Transcript: First Lady Chirlane McCray Appears Live on MSNBC

June 21, 2018

Stephanie Ruhle: Welcome back, and please turn up the volume for this. As parents wait to hear if they will be reunited with their children, there's also a question of where are the children located? According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the children are being housed in approximately 100 shelters across 14 states, and they are flown across the country from Texas to California to Connecticut and right here in New York, where just last night migrant children arrived at LaGuardia Airport. Some of them have arrived with me on my flight. Joining me now, First Lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray. Ms. McCrain – McCray, excuse me, walk us through where they go? I was on the plane with some of these kids. And when were we arrived someone came to the gate and said, "the UMs," "the UMs," "the unaccompanied minors," and they collected them. Where do they go?

First Lady Chirlane McCray: Well, we know that some of them are staying with foster families, they're licensed foster families, and attending school during the day and they go through Cayuga Center in East Harlem. But there is so much that we don't know. We don't know exactly where they're staying, we don't know how they're being cared for in terms of any medical conditions or mental health conditions that they may have as a result of this horrific separation.

Ruhle: Why don't we know? I know the Mayor tried to go to the facility in Harlem last night.

First Lady McCray: That's right.

Ruhle: Did he get in? I was just in Texas and we couldn't get access to anything and that's what has me concerned.

First Lady McCray: Not one of us is satisfied with the information that we've received, which is really no information about where these children really belong, where their parents are. We just don't know. Government leaders should not be in the business of separating children from their parents this way. We know every parent, every expert, every health care professional knows that this could have irreparable harm to this these children.

Ruhle: Now that we know they are separated though and they're in let's say these facilities in New York City, are we able to get inside? Are we able to know which kids are there?

First Lady McCray: No.

Ruhle: Why?

First Lady McCray: Why? I think there is a total disconnect. Obviously leadership thinks that these children are not human, that they are other, that they are different from us, they do not feel the pain of these children. And that allows them to treat them in this heartbreaking way. It's just – you know it's just hard to understand.

Ruhle: Even if you didn't care about who they were emotionally, from a logistics and a financial standpoint, logistically, how do we track them? Does New York City – is New York City notified when we get a group of these kids? Do we know that they are now here and if zero-tolerance is being reversed is there a process in place to get them back reunited with their parents?

First Lady McCray: Well, first of all, we didn't know. We had no idea that those children were there. So obviously we were not notified. And the zero-tolerance policy is not being reversed. They're just nibbling around the edges. Cleary they cannot keep children locked up with their parents indefinitely. So we really don't know what's going on.

Ruhle: So is there nothing that New York City can do? They're in our town now.

First Lady McCray: Yes.

Ruhle: But it's the federal government that brought them here. Because it's a federal issue, is there nothing we can do to help them?

First Lady McCray: We are doing everything that we can. Again as we receive information, as we tend to those children who are under our care, if they come through our Health + Hospitals we will find out more. Of course we will do everything that we can. But there is a lot of mystery surrounding these children.

Ruhle: And that's what we're trying to solve for. It's not about a political agenda, it's about the welfare of children. And I think we can all agree that the welfare of kids, it's a priority for everyone. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining me.

First Lady McCray: Thank you.