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New Day Sunday

Miami Beach Declares State Of Emergency Over Spring Break Crowds; U.S. Air Travel Continues To Set Pandemic Records; First Case Of Brazilian Variant Discovered In New York; Pentagon Works To Combat Vaccine Hesitancy In The Military; Asian-American Communities On Edge After Deadly Shootings; CNN Projects: Letlow Wins Louisiana Fifth Congressional District Seat; More Than 5,000 Unaccompanied Migrant Children In Custody; Award Winning Photographer: Zero Access At Border Is Unprecedented. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired March 21, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:20]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York State has identified its first case of the P1 variant.

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It's really quite resistant to the kind of natural immunity that you get from having had the disease.

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The mayor announcing a curfew in the South Beach entertainment district.

MAYOR DAN GELBER (D), MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA: Too many of the people that are coming are really coming with a desire to just let loose and go off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is this hesitancy to call a crime a hate crime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We definitely don't want people to target us because of our looks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope that this experience allows more people to stand up for us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Biden administration is using a convention center in Dallas to begin to accommodate the number of children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border alone.

JULIAN CASTRO, FORMER HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY: I believe it's a challenge that is being managed.

GOV. DOUG DUCEY (R-AZ): I have been governor under three presidents, and this is by far the worst situation we've seen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Good morning to all of you in Atlanta who are waking up and wherever you might happen to be this morning. We're always just grateful to have you with us in the morning on this Sunday, March 21st. I'm Christi Paul.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Boris Sanchez in for Victor Blackwell today coming to you from the nation's Capitol. Christi, always great to be with you.

PAUL: Good to see you, too, Boris

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

PAUL: I know second day waking up at this hour. It is something, isn't it?

SANCHEZ: I'm getting used to it little by little.

PAUL: You got to have to get used to it, as you know. So, listen, we do want to start with what's happening down south, a state of emergency in Miami Beach. Overnight, police used pepper balls to break up what the mayor called overwhelming crowds. Take a look at this. We know at least a dozen people were arrested as police moved to enforce this 8:00 p.m. curfew they have established.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Look, there was violence and vandalism on South Beach, people in large crowds acting recklessly, and that kind of careless abandon is adding to fear that we could soon be heading for another COVID spike. Yesterday, the United States recording more than 52,000 new coronavirus cases. Nationwide, new infections seemed to be holding steady in a sort of plateau.

PAUL: Right. Right. And we do know right now, nearly 80 million Americans have had at least one COVID-19 shot. More than 43 million are fully vaccinated.

SANCHEZ: And Dr. Anthony Fauci says that while the U.K. variant likely accounts for up to 30 percent of the cases that we're seeing, the good news is is that vaccines do appear to protect against it.

PAUL: Yes. CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro is following the latest on the pandemic. So, it seems that more people, Evan, are starting to let their guard down. But what are you hearing?

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Well, this is the challenge, Christi. We're dealing with a situation now where we're seeing vaccine availability, we're seeing states loosen some restrictions because of that vaccine availability. But, you know, loosening doesn't mean getting rid of. And it really is important that people still stay focused on just how serious this pandemic is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Another pandemic record-breaking air travel day in America on Friday. More than 1.4 million people screened by the TSA in U.S. airports. That's a record since this pandemic began and the ninth straight day of more than a million fliers. So it seems at least some people in America are ready to get back to normal. But the coronavirus is still presenting challenges. Spring break declared a state of emergency in Miami Beach. The mayor announcing a curfew in the South Beach entertainment district and a block on incoming traffic on multiple causeways at night. The crowds are just too big he says.

GELBER: It feels like a rock concert, wall-to-wall people over blocks and blocks. Last night somebody shot a weapon up in the air, and there was a riot. Other things have happened that are similarly challenging. And so it feels like a tinder, it feels like just any match could set it off.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Signs all over the country that crowds during this pandemic are still dangerous. In Idaho, a legislative session shut down and postponed after an outbreak among lawmakers and staff. Undergraduate students at Duke University may be finally coming out of the stay in place order prompted by a surge in cases. But indoor dining still banned and students still on travel restrictions. The fear among experts remains the spread of variants across the country.

DR. CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I am worried. Many of us are worried, and this is something that we have been warning about for the last several months.

[06:05:02]

And I am concerned now 20 to 30 percent of cases of COVID in the United States are this new U.K. variant. And we very much are on track for that to be the dominant strain here in the United States within a couple of weeks here.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: New York already dealing with the variant first identified in the U.K. On Saturday, the state reported it first case of the variant first seen in Brazil. Keeping the variants in check requires getting more Americans vaccinated fast.

On Saturday, the CDC announced more than 79 million people in America have received at least one dose. New York, like a lot of states, vowing to expand eligibility for the vaccine soon. Experts say Americans need to get it as soon as they can.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So I'm here outside the Javits Center, one of the massive vaccine sites in New York City. And we're hoping to see big crowds here today because that's what we need according to experts to keep these variants in check. But they're very much here with us and that requires vigilance and diligence about all the rules we have all been gotten used to over the past year trying to keep this virus from spreading -- Boris and Christi.

SANCHEZ: Yes. You can't let up so close to the end of this thing. Evan McMorris-Santoro, thanks so much for that report.

Even as millions of Americans line up to get vaccinated Pentagon leaders say they are trying to convince a high number of skeptical U.S. service members to take the vaccine.

PAUL: Yes. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more on the measures that the Pentagon is taking now to convince people the vaccines are safe and effective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the military's newest battlefield --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can roll up your sleeve for me, sir.

LIEBERMANN: -- success is measured in doses. Each needle a precision weapon from pharmaceutical companies instead of defense contractors.

LT. COM. JULIA CHERINGAL, NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER PORTSMOUTH: We have a vaccine. We have a tool. We have a manner in which we can help stop this pandemic in its tracks, but not everybody feels comfortable receiving the vaccination.

LIEBERMANN: Specialist Carol Gotte of the Maryland National Guard, a health care worker herself wasn't sure she would get the vaccine.

SPC. CAROL GOTTE, MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD: I was hesitant at first mainly because of how quickly they put the vaccine out. There were really no studies on the long-term effects of the vaccine. So that had me kind of concerned.

LIEBERMANN: It was concern for her family that brought her around, but that hesitation is not uncommon.

SGT. CHAZZ KIBLER, MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD: There were times where the thoughts crept in, I could possibly die from getting this vaccine. Maybe I shouldn't get it. And I was just talking to medical experts in my organization, people -- reputable people, they put me at ease, and they ultimately helped me turn around my decision.

LIEBERMANN: Other service members still have their fears and concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine. One soldier who spoke with CNN on condition of anonymity said, "My fear is reacting poorly to the vaccine or having a dangerous reaction that puts me out of commission or messes with my body too much. I understand the virus can do the exact same thing."

The military estimates 2/3 of service members eligible for the vaccine have accepted it but the number may be even lower. At Fort Bragg, an army base with about 57,000 military personnel, the acceptance rate is just below 60 percent, an army official said. In the Washington National Guard, it's 39 percent. And in the Nebraska National Guard, it's down to 30 percent.

Two military health care sources who spoke with CNN say they are seeing an opt in rate of closer to 50 percent in the regions they cover, a domestic military base and an overseas command. And as you go down the tiers from first responders to the general military population the sources say the acceptance rate goes down. GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN (RET.), U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I wanted to speak to you today about the coronavirus.

LIEBERMANN: Military leaders have held virtual town halls to answer questions, promoted vaccination safety and availability.

LT. GEN. RONALD PLACE, DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY: Speaking as a physician, the safety and effectiveness of the approved vaccines is exceptional. And every passing week the evidence only grows stronger.

LIEBERMANN: But on social media, these posts have become havens for misinformation and conspiracy theories.

CAPT. KARL KRONMANN, NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER PORTSMOUTH: I think that is a huge battle. It's almost harder to fight some of these misinformation that come from out of the blue.

LIEBERMANN: At the moment, demand is far outpacing supply.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone is coming in (INAUDIBLE) they want to get.

LIEBERMANN: And defense officials say they expect the acceptance rate to go up, but it will take time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN: There are two opposing trends here to watch moving forward. As you go down in tiers of vaccination from 1A the most urgent vaccination like health care workers and emergency personnel down toward the general population, one of our military health care sources says the refusal rate goes up.

On the flip side, as the vaccine is out there longer, it becomes more widespread, and troops see their peers getting it, as well as fears of long-term effects subsiding, officials expect the acceptance rate, the take rate for the vaccine will go up eventually. The issue is this isn't an eventually problem, it's a right now problem.

[06:10:02]

Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.

SANCHEZ: Oren, thank you for that report. We should point out the military can't force service members to take the vaccine because it only has an emergency use authorization from the FDA. And that means that while service members are required to get other vaccines, they do have the option of declining this one.

PAUL: Let's talk to CNN contributor Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about this. He's an epidemiologist and public health expert. Dr. El-Sayed, so good to see you. I want to ask you first of all about what we just saw there in Oren's piece. I mean, the expeditious nature of this vaccine, the uncertainty of, you know, what could be lingering in it for years, and what it could do to your body, they're valid concerns. EL-SAYED: Look, we know that vaccine hesitancy is -- has been and will continue to be one of the biggest challenges to beating this pandemic. The fewer people who take it, the lesser our probability of getting to that level of herd immunity, community immunity that ultimately reduces the spread and ends this pandemic. At the same time, I think Oren was entirely right that over time as people are seeing their friends, their loved ones, people that they respect, getting this vaccine, their hesitancy is going to continue to decline.

The good news here, though, is that more and more people are seeing that, and were recognizing that as the risk of another surge goes up and we're seeing more and more transmission, the demand for getting a virus -- I mean, to be getting a vaccine is going up as well. And so hopefully people will catch up. They'll get the vaccines that are available to them. It is key for us when it comes to ending this pandemic.

PAUL: I want to show you some picture of what we're seeing out of Miami overnight. People clearly breaking the curfew that's been set there. I mean, we haven't seen pictures of crowds like this, I guess, since summer probably. And there have always been questions, when we have seen this many people in close contact like that.

I'm wondering when you look at those pictures, would you be as concerned about the spread when you see the spring breakers, if not for the variants? How much do they play a role in your concern when you see pictures like this?

EL-SAYED: Look, it is entirely about the variants, right? Right now, it seems that people have taken a cue from elected officials who are telling us that this pandemic is over -- fully reopening for business, meanwhile, B.1.1.7 and two variants of concerns, both in California and in New York and New Jersey, the Tristate area, are starting to spread. And in Florida, B.1.1.7 has really been spreading quickly. It's one of the B.1.1.7 hot zones.

And just because the vaccines are on their way, it doesn't mean that they're here. If you look at the demographic of most of the people who are out, they're not the demographic of people who have received their vaccines just yet. And so I think people are taking a false sense of security from the fact that vaccines are on their way, and yet they're not there.

They only work when they hit arms. And they just haven't hit enough arms to really protect us from the spread of these variants, and every day that the variants spread, it makes it more and more likely that we may see the evolution of a variant that could potentially slip immunity that comes from these vaccines. So it really is a dangerous circumstance.

PAUL: Let me ask you about the Brazilian variant that has showed up now, the first case in New York City that is being reported. Most of the doctors that we have talked to over the last several months have said this Brazilian variant is the one that they are most concerned about. Do you agree with that, and what is it specifically about that variant that is of such concern? EL-SAYED: I do agree, and it's the origin story of this variant. This variant it emerged in a town called Manaus, Brazil, a place where 76 percent of people had already had COVID-19. So that tells us is that this variant has fully slipped the kind of immunity that you get after you have gotten the disease. It is not resistant to vaccine immunity, but it is resistant to natural immunity among people who already gotten it.

So that tells us that it's really advanced when it comes to its ability to slip immunity, and basically renders all the people who have already gotten COVID-19 and therefore have some level of immunity. It renders their immunity relatively inert, and that is a real concern. So the fact that we're seeing it pop up and spread in a community way across the United States should be concerning to everybody.

PAUL: OK. You said -- just to clarify you said it's resistant to both the vaccine and to people who have already had it?

EL-SAYED: No, only to people who have already had it.

PAUL: OK.

EL-SAYED: There is still a level of resistance for people who have had a vaccine but not people who have gotten the virus already.

PAUL: OK. Just wanted to clarify that. Thank you so much. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, always good to have you here.

EL-SAYED: Thank you for having me.

PAUL: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: The daughter of a Georgia spa owner gunned down during last week's spa shootings recalls a day she will never forget.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMI WEBB, XIAOJIE TAN'S DAUGHTER: I was just hoping that it was not my mom, it was not my mom.

[06:15:03]

So I was having this hope that maybe my mom got shot, and somewhere else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, how the family Xiaojie Tan is defending the legitimacy of her business.

PAUL: Also more and more migrant children are left unaccompanied. We're talking with an award-winning photographer who says the White House is blocking him as well as other journalists from capturing what's really happening at the U.S.-Mexico border right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: There were calls for justice and an end to violence against Asian Americans across the United States this weekend after that deadly shooting rampage in Atlanta. Eight people were killed in three shootings. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent.

PAUL: Now investigators haven't characterized the killings as a hate crime but a relative of one of the victims says it was a massacre.

[06:20:03]

CNN's Natasha Chen reports.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christi, the four victims here in Atlanta were identified as being of Korean descent by the South Korean foreign ministry. One of them, a South Korean citizen with U.S. permanent residency and the other three believed to be Americans of Korean descent.

Now up in Cherokee County at that spa location, one of the victims was Xiaojie Tan and I had the opportunity to sit down with her daughter and ex-husband to talk about who Tan was and how they found out about her death.

A very heartbreaking story, Tan really built the American dream for herself. She came from China first becoming a nail technician in Florida, working her way into owning some businesses. First one spa and then a second one. And she seemed to be somebody who always worked so hard, sometimes seven days a week, saving money and made quite the impression as such a friendly person to her customers and fellow business owners nearby.

I want to show you something that her daughter said about the experience of Tuesday and what it was like waiting for the news of her mother. And then after you hear from Jami, you'll hear from Michael Webb, her ex-husband, talking about how fiercely Tan defended the legitimacy of her business.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMI WEBB: I was just hoping that it was not my mom, it was not my mom. So I was having this hope that maybe my mom got shot, and somewhere else, like maybe on the arm, or on somewhere that it wouldn't be, like, took her life away.

MICHAEL WEBB, XIAOJIE TAN'S FORMER HUSBAND: She never knows what goes on behind closed doors. She made sure that she trained them. They had meetings every week. They had signage. She didn't allow locks on the doors. She wanted to know where her employees were, who the customers were.

She used to tell me a lot of times she would throw customers out because they would come in and think that they could have sex. And she said, get out of my business. You know, and she would throw them out. And so, you know, she was -- she was a -- she was a strong mother hen over that business and the people that worked there. She protected it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: I also asked them how they felt about hate crime, a hate crime being added to the murder charges, whether that makes a difference to them since that's being debated so heatedly. Michael said that he really would like the police and authorities to complete their investigation and have them be the people who decide that.

Jami did tell me that she understands where the Asian American community is coming from and their fear and anxiety, but again, they would like to let the authorities do their job without making a judgment ahead of time, Boris and Christi.

PAUL: Natasha, thank you so much. And be sure to watch CNN tomorrow night. We have an in-depth discussion about the "FEAR IN AMERICA'S COMMUNITIES OF COLOR." That's at 9:00 p.m. Monday night right here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: As the United States sees a surge of migrants along the southern border, journalists say they are not being allowed to fully capture the reality of what is happening. We'll introduce you to one photographer who says he feels like the paparazzi in his own country. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:55]

PAUL: Twenty-seven minutes past the hour. Always glad to have you with us here.

We have some new for you this morning news, results from two critical elections in Louisiana. CNN is projecting Julia Letlow will be the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana. Just three and a half month ago her husband Luke won the election for Louisiana's Fifth District but he died from COVID complications before he was sworn in. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy congratulated the congresswoman -- Congresswoman-elect Letlow on Twitter. Backing from him and former President Trump helped her beat a field of 11 other candidates.

Now in Louisiana's Second Congressional District CNN projects Democrats Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson will advance to a runoff on April 24th. The winner will fill the seat vacated by Democrat Cedric Richmond who resigned in January to join the Biden administration.

SANCHEZ: Now to the growing surge of migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border, more than 5,000 unaccompanied children are currently in Customs and Border Patrol custody including hundreds detained in just the last few days. And the sudden spike is overwhelming resources causing overcrowding and reportedly even unsanitary conditions.

Democratic senator from Connecticut Chris Murphy tweeting out -- quote -- "Just left the border processing facility, hundreds of kids packed into big open rooms. In a corner, I fought back tears as a 13-year-old girl sobbed uncontrollably, explaining thru a translator how terrified she was having been separated from her grandmother and without her parents."

Senator Murphy was part of a tour led by the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, were relying partly on the words of politicians to understand what's happening inside these facilities because journalists were not allowed on that tour.

Joining us this morning to discuss how the Biden administration is handling immigration, is White House correspondent and associate editor for "Politico," Anita Kumar. Anita, thanks so much for joining us and sharing part of your Sunday with us. I want to start with this limited press access.

[06:30:02]

No press or cameras were allowed on that tour of the facility that Senator Murphy was on. Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary saying that that was for privacy reasons.

Have you gotten a sense from your sources that this approach from the White House may soon change?

ANITA KUMAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Well, they've been telling us over and over again for weeks now that they would have some more information indicating that it might change, but so far it hasn't. And you're seeing a lot of reporters and photojournalists who have been on previous tours for previous presidents haven't gone in, and this is the first time that they haven't been allowed in.

That includes during the Trump administration. Remember, President Trump wanted people to see what the conditions were like because he was trying to deter people from coming over. The Biden administration is saying it's privacy but they're also saying there are COVID reasons for it. So, we've heard both of those reasons and we do not know when that will dissipate.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I should point out. We're going to continue the conversation about press access with our next guest, so I want to pivot because it's notable that Senator Murphy in later tweets put the onus on the White House to fix the problems at the Southern Border, though he did play blame the previous administration for exacerbating those problems.

From what I've seen, he's one of very few prominent Democrats to call out the White House. Do you expect more will start making their voices heard?

KUMAR: I do think there'll be more as, you know, other senators visit the facilities and begin to talk about what's going on and hold hearings. So, Senator Murphy obviously went on this tour. It was a bipartisan tour as we see some others come out and talk -- you know, visit we'll hear them talk about it.

But look, remember, this is something that Republicans have indicated is going to be a Midterm Election issue 2022. So, the Democrats have to figure out what that message is right now. And so far, there's been bipartisan criticism on the Trump -- on the Biden administration about what to do about this, about these conditions. So, they're going to have to figure out what that message is.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I'm glad you mentioned that specific angle. Thursday the White House or rather the House passed two immigration bills. One of them provided a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, the other one permitting farmworkers and their families to ultimately earn legal status.

As we look at these bills and we ponder whether the Senate will even take them up, in a realistic way, what is the incentive for Senate Republicans to actually vote on these bills or any other immigration bills as they try to regain the majority next year?

KUMAR: Yes. This is going to be tough. I mean, it was always going to be tough. But what you're hearing now from Republicans on the Hill is that they're saying look, we're not going to -- we're not going to take these up until you get the border under control. This is exactly what President Biden's allies had worried about.

They -- as this border situation has flared up, they were worried that Republicans would have no incentive to do this both for political reasons and other reasons. So, that's exactly what we're seeing. We saw Lindsey Graham telling my colleague on the Hill uh that he wasn't going to vote for his own -- he wouldn't vote for his own bill on this until the border situation is under control.

Other senators like Mitt Romney of Utah or Susan Collins of Maine who might be likely to go for something like this have indicated they wouldn't even go for these piecemeal bills until they can see some action on the border.

SANCHEZ: Yes. It's tragic that for almost a generation now, it's been too politically expedient for either side to agree to an immigration deal because they feel like it's an issue that helps them win elections. Anita Kumar, we have to leave the conversation there. Thank you so much for your time.

And you'll hear directly from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He's joining Dana Bash on "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning at 9 00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Do not miss that.

PAUL: And Boris, to that conversation you were just having, stop blocking media access is the direct message from an award-winning photographer who's trying to capture what's going on at the border right now. His work includes this emotional photo. I know you're going to remember it.

This is from 2018. He got up close for this moment. This two-year-old girl just sobbing while her mother was searched and they were both detained in McAllen, Texas. Well, now I want to show you some of these photographs from recent days. They're still striking, certainly.

He says they had to be taken with a long lens from the Mexican side of the border. He tweeted, I've photographed CBP under Bush, Obama, and Trump, but now zero access is granted to media. Until now, U.S. journalists haven't needed to stand in another country to photograph what's happening in the United States.

His name is John Moore. He is with us now, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, special correspondent for Getty Images. John we so -- we appreciate the work you do. I mean, you move people with the with the images that you bring us. And I know that right at this moment, you're comparing -- you're comparing what your work is like to having to be "a paparazzi" in your own country. Help us understand what directive did you get from the -- from the U.S. government about access.

[06:35:22]

JOHN MOORE, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, GETTY IMAGES: Well, good morning, Christi. The border has really been closed on the American side to photojournalist. Customs and Border Protection, they have just been a blanket statement, not allowed anyone to come in and photograph their operations.

As you mentioned, this is a great departure from every other previous administration in modern U.S. history. We've always been given access. Now, the main reason they're saying is because of COVID restrictions. I think by now we know how this disease is transmitted. We've seen large congressional delegations come together, travel in vehicles, wear masks, see facilities.

I think probably CBP could handle a single photojournalist or a team of journalists together and still be able to have protection for their agents especially considering those agents are around so many immigrants, many of whom are already sick.

And so, yes, I'm having to stand up oftentimes across the border in Mexico to photograph with a long lens on what's happening on the U.S. side. And typically, that's not the way I like to work. I want to be up close. I want to see what's happening. I think it's possible to give immigrants respect and show them with dignity and not interfere with CBP operations and tell the story in ways we always have before.

PAUL: To your point about the delegations, I want to read something, another tweet from senator Chris Murphy who also again, as Boris had cited, had taken -- had been one of these delegations that had taken a tour of the facilities. He said, "I think the press should have some access, yes, but not unfettered. Enough for accurate reporting on conditions which are challenging but improving but not so much to disrupt the already tumultuous lives of these children."

So, you touched on it a minute ago, but when you've got delegations of congressmen and women, you know, lawmakers who are going down to the border to take a tour, particularly of the El Paso processing center. Is being a photographer -- help us understand the difference between that and being a photographer and disrupting these children who already clearly are in situations that are emotional -- make them emotionally fragile.

MOORE: Well, I think senator murphy was speaking specifically on the detention facilities. And photojournalists generally have not had as much access to detention centers as we have to the field operations. Usually, when I'm photographing with the Border Patrol or Air and Marine which flies over and it supports Border Patrol on the ground usually I'm photographing sometimes from a distance, sometimes up close.

But typically, we're allowed to uh take pictures of people when they're being detained. And that's very different than once they're in a facility itself in which case they're given much more privacy once they're in detention.

And so, there's also ways to photograph children in detention so their faces are not shown. And of course, we want to be respectful. I usually talk to immigrants briefly before I photograph them. I try to get some of their story and bring them into the process of the coverage that I'm doing so that they know that I'm not just there snapping pictures, I'm actually there trying to tell their story. And people want their stories to be told.

PAUL: John, your work is really extraordinary. And because of that, I want to go back to the picture that captured so much attention in 2018, that little girl again standing by her mother. I think that there's an innate human condition in all of us to want to make things better for these children we see. I mean, I know for myself and I think for other parents, we just kind of want to rush into that picture and hold her and tell her it's going to be OK.

But the thing that's so unique about you is you're right there. I mean, you are seeing these moments as they happen. Do you ever have to fight that urge? We know that you can't reach out, but do you ever have to fight that urge to do so and try to give an encouraging word? And that's got to be hard.

MOORE: It's certainly very difficult. In the case of that photograph, it happened very quickly. It was at the end of the day I'd been able to speak to the mother briefly. Yes, as a father myself, I wanted to reach out and hold her.

But you know, my role is to document. She was not in danger at that time, but showing what it was like for people to go into the zero tolerance system at the time of the Trump administration was really my mission there. And sometimes you have to bear down and think about your work and the importance of what you do in that moment.

And you know, I was glad to see that she and her mother were able to go into the asylum system where they could -- they could ask for asylum through the courts and proceed as they had wanted when they came up. For many immigrants right now, they are being turned away at the border because of COVID restrictions. It's called title 42, where many people are being turned away and deported almost immediately.

The situation is very fluid on the ground. There's people coming into the country, people being sent out. It's a complicated situation. And anyone who tries to simplify it is doing a disservice to the story.

[06:40:52] PAUL: John Moore, you are doing really important work. We appreciate you taking time to talk to us. Best of luck to you. We'll continue to watch what you -- what you produce because it is -- it's breathtaking at the end of the day for many, many reasons. John, thank you. And for more, you can check out his book Undocumented Immigration and the Militarization of the U.S. Mexico Border.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:00]

SANCHEZ: The IRS now says there's no guarantee that the payments coming from the expanded child tax credit will begin when they were expected in July.

PAUL: Yes. CNN's Alison Kosik explains why the deposit may be delayed.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Christi and Boris. A heads up from the IRS that it may not be able to start sending child tax credit payments on July 1st as called for in the $1.9 trillion relief law. The IRS has a lot on its plate. The agency commissioner telling lawmakers it's struggling to juggle the traditional tax season, the $1,400 stimulus payments and other demands that the massive new relief package has placed on the agency.

Part of the time drain, the extra task of creating a portal to allow the IRS to send the enhanced child tax credit to families periodically instead of in one lump sum at tax time. The idea there making it easier for parents to use the funds to cover their expenses during the year.

The enhanced portion of the credit will be available for single parents with annual incomes up to $75,000 and joint filers making up to $150,000 a year. Families receive a credit of $3,600 for each child under six and $3,000 for each one under age 18.

One of the key changes, the tax credit is fully refundable so that more low-income parents can take advantage of it. The law also gives some help to laid-off workers who could have been faced with surprise tax bills on their jobless benefits.

For those who received unemployment benefits last year, the law waives income taxes on up to $10,200 in benefits for households earning less than $150,000. The IRS believes it will be able to automatically issue refunds in this case.

And more good news. Because of the COVID crisis and all of the provisions in the relief bill, the IRS has pushed the tax filing deadline to May 17th from April 15th, giving you more time to work on your federal tax return. But that doesn't necessarily mean your state is giving you more time. So, check with your state tax agency for the detail on when your state tax return is due. Christi and Boris?

SANCHEZ: Alison Kosik, thank you for that. Devastated is the word used by the team that's going home after their

March Madness game was canceled because of COVID-19. Why it could spell bigger trouble for the NCAA tournament. Sports is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

PAUL: So, a big disappointment yesterday. The NCAA was forced to call off last night's game between VCU and Oregon after VCU had multiple positive COVID tests. Yes, Andy Scholes joins us live this morning from Indianapolis. Andy, we knew that this was potentially a risk going into this tournament.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Boris and Christi. You know, the NCAA was really hoping to avoid this scenario. They had set up a controlled environment with very strict protocols here in Indianapolis trying to keep COVID from disrupting this tournament.

But VCU head coach Mike Rhoades, he says his team had multiple positive COVID-19 tests over the last couple of days due to contact tracing the team. It didn't even have five players who could play so they were forced to withdraw from the tournament, which means Oregon moves on.

The decision came just hours before tip-off and it was definitely hard for the Rams players and staff to swallow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE RHOADES, HEAD COACH, VCU: It was devastating. It was heartbreaking. Not a lot of no dry eyes. This is what you dream of as a college player and a coach. And to get it taken away like this is -- it's just -- it's a heartbreaking moment in their -- in their young lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHOLES: All right, now out of the millions of brackets that were filled out, there are now zero perfect ones left after two more huge upsets last night. A big one coming at the hands of Abilene Christian. Texas was up by one when ACU Joe Pleasant gets fouled on the putback with 1.2 seconds to go.

Shaka Smart couldn't believe it. Pleasant hits both of the free throws. The Longhorns had a last chance but it gets picked off. This truly was David versus Goliath in the state of Texas. 14th seat Abilene Christian getting their first-ever tournament win knocking out three-seat Texas.

And the roller coaster tournament trips continuing for Virginia. They were knocked out last night by 13th seat Ohio. The Cavaliers won it all in 2019. The year before that, they were the first-ever one-seat to lose to a 16 seat. And now they're out again in round one. The team did arrive late to Indy after dealing with COVID-19 issues during the ACC tournament.

All right, meanwhile, the women getting new gym equipment in San Antonio following backlash over the lack of amenities they had compared to the men. Ahead of their opener tonight, Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer she ripped into the NCAA. In a statement released last night, the winningest coach in women's college basketball history said in part, "A lot of what we all seen this week is evidence of blatant sexism. This is purposeful and hurtful.

I feel betrayed by the NCAA The message being sent to female athletes and around the world is that you are not valued the same as your male counterparts. This is wrong and unacceptable. Let's fix this once and for all." It's quite the strong statement there, guys. The women's tournament, it tips off later on today this afternoon there in Texas. The men get going with round two as well.

[06:55:43]

SANCHEZ: That was a really strong statement. Andy Scholes from Indianapolis, thanks so much.

NEW DAY will be right back in a moment.