're tried everything else.
They're tried the senator, they've tried everything
and unfortunately it feels like
they've read some civil rights books and I don't know.
- [All] Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented!
Unafraid!
Undocumented, unafraid.
Undocumented, unafraid!
(birds chirping)
(gentle music)
(Claudio panting)
(gentle music)
- [Mohammad] Going into Broward we kinda jokingly said
that we were just gonna bring it to a halt.
It was an out of control facility
just by the simple fact that people were empowered.
They're not trained to deal
with people who hold their heads up.
In my perfect world, I wouldn't be a part of it.
I would've been able to go to college
and I would've been living my life.
- [Marco] Currently, I work at my family's restaurant.
I'm involved in the Immigrant Rights Movement.
I don't know how I think about
the decision now but I definitely have
more hesitancy now than I did back then.
- [News Anchor] Let's take a look
at the electoral college map right now.
With that win in Wisconsin, look at how close he is.
Right now he has 257 electoral votes.
He needs 13 more.
270 to be elected President of the United States.
He is getting incredibly, incredibly close.
(all chattering)
- Now people will believe the worst.
(woman speaking in foreign language)
My husband is currently in an immigration jail.
(woman speaking in foreign language)
I have three kids that depend on him.
(gentle music) (all chattering)
- [News Anchor] Outrage turning into frustration
and tears as a mom is deported.
Her family members say she was trying to do the right thing.
Checking in with ICE is required.
(engine rumbling)
(door slams)
(gentle music)
(electronic warbling)