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Report: Immigrant Youth Fear Donald Trump; Trump Picks Pompeo for CIA Head; Pompeo Has Said You Cannot Blame All Muslims for Terrorism; Cop Changes Young Man's Life

Aired November 18, 2016 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[15:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Democrats and advocacy groups are rallying to protect millions of undocumented immigrants in this country known as dreamers. These are young people who came to this country as children, were granted temporary status and work permits and now this particular community is fearful, fearful for their future under President-elect Donald Trump. Miguel Marquez is here, I know, Miguel, you have been talking to a number of these people, how are they feeling? What are they sharing with you?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it's fair to say there's a shock of fear through the entire immigration community across the U.S., not only among the dreamers but other immigrants as well. Many of these families come from mixed statuses, some are legal, some are not. Donald Trump when he talked about deporting up to three million immigrants who exactly is he he talking about?

He said criminals but the Migration Policy Institute says there's about 11 million estimated illegal immigrants in the U.S., 800,000 of them have a record of sort but only 300,000 of those have a felony record. We talked to one young woman who is a dreamer, she's here on a temporary status because of that order signed by President Obama. Here is how she is feeling today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Ruth Pinella, Illegal Immigrant: It's scary to go outside and we don't even know if we're going to be here tomorrow. I don't know if I'm going to be in a month, in three years, one year and what is going to happen with my daughters. I mean, they were born here. This is their country, and my country as well.

[15:35:00] (END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Other than two to three million deportees that President- elect Donald Trump wants to effect, he's also named Jeff Sessions, Senator Sessions, as his appointment to the attorney general's office. His office will have great sway over immigration policy and going after those policies. Here is how one individual who works with the immigrant community, an organization called Make the Road that helps thousands of immigrants across Queens and around Brooklyn and New York, here's how they reacted to Jeff Sessions' appointment. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATALIA ARISTIZABAL, MAKE THE ROAD, NEW YORK: It suggests to us is that they want to pick the biggest fight against immigrant communities and that they are ready to try to tear us apart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: The biggest concern with sessions is that not only was he anti-illegal immigration but he also had great concerns about legal immigration. Even those sort of tech workers going to Silicon Valley and the fear, great uncertainty throughout the community across the country as to what is going to happen next, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Tell me about this hotline, the Mexican foreign ministry talked about a hotline to protect immigrants in this country.

MARQUEZ: This has become such an issue, countries like Mexico, a large percentage of the immigrants are from Mexico but many from central America and Latin America but the ministry sent out to its consulates across the country a hotline creating a video telling people to stay calm. They have given a hotline so they can call in for information to figure out what their rights are, and what they can do going forward. But it's all a moving target at the moment until there are policies on the ground, it's hard to see how the federal government could mobilize both themselves and the local government to move some three million people out of the country in quick order. Keep many mind, President Obama deported three million people over eight years. Doing in months, a year would be a very, very difficult, massive thing to do, Brooke? Miguel Marquez.

BALDWIN: Next, he is a West Point graduate, first of his class, by the way, from West Point and editor of Harvard Law Review, he was a fierce attack dog against Hillary Clinton on the House committee on Benghazi, Congressman Mike Pompeo now the CIA director. We'll talk about what he might do as the head of one of the most powerful agencies in the world.

[15:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The Trump transition working hard over there on Fifth Avenue, Donald Trump's team announcing his picks to fill key national security positions. One of them unexpected, Trump going outside his circle of trust to tap Mike Pompeo to head the CIA. A bit of background here on the Congressman from Kansas. Very, very conservative. Congress, former Army guy, graduated first in his class from West Point and went on to be editor of the Harvard Law Review, was part of the House panel that investigated the Benghazi attacks.

He is opposed to closing Guantanamo bay and just one look at his twitter account will tell you he is vehemently opposed to the Iran deal vowing to roll it back, so let's begin there, we have CNN political commentator and count terrorism analyst Buck Sexton and Kim Dozier is with us as well. So, Kim, let me begin with you, a really impressive resume but limited when it comes to intel. Yes, to the House oversight committee but does that translate when you're talking about the head of the CIA?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Limited resume, yes, but he is known as a bit of a national security geek he gets into these issues and studies them thoroughly. We had reactions this morning from both ends of the spectrum politically from representative Adam Schiff who is the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, knows him well, says he's bright and while they disagree on some issues he expects him to be a good person for this post.

Then you have former CIA director Michael Hayden saying when he heard the news he said OK, that's good, that can work. So, these are two poles of the intelligence community saying this could be the right person to bring the agency into the future whatever future we're facing. We still haven't seen a bunch of policy papers so that part's unclear.

BALDWIN: We have that, let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER HEAD OF THE NSA: Frankly, Michael, when I saw the close I was heartened. This is a serious man who takes these questions seriously and who studies these questions and so my -- like I said, I'm heartened by the choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: You know the intel community, Buck Sexton.

BUCK SEXTON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I worked for Hayden who was also very highly regarded and well respected across the board for being somebody who would dive deep into issues, is quite knowledgeable but was also able to understand the bureaucratic -- the very byzantine ways of the intel community.

Pompeo has a sterling resume, he's more than competent, more than qualified, he brings military service, he'll get respect from the military community. He has a legacy in the private sector as well, he is not a government guy, he has tea party bona fides so the conservative wing of the Republican party that may have its doubts still about Donald Trump will see this as a move in the right direction.

[15:45:00] So there is a lot he shows up with that automatically is good and I think quite honestly, he'll be somebody that a lot of people will find they are able to work with. He has a reputation for being an intellectual and that's not necessarily the case, not what you hear from a lot of people in the intel community when it comes to whom they brief in Congress. He's very well regarded so this is a savvy pick from the Trump transition team.

BALDWIN: Just hearing from Manu Raju who has his ear on The Hill who says in a Republican-controlled Senate he should sail through. Kimberly Dozier, we know he's called Edward Snowden a traitor. You say Pompeo favored continuing with the ACLU calls bulk surveillance. What does this election mean as far as spying in this country? DOZIER: That it could get more aggressive. The signals we've got is

that this administration would probably keep Guantanamo open and start back up with the practice of capturing suspects overseas and bringing them to Guantanamo or other places for interrogation. There's even been word from some quarters that they would bring back enhanced interrogation techniques.

BALDWIN: Waterboarding.

DOZIER: What President Obama has called torture and add that to the mix. So, what you have from the human rights standpoint is a disturbing signal that all the work from the past eight years is about to get undone as they step up a fight anew against various forms of terrorism. One thing I wanted to add is Pompeo is on record saying you shouldn't tar the entire Muslim community with the terrorist suspect brush, so it will be interesting to see him and the national security advisor Mike Flynn work that one out.

BALDWIN: Buck assuming this sails through, again, the Republican- controlled Senate, would that be the biggest concern from the left? Concerns of torture? Concerns of -- we know the President wanted to close Gitmo.

SEXTON: I think you can take enhanced interrogation off the table. I don't think anybody in the intel community is going to do that, to borrow from a former CIA director, if somebody wants that done, even the President, he'll have to do it himself. That's hyperbole or honestly borderline hysteria about that is coming back

BALDWIN: You do?

SEXTON: I don't see that happening at all. On other issues, on the Iran deal, Donald Trump won and now he can put people in place that have grave concerns about things like the Iran nuclear deal, like the way the Obama administration has dealt with the war against the Islamic state. These are things you'll see a more aggressive and robust reaction from the administration right out of the gate, and this could be an important pick in that process. But remember he's going to be an executive branch employee who takes directive from the President. It's not like the secretary of state where there's maneuvering on his own. The CIA director will have to work closely with the White House and I think this is a strong pick.

BALDWIN: Buck, thank you, Kimberly, thank you as well.

We are still waiting for the President-elect to leave Trump Tower. We have cameras positioned there had and at gold elevators.

Also, a police officer meets a young man who walks seven miles each way to work six days a week. How the officer went beyond the call of duty to make a difference in this man's life. We'll end with that. A California police officer and a young driver has changed a life. A police officer found this young man walking two hours to and from his job at a manufacturing warehouse in the dead of night. The officer offered him a ride and ultimately a lifeline. CNN's Dan Simon has more on this heart-warming story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[15:50:00] DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Working the graveyard shift can be lonely for a cop. But on a chilly September night, Benicia police corporal Kirk Keffer would have some company.

CORPORAL KIRK KEFFER, BENICIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: He had a hoodie on. He was dressed all in black.

JOURDAN DUNCAN, YOUNG WALKING 7 MILES TO WORK: I had seen some lights flash at my back.

SIMON: 18-year-old Jourdan had just finished his shift. Did you think this person was up to no good?

KEFFER: Since he was so close to the freeway, I thought he was broke down.

SIMON: Jourdan explained that he was just walking home and left the officer speechless.

KEFFER: He tells me the exact path he takes through our city and it's literally uphill both ways. So, I said if you don't mind, hold on a second. Went over to my front seat, cleared it out and asked if I could give him a ride only. He said you can do that? Yes, I do that.

SIMON: So, it took you two hours each way to get to work?

Duncan: Yes. My car had broke down.

KEFFER: Not to burden other by asking for a ride so he walked seven miles each way six days a week. Most people use that distance and not having a car as an excuse to quit.

SIMON: In the ride home Jourdan shared his dream, to go to college and to become a police officer. The corporal was so struck by the chance encounter, he knew he had to do something to make Jourdan's life a little easier. Getting the car fixed was going to be too expensive, but the corporal had an idea. If four wheels wasn't an option, how about two? So, for $500, the police department bought Jourdan a brand new bike.

KEFFER: He was speechless. He kind of said just all this for walking. I'm like but it's so much more than that. You're not putting obstacles in front of you, you're getting your job done. That's impressive.

DUNCAN: Words couldn't explain how flabbergasted I was.

SIMON: But that was just the beginning. The corporal and his colleagues have launched a fund to help pay for Jourdan's college and maybe a new car as well. In the meantime, the bike will do just fine.

[15:55:00] DUNCAN: I just treasure the bike. It's never been dirty before. How awesome. The go fund me page by the way set up for Jourdan has raised more than $19,000. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: And on this Friday, I going to give you a little special picture here. Do we have the inside picture? This is the outside of Trump tower. We're watching to see the President-elect take off.

Voting is now under way for the CNN Hero of the Year. Here's one of the top ten finalists, Sheldon Smith, who's helping break the cycle of absentee fathers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHELDON SMITH, DOVETAIL PROJECT, BREAKING CYCLE OF ABSENTEE FATHERS: Being a dad has taught me to overcome because I didn't have any father figure around that fatherhood doesn't come with a map. Fatherhood doesn't come from a manual. Sometimes you can learn from others or learn on the fly.

My son won't have to go through what I went through. 70 percent of African American children grow up in single-parent

households. What I wanted to do was figure out how to provide these men with the skills and tools they need to stay involved in their children's life and really children. My goal at the end of the day when I started the Dovetail Project was to right the cycle because I grew up in a community where a lot of the young men faced the same issues that I was facing.

No one was doing anything about it. There aren't too many places where a father can go and get the help and support that he actually needs. Being able to have those resources that you actually need in order to make an impact on your child's life, like employment or some type of assistance, is key and very important. And I really wanted to be the person who built the hub for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: It is so special to hear all of these amazing stories. Please, you can vote for Sheldon or any of the top ten CNN heroes. Just go to cnnheroes.com. Have wonderful week. Stay right here, we're going to go to Washington.