2395_border-children B.McDonald Footage of along the Rio Grande; Ivan on camera, seated before the Rio Grande IVAN - Honduras is depriving itself of a future. Because the future is in the youth. And right now, all the youth are coming. Some of us are lucky to reach the border; some don’t make it this far. Title: In Mexico, a Stalled Journey U.S. Border agent patrolling the Rio Grande THIS IS BRENT MCDONALD WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES IN REYNOSA, MEXICO. WHILE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILD MIGRANTS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA HAVE CROSSED THE RIO GRANDE TO U.S. SOIL, THOUSANDS MORE NEVER MAKE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, GET STUCK IN MEXICO. HERE IN REYNOSA, IS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER CRISIS. 14-YEAR-OLD IVAN FLED HIS TOWN OF CEIBA, HONDURAS AFTER A VIOLENT GANG CALLED DIEZIOCHO TRIED TO RECRUIT HIM AND EXTORT HIS FAMILY. HE WORRIES THE GANG IS STILL LOOKING FOR HIM. I BLURRED HIS FACE TO PROTECT HIS IDENTITY. Ivan shows bed in shelter dormitory I MET IVAN AND HIS MOTHER AT A MIGRANT SHELTER IN REYNOSA, A TOWN THAT HAS BECOME A GATEWAY FOR MIGRANTS SEEKING TO CROSS INTO SOUTH TEXAS. HAVING PAID OFF NUMEROUS OFFICIALS ALONG THE WAY, THE FAMILY RAN OUT OF MONEY TO PAY A SMUGGLER TO HELP CROSS THE RIVER. IVAN - I’m waiting. I don’t have any money to even attempt it. IVAN’S MOTHER, CELESTINA, FEARED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY’RE DEPORTED BACK TO HONDURAS. CELESTINA - I don’t want to return there, nor do I want to stay in Mexico. Because the gangs will find us here. SO FAR THIS YEAR, MEXICO HAS DEPORTED NEARLY 9,000 CHILD MIGRANTS. MOST WERE RETURNED TO HONDURAS. INM truck releases kids into DIF facility AT A GOVERNMENT DETENTION CENTER IN REYNOSA, NEW BATCHES OF UNACCOMPANIED MINORS ARRIVE DAILY. Girl out of focus with flowers MELISSA - The day we were going to cross the river, we were in a bodega, and the federal police came and said they were going to send us back to our country. 3:44 HAD 13-YEAR-OLD MELISSA MORALES ORELLANA REACHED THE U.S., SHE MIGHT HAVE QUALIFIED FOR SPECIAL JUVENILE STATUS AND BEEN ALLOWED TO STAY. HAVING BEEN THREATENED BY GANGS IN EL SALVADOR AND ABANDONED BY HER PARENTS, SHE AND A SISTER HAD SET OFF TO REUNITE WITH RELATIVES IN THE U.S. SHORTLY AFTER THEY CROSSED INTO MEXICO, THE SISTERS WERE KIDNAPPED AND NEARLY RAPED BY BANDITS. MELISSA - 5:54 It was two men. // They took us to a horrible place, rocky and muddy, with a lot of manure. They made us kneel down and they took our money and everything we had with us. They said they knew we were heading for the United States. MELISSA - They took about 7000 pesos. 9:42 Ivan reads from Psalms... “camino” SOME HERE SAY THEY RISKED THE JOURNEY BECAUSE OF A WINDOW FOR MINORS AT THE BORDER, A RAMPANT RUMOR IN PARTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA. MELISSA - Supposedly, Obama was going to give one more month but only for minors from Honduras and El Salvador. So we were taking advantage of that opportunity. But unfortunately we could not get through. 3:25 // We are going to try again to cross before the reform for the minors ends. 4:47 THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS TRIED TO DISPEL NOTIONS OF A FREE PASS TO MINORS AND IS NOW CONSIDERING DEPORTING MORE CHILDREN. BUT THE MESSAGE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO OVERCOME FEARS OF RETURNING HOME. IVAN - Right now, people are saying that they’re deporting children back to their countries. And I don’t know. I don’t know those things, about the law. But I wish they give me a permit or at least not deport me. ...Because if we go back to Honduras again, our lives will be in danger. That’s why we came, to flee that. ————————— END IT ——————————-