tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. >> there is a saying that dr. tonight -- tonight we will put a human face on the issue with jerzy vargas who was part of the group that traveled to vatican behalf urge the pope on of those facing deportation. you joined us. a conversation about immigration policy is coming up right now. ♪

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: sometimes it does take a child to make us realize there are children and real people behind the arguments about whether to reform immigration policies. 10-year-old jerzy vargas did just that when she caught our attention with her direct leave -- plea on behalf of her father

who was at a deportation center for two years. cause theg up the cosponsor of the immigration .eform bill always an honor to have you on this program. jerzy it is nice to meet you for the first time. let me start with you, congressman. we have been discussing this for some time. i think most new shows have been talking about immigration and whether there is a chance for something to happen this year. everyone believes the window is closing fast for something meaningful to happen. met with the president. where are we at this moment, and how do you see that window? exit is closing. >> it is closing. we have never been this close. in the house the republican leadership has either delayed or dodge the issue.

is easy to go through. we have a bill that has 200 signatures on it. we need about 20 republicans, and we can get this done. it's time to vote. just jerseys dead but every american family has an immigration center that makes it work. 20 doesn't seem like an insurmountable number. what is making it difficult to get those 20? >> it shouldn't be difficult. we have 20 republicans ready to join those who have already signed on. them.eady have got there is political pressure coming from the far right. it has made it difficult for republicans to move forward.

i think they will move. they know it is the right thing to do. they know it is the right thing morally. it is good for us security wise. morally it is the right thing for us to do. is an economic argument. there is a social argument, what we gain from these persons. there is a political argument which you dissected. there is a moral argument you just laid out. i am trying to get a sense of politically why it is or how it is republicans think this can be a winning issue for them when they block immigration reform when the data is clear. do you really want millions to vote against you because you wouldn't move? you are the strategist.

politically, how does that make sense? >> it doesn't. you just made it clear from the way you posed the question. it doesn't make sense. it's just a matter of politics. you know sometimes all it takes doesn't make sense. otherwise, why would we do some of the things we do in the country? why would we cut with the sequester cuts? escape. you can't jerzy is here -- jersey is here. she is real. it's just a matter of getting enough republicans say enough is enough. most republicans in leadership positions understand this is not the way to drive a political message that gives you policy later on. you are going to lose not only your shirt and pants. you're going to lose the authority to be a political party as you don't say, fix the

system. tavis: i thought i would start with you because you are about vargas.staged by jerzy give me your sense of how ?esonant you see her story >> it is amazing she had the courage to stand up to everyone including the pope. she was saying, i am no different from a little girl somewhere else in america going through the same thing. she wants to see her daddy. or is no way you can be an american and not feel that. the power is she was just honest. >> first, welcome to our show. i see you are wearing something on your left arm.

>> at the napkin. because someit people don't know which people are supporting immigration reform. we are making it for people to so they can show they are actually supporting immigration reform. >> that is your left arm? ask you can wear it on your hand or your backpack. everywhere. when youu wanted so wear those people can see you are supporting immigration reform. do you want to present that to him? >> this is what my mom made. herself.it by you can see she also added details.

there are 11 million immigrants who wanted immigration reform. tavis: hold that up. i want people to see what your mother made for the congressman. tell me about your parents. for those who have heard a bit of your story and don't know the story of your father, tell me about your mother and father. >> a long time ago my mom and my dad were always together, and that was the time i was always happy because my family was reunited. one day i woke up and saw my dad exit at the door, and i fell asleep. what i saw a bible, she said your dad went with his friend to tennessee because he didn't have a job over here, so he went to look for a job in tennessee. i prayed everyday for my dad to come safely.

it took him i think three days and two nights. the day he came over there he finally got a job and started working. money becausesaid he was the one who provided -- sent money because he was the one who provided for our family. >> what do you think people don't understand about what happens to families when they are separated? >> when families are broken apart it's very sad because you think you will never see your family or your dad or your mom ever. you think you aren't going to see them anymore, so when other people see this, some people say they want the family to come back together. arer people think, they just doing this, and they will get their dad back. they think it can be solved quickly. and think it's very easy

they are not actually showing emotion. tavis: whats the situation involving your father right now? >> my dad came out of jail. when i came out of the airport i saw a bunch of people from a group that supports -- we also want immigration reform. when i exited out of the airport i saw a bunch of people, and when i started walking closer i saw my family. man.i saw this he had a bouquet of flowers. that was my dad until iran to him. i was super happy. i couldn't breathe. i just hugged him. i was happy to have him. tears of joy came out of me. i hugged him so much because i couldn't believe. i was like emma is this real or not?

since my dad wasn't with me for those two years, it felt weird. it's like my family was back together again. tavis: how did you process -- did you expect so much attention was going to be given to your outrage? everyone in the world was talking about your meeting with the pope. we first wrote the letter, and i read it, and i expressed myself, saying how my family is. i described my dad. he was the best dad in the world in my opinion because he was always there for me. after that all the cameras were there. i was kind of shy. thought, if i do this

this will help my family and my dad will get back with me. i want to imagine a lot of people will recognize me because sometimes when i am with my dad grocery shopping, there is people always staring at us, and they look at us and tell us, you are the girl from tv. i am so proud of you. honor to meet an you because you are finally with your family. we were actually supposed to have jersey's father with us. he is not here in part because he couldn't get off work. his employer wouldn't give him the in thisto take part conversation. he is still working hard trying

to make ends meet but can't get off to talk with us about meaningful immigration reform. that rubbed me wrong. i wanted to put that out there for someone who read that her father would be on this program. theou have given america frame of what it means to not fix the broken immigration system. fact that her dad cannot be here, the fact that if he were to try to come he might lose this job. the fact that he went all the way to tennessee where he probably knew no one and within a couple days he was already working. that kind of industry is what people want. that built this country. is going toeryone get to stay once we fixed the broken immigration system because we have to make sure after background check you have

been right by the law. you can fend for yourself and your family, but why wouldn't you want people to say, i'm going to come and risk not knowing where i am when i come to this country, because i can't get a job here. i go to tennessee where i have never been before and send money back. then you have a daughter who is going to fight for her family. to me it's the american story. in 20 years when we look back and say, it really took us that long? me mosthat strikes about this particular story is the hubris and hypocrisy built leavesis, given that he to go to tennessee to get a job. we are fighting for the right to be treated with the unity and have our humanity respected, but there is somebody in tennessee who will give him a job. in the midst of all this there

are people who will employ these individuals because there is clearly some value to their being here even as we talk about whether or not they ought to be here. it is so convoluted to me. takes two to tango. we have been tangling with this for decades. the good news is most of america supports a comprehensive fix to the broken immigration system. most of america willing knowledge we have an tangling with immigrants for a long time. you have a right to be able to dance with delight and not the shadows. the difficulty is there are some folks who will say, i will let you take care of my elderly or harvest theds i don't want you to stay. that's difficult, but we are going to get past it.

she is too eloquent to be called cute. although she is cute. as eloquent as she is, as courageous as she is, because of her conviction and commitment to this cause, hers is not the only story like this. the american people know that. even with visuals like this, we think we can get something done. story, but it isn't altogether unusual. >> had she not had a chance to actually meet the pope, her dad might not be here today. because she was courageous enough to push it became a story for the world.

there is no way you could separate that father from that daughter, but as with the, that is occurring. the good thing is most americans already recognize it. it's just politics. emigration for two decades have been used as a wedge. in 1994.ber back in 19 94 they voted to deny benefits even like school and the rest. get there.g to while we are waiting there are lots of kids saying right now my dad is going to be deported. my mom didn't come home today. tavis: if you could create a perfect world for your family, what do you really want?

couldce i have my dad, he still be deported. i want to make a difference in the world because with immigration reform i inc. immigrants wouldn't need to be deported. mexicans and other hispanic people have been working with other people. we work in restaurants. we are the ones doing everything for other people, and now they don't want us here. that is weird because we're the ones doing everything. tavis: let me ask you an unsettling question that i think is relevant to this question in part because we saw you walk out of the white house some weeks ago, having had this question with the president. in the era of the obama administration they have done far worse than the bush administration. they deported more people during the obama years than the bush years. part of what we are talking

about is a policy where so many persons end up being deported. how do we square what the president says but what his administration does on the issue of deportation. saying, iesident ran want to pass immigration reform. he did it to his peril because in those days running for president could get you on elected. he has enforced a broken law. so -- withy to work something broken you get broken results. the president understands he cannot continue to watch a broken law separate families. we still have to make sure the drug dealers are deported. we have to make sure no one is trying to come into the country to cause us harm. working with the law that is

broken might actually cause you to go after jersey's dad. let's get it done with a permanent, long-term solution. made itthe president clear. if i can do something in the confines of the existing law to make it better, i will. that is why there are young people who have qualified for the action program called the dreamers. that is why the president is looking at ways to try to work within the broken law. let's call a spade a spade. the law is broken. you are asking the president to work with a broken law. that captures people like dad just like the people selling drugs. tavis: tell us what it would do to solve the problem. >> it tackles the thing everyone has to get it done. order security.

they use virtual technology. the technology and manpower to make sure we have real security. workplace security. you have to make sure someone getting the job has the right to work and someone offering the job has the right. you have to go after the guys willing to violate the law and offer the job. fix the legal system so there are people waiting 10 or 15 years to be united with their family the legal way. fixed the legal system so you don't have these backlogs. finally, deal with jerseys dad. you work hard, you play by the rules. you are going to play taxes and learn english. there is a place for you here.

you're not going to do those things, you have to leave. the senate bill will reduce the deficit which means taxpayers pay less in taxes. it creates thousands of jobs, and it gives us the ability and help the economy -- stability and helps the economy. tavis: there are those in this country and congress who will , and under amnesty no condition will they ever sign off on anything that is amnesty to those who came to this country illegally. to those who see this as blanket amnesty, you say what? ask it's not amnesty when you travel all the way to tennessee. somehow you find a job and you are able to with the minimum pay you are getting still send money family jersey and her can still get by. that is not amnesty. that is ethics in this country.

there is a poster of a young kitten hanging off the ledge. is getting ready to fall. the title says, hang in there. these anti-immigrant people are hanging in there. they think they can keep the world they love and not accept that there are strokes who work very hard to keep this country great. see that camera right there? something to say young people in this country you want to enlist to help you in your fight. what do you call these? in thato to look camera. you say whatever you want to say to young people to engage and help you, but i wonder if you will do it in spanish. spanish]ing

spanish] tavis: si. [laughter] on thisored to have you program. i celebrate your courage, your conviction, and your character. your dedication to this cause. i wish only the best for you and your mom and dad and family. the congressman is right. it might take a minute, but we

are going to get it right. we are a better nation than this. we are going to get there. engaging in your fight. hopefulman, are you something is going to happen here? >> i am inspired. it will get done. tavis: that is our show tonight. we were upstaged, but i am ok with that. thanks for watching. as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with allison janney about her roles in both "moms" and "masters of sex." that's next time. we will see you then. ♪

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

>> rose: welcome to the program. tonight, lloyd blankfein the ceo of goldman sachs on energy, the shell revolution, wall street and income inequality. >> in a way, gdp and growth is like, the increments of gdp is like increments to oil. if they found oil anywhere in the world, of course it's wonderful for the country that discovered it. but that oil that then gets added to the world supply, it reduces the price of oil anywhere because all things being equal, you add supply and demand stays the same the price goes down to everyone. it's a win fall to the country that sources it but it benefits everyone. same thing with gdp. if china grows its gdp and chinese gets richer of course it's a wonderful thing for china but what do they do