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privacy and security. but alfredo began his journey to the u.s. from venezuela months ago, walking by foot through eight different countries to reach the american border in texas. >> can you first tell me why you left venezuela? >> [interpreter] i worked with the government of venezuela, and a witness the government do things i don't think it had to do. and i denounced them. and that caused me problems. and i had to rush out of the country in fear of my life. the venezuelan government was going to take my life. [end of translation] >> alfredo says the pastor jungles with snakes and crocodiles. he said he saw the bodies of women with their children, and bodies with their elderly. the journey was so harrowing, he says, that if someone like broke they might not survive it. along the way, alfredo claims he was shot at in honduras, and robbed by police in mexico. by his estimation, he walked for 40 days. this is some of the footage from his journey. he got soars all over his legs
and feet. as a diabetic, he had to inject himself with insulin, which he carried throughout his journey. there were moments, he told me, when he thought he would die. i asked alfredo about his experience when he finally arrived in the u.s., at one of the detention centers in governor abbott's state of texas. >> what i [interpreter] don't like to talk about politics. but that man is a bad person, because he treats us that. he put us in a refrigerator, with -- take or documents and take everything from us. to me, he is a bad person. god forgive me. what i am saying is, i can't talk about politics, but that man, the position he has, he does not deserve. because you just not treat immigrants well. >> alfredo is soon swept up in governor abbott's political stunt. he's placed on a bus bound for vice president harris's residence. i do you know about why you were sent to the vice president 's home? >> because the governor of texas does not like venezuelans. and he put them on buses. we were made to ride 40 hours without being able to use the
restroom or without anything. he doesn't want anyone to stay in texas. what he wants to get them out of the state and he sent us to washington d. c.. >> did someone tell you you would meet the vice president? what did you they tell you when you got on the bus? >> no, they never told me i was going to meet the vice president. but they brought me from texas to d. c., which was 40 hours of travel and i thought, and my friend -- but who met us was a charity group, and they took us there. >> alfredo dozens of men, women and children were dropped off outside the u.s. naval observatory hat on, announcing what they were there to greet them. they stood out there holding the few belongings they brought with him. after local charities and volunteers scramble to make last-minute arrangements, they ended up at the local church. eventually, those charities bought alfredo a ticket to new york city, where he thought he might be better off. when alfredo arrived at the port authority, and new york city three weeks ago, he was greeted by members of an aide who called tlc, a grassroots organization that has been receiving the asylum seeker and helping them get set up. alfredo is now staying at one of the city run homeless shelters, where he has met
have got it gotten this far, which is basically nothing. but that as well might be a pretty big risk for these migrants. because they are paid off the books. and historically, migrants have been victims of wage theft while working on recovery efforts. and alfredo, having been through this just extraordinary ordeal, aware of the degree to which his life has become part of a sikh political stunt -- he chose not to go down to florida. >> why didn't you go to florida? >> [interpreter] because in reality my destination was new york. i know they are working too, but me, i thought these might have been fake people that would put me to work and then possibly not pay me and exploit my work. that is what i thought. >> even in the best-case scenario here, the migrants are actually able to get paid for their work rebuilding the state of florida, there's still a potentially massive legal concern. many are awaiting immigration court dates here in new york that will determine when they can legally work in the u.s..
friend -- but who met us was a charity group, and they took us there. >> alfredo dozens of men, women and children were dropped off outside the u.s. naval observatory hat on, announcing what they were there to greet them. they stood out there holding the few belongings they brought with him. after local charities and volunteers scramble to make last-minute arrangements, they ended up at the local church. eventually, those charities bought alfredo a ticket to new york city, where he thought he might be better off. when alfredo arrived at the port authority, and new york city three weeks ago, he was greeted by members of an aide who called tlc, a grassroots organization that has been receiving the asylum seeker and helping them get set up. alfredo is now staying at one of the city run homeless shelters, where he has met other migrants like him, who fled to the country to escape violence and persecution.
chaos. even florida governor ron desantis has joined in on the game, flying about 50 migrants to martha's vineyard with no notice. for people who have watched all this from afar, it has become a national outrage. but despite that -- despite the strain on city systems -- and the legal challenges and the calls for federal investigations, and just a staggering cruelty of this whole thing, these republican political stunts are not slowing down. just yesterday, another bus carrying about 50 migrants from texas arrived outside of vice president kamala harris is d.c. residents. that's the second time in a month. in september, a bus carrying about 100 asylum seekers and migrants stopped outside of her house. today, we spoke to one of the man who is on one of those first buses in september. his name is alfredo. we are not reporting his full name for the sake of his privacy and security. but alfredo began his journey to the u.s. from venezuela months ago, walking by foot through eight different countries to reach the american
women with their children, and bodies with their elderly. the journey was so harrowing, he says, that if someone like broke they might not survive it. along the way, alfredo claims he was shot at in honduras, and robbed by police in mexico. by his estimation, he walked for 40 days. this is some of the footage from his journey. he got soars all over his legs and feet. as a diabetic, he had to inject himself with insulin, which he carried throughout his journey. there were moments, he told me, when he thought he would die. i asked alfredo about his experience when he finally arrived in the u.s., at one of the detention centers in governor abbott's state of texas. >> what i [interpreter] don't like to talk about politics. but that man is a bad person, because he treats us that. he put us in a refrigerator, with -- take or documents and take everything from us. to me, he is a bad person.
border in texas. >> can you first tell me why you left venezuela the? >> [interpreter] i worked with the government of venezuela, and a witness the government do things i don't think it had to do. and i denounced them. and that caused me problems. and i had to rush out of the country in fear of my life. the venezuelan government was going to take my life. [end of translation] >> alfredo says the pastor jungles with snakes and crocodiles. he said he saw the bodies of women with their children, and bodies with their elderly. the journey was so harrowing, he says, that if someone like broke they might not survive it. along the way, alfredo claims he was shot at in honduras, and robbed by police in mexico. by his estimation, he walked for 40 days. this is some of the footage from his journey. he got soars all over his legs and feet. as a diabetic, he had to inject himself with insulin, which he carried throughout his journey. there were moments, he told me, when he thought he would die. i asked alfredo about his
and historically, migrants have been victims of wage theft while working on recovery efforts. and alfredo, having been through this just extraordinary ordeal, aware of the degree to which his life has become part of a sikh political stunt -- he chose not to go down to florida. >> why didn't you go to florida? >> [interpreter] because in reality my destination was new york. i know they are working too, but me, i thought these might have been fake people that would put me to work and then possibly not pay me and exploit my work. that is what i thought. >> even in the best-case scenario here, the migrants are actually able to get paid for their work rebuilding the state of florida, there's still a potentially massive legal concern. many are awaiting immigration court dates here in new york that will determine when they can legally work in the u.s.. an off the books job could end in deportation. working in another part of the country might be missing that court date here in new york, which could also end deportation. >> so, now you are separated
this twisted saga could end here. and it would be overwhelming. but in the last week, a new chapter has unfolded. alfredo says that he and other migrants staying at that shelter have been asked by an undisclosed third-party to help repair hurricane damage in the state of florida. governor ron desantis's state -- americans have a long history of migrants leading cleanup efforts after natural disasters. but it has not had a long history of migrants being used as political pawns by governors in states that later need the help of those very same political ponce. alfredo says many of his friends agreed to travel to florida after they were offered $15 an hour plus housing, and three meals a day, we've sounds a lot better than what they have got it gotten this far, which is basically nothing. but that as well might be a pretty big risk for these migrants. because they are paid off the books. and historically, migrants have been victims of wage theft while working on recovery efforts. and alfredo, having been through this just extraordinary ordeal, aware of the degree to which his life has become part of a sick political stunt -- he chose not to go down to florida. >> why didn't you go to florida? >> [interpreter] because in reality my destination was new york. i know they are working too, but me, i thought these might have been fake people that would put me to work and then possibly not pay me and exploit my work. that is what i thought. >> even in the best-case