[Hala Gorani, Cnn International Anchor:] Hello, everyone. Happy Wednesday. Live from CNN London, I'm Hala Gorani. Tonight, 44 people killed, hundreds injured as a migrant center is bombed in Libya in what's been labeled a war crime. Also, the shocking pictures of migrants held in overcrowded U.S. cells on the Mexican border, released by U.S. government inspectors themselves. And the tanks roll in, just a day away from what Donald Trump is calling his Salute to America, 4th of July extravaganza. Dozens of migrants had fled for their lives, making it through a dangerous journey by land, then were turned back at sea, only to die in a place where they thought they should be protected. Forty-four people were killed, and as many as 200 injured when a migrant center was bombed in Libya. The United Nations says the attack amounts to a war crime. CNN's Becky Anderson has our story.
[Becky Anderson, Cnn Managing Editor:] An attack on innocent civilians in the dead of the night. Emergency workers struggling to identify victims and body parts in the rubble of an air strike. Parts of the Tajoura migrant detention center were brought to the ground. Many inside had no chance. Those who did survive, rushed to recover their few possessions. The center held at least 600 men, women and children from other countries, refugees and migrants who'd fled other horrors, violence, persecution and economic repression in the search for a better life.
[Othman Musa, Nigerian Migrant:] All what we know, is we are would want U.N. to help people out of this place because this place is dangerous. There's some people that's stranded here. They don't know what to do. They don't know where to go.
[Anderson:] The U.N. says there needs to be more than just condemnation. A full independent investigation to determine how and why this happened, to bring those responsible to account. No one has yet claimed responsibility. But the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli is blaming Khalifa Haftar, a renegade general whose forces have been fighting for control of the capital for more than a year.
[Eugenio Ambrosi, Chief Of Staff, International Organization For Migration:] It is simply not acceptable that civilians are targeted, that the target of military action are area of the town where it's known that civilians are present and living, and therefore knowing very well that the
[Anderson:] Sure.
[Ambrosi:] likelihood of high civilian casualty is very high.
[Anderson:] But the victims here had no part to play in the battle. And yet they paid the ultimate price. Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
[Gorani:] Well, the misery there. Fleeing your country, being turned away once you reach the sea, and then dying in this way. Ben Wedeman has spent a lot of time reporting on the lawlessness that is Libya, and he joins me now from Istanbul. Do we know who bombed this facility? Was it deliberate?
[Ben Wedeman, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Whether it was deliberate, that's not altogether clear because we do know, Hala, that about three minutes before the detention center was hit, there was another strike as well in this area, Tajoura, which is to the east of Tripoli, does have military facilities belonging to the Government of National Accord, the government in Tripoli. As far as who was behind it, it's pretty clear, the Libyan National Army of warlord Khalifa Haftar was in some way or another behind it. Now, the LNA really doesn't have an air force to speak of. But in the past, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have made fighter aircraft available to the LNA, and therefore that's where a lot of the suspicion seems to be leaning at the moment Hala.
[Gorani:] And so how do we get to the bottom of what happened here?
[Wedeman:] Well, certainly, there have been calls from the U.N. and various other organizations, for an investigation into what happened. But because of the complexity of the situation on the ground and the situation in Libya in general, we may never get to the bottom of it. Keep in mind, Hala, that Libya has become an arena for this great regional struggle between Qatar and Turkey on the one hand, and Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Emirates on the other.
[Gorani:] Yes.
[Wedeman:] And they are really fighting out this cold war between them in Libya, and therefore some sort of independent investigation into what happened last night is all nigh impossible.
[Gorani:] Well, yet another proxy battlefield there. Just so we're clear though, these migrants were handed back to Libyan authorities by the coast guard, which is funded by the E.U., right? The E.U. is helping fund this coast guard force to help prevent these migrants from ever making it to European shores
[Wedeman:] Yes. This is an E.U.-funded program. They give money and resources to the Libyan coast guard, which is loyal to the Tripoli government, to essentially stop, turn back and put in detention centers, the thousands of people who are trying to get to Europe. Obviously, given the political climate in places like Italy, where Matteo Salvini, the hard right-wing interior minister, is very much in favor of this sort of program to prevent these people from reaching, for instance, Italian shores. The end result, though, is that they are stranded. As many as 6,000 of these migrants and refugees, in Libya. They're stranded in very difficult conditions in these detention centers, many of which are either near the front lines or in areas like Tajoura, where there are very possible targets for one of the warring parties to engage in. So
[Gorani:] Sure.
[Wedeman:] the U.N. and other organizations have urged that this program, funded by the E.U., be curtailed and that more lasting and safe solutions be found for these thousands of people, stranded in the middle of this insane conflict in Libya.
[Gorani:] Yes. Ben Wedeman, thanks very much. Live in Istanbul. Well, speaking of desperate migrants, in the United States, the government's own inspectors say migrant centers are so overcrowded that they are ticking time bombs. This is what the government oversight entity that went into these facilities is saying. They took these shocking pictures, showing facilities housing up to twice the number of people they were built to hold. In some cases, they're so crammed that people can't even sit down. Some migrants adults and children, by the way are even being denied showers and fresh clothing. CNN's Nick Valencia is at the U.S.-Mexican border. Our justice correspondent Jessica Schneider is in Washington. So, Nick, talk to us more about what we know about the conditions inside these facilities. We saw the congresspeople visit a few days ago, now we have this independent entity there, releasing these images. What more are we learning?
[Nick Valencia, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, the inspector general focused their report on five visits to the Rio Grande valley, and they described just horrible conditions there, the conditions that you were just talking about there, Hala. But things, I'm told here by a veteran Border Patrol agent in El Paso, are just as bad. This veteran Border Patrol agent, agreeing to go on-camera under condition of anonymity. I asked them, "Why are you speaking out now?" They told me they're just tired of seeing the horrid conditions inside. They say so long as Border Patrol continues to respond like this, migrants will never be safe in U.S. custody.
[Valencia:] What do you say to leaders who are saying, "Migrants are getting basic human rights"?
[Unidentified Male:] What is basic human rights? Toilet paper? Water from the sink? Wearing the same clothing for days? I remember when we used to be a processing center, we used to have especially in Winter, we used to have these blankets. And 10 different aliens will use the same blanket. We will recycle them, you know? We'll put them in a in a bag and they wouldn't get washed.
[Valencia:] There were several times during this interview that the agent sort of had this long, distant, blank stare. And I asked them, "What are you thinking about?" And they told me, it's just really hard not to take home the emotional baggage from what you see inside these facilities, day after day. Not only that, but what they're hearing. The agent, telling me that it was earlier this week, they overheard a supervisor joking about the photo of the Central American father and his 2-year-old, Valeria, who died trying to cross the Rio Grande. They were joking about this image. And they didn't stop there. The supervisor, according to this agent, continued in saying that they wished they could use their vehicle to run over migrants. The agent says that they had reported these allegations, but misconduct depends the punishment depends on, really, what circles you run in. And if you are in it with the leaders, and if you're in favor with leaders, it's just basically a slap on the wrist. We did take these allegations to Customs and Border Protection. They said they are taking them seriously. They did not respond to them directly, but did say that they handed them over to the Office of the Inspector General - Hala.
[Gorani:] Well, if it's confirmed that people have been saying these things, regardless of what you think of immigration policy, it is so absolutely shocking and dehumanizing, that it should upset people on both sides of the political spectrum. And the Trump administration, Jessica Schneider, is taking their anti- immigrant policy one step further by empowering ICE to fine migrants who are in the United States illegally, and that some might actually owe, quote-unquote, "hundreds of thousands of dollars."
[Jessica Schneider, Cnn U.s. Justice Correspondent:] That's exactly right, Hala. So at the same time we're seeing these crowded and unsanitary conditions at the border and members of Congress speaking out, we're also learning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is cracking down all over the country, in the interior of this country. It was just about a week or so ago that ICE actually cancelled some planned raids to fine migrants who had disobeyed court-ordered deportation. Well, now, ICE is taking a different tactic. They're issuing fine notices to immigrants who are still in this country despite being ordered by judges to leave. And really, the penalties can be massive. The attorney for one Mexican woman who has since taken sanctuary in a Columbus, Ohio church, actually posted her fine notice on Twitter. It amounted to $477,000. Now, ICE says that this woman has been avoiding a removal order since 2016, and that she even removed her ankle monitor to avoid detection. And ICE also says that the reason the fines are so steep is that if migrants don't comply with the final order of deportation, and if they decide to stay in the U.S. instead, they face $3,000 that's the initial fine plus up to $799 per day that they remain here. So you can imagine that adds up fast. Now, a former ICE official told us that the plan is really simple. It's another way to get the message out, that ICE and border officials are serious that migrants must comply with judges' orders telling them to leave the country. So, Hala, they're cracking down in the interior of this country. At the same time, we're seeing, really, what a mess it is at the border, and the conditions that these migrants just entering the country are facing now Hala.
[Gorani:] Jessica Schneider, thanks very much. Nick Valencia at the border. Let's stay on this. The U.S. House Democrat Norma Torres just visited three migrant detention facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border. She told CNN young children are being held in, quote, "jail cells." She joins me from Los Angeles. Thanks, Ms. Torres, for being with us. So when you visited these detention centers and I'm sure you saw the release of these government pictures there, showing how overcrowded some of the rooms and parts of the facility are what did you see with your own eyes inside those centers?
[Rep. Norma Torres:] Well, those photos of the art that these children are drawing, I believe are truly a reflection of what they are the horrifying conditions that they're suffering, that they're living under when they're being held in these jail cells. Having to sleep on cement floors and having to shield themselves from the cold within these cells, with nothing more than an aluminum type of blanket. In contrast, I must say, I also visited a refuge, a place where children that had been separated from their parents, are being held. This facility is southwest key facility. In the photos, the art that I saw on the wall of that facility, certainly painted a much different picture, when children are actually treated as children and being counseled and helped through that trauma that they have suffered.
[Gorani:] And were you able to speak to some of them? What did they tell you? What stuck with you after you left the facility, the stories you heard from the migrants themselves?
[Torres:] So we were we were not allowed to speak to any of the minors. When the women of Congress myself included walked into one of the facilities, the children ran to the window and began knocking on the window. And there was a child, he looked about two or three years old, a very, very, very little young boy. He started tapping on the window, trying to get our attention, and said, "Papa, Papa." Obviously, he was crying out for his parent. But yet this child was being held in a jail cell with a group of other children that were older than him.
[Gorani:] Without a parent or an adult?
[Torres:] Without an adult in a jail cell. A jail cell that was being monitored with cameras. But can you imagine? Little children inside a cold jail cell. When they're hungry, when they need, you know, a hug or a warm glass of milk, who do they talk to? Are they tapping on that window? Are they simply trying to get the attention of the CBP officers that are there? And are they able to hear them? How often do they go into these jail cells to check on these kids? Those are all the questions that members of Congress, you know, had when we visited these facilities. But we received very, very little answers.
[Gorani:] But how old would you say the oldest child was in the room where this toddler was being held? I'm just curious who's taking care of these very small children.
[Torres:] So they all appear to be under the age you know, under the age of, I would say, you know, 10 to 12 years old. You know, we also have to think about the perspective that many of these kids look a lot younger than what they are. But they all look
[Gorani:] Yes.
[Torres:] you know, much younger than 10 years old, in a group setting, taking care of each other, comforting each other, very, very sad situation.
[Gorani:] Do they get any time to outside that particular holding area? Especially the young children, how do they spend their day?
[Torres:] So as we toured the facility, those were some of the questions that we posed. We inquired about shower facilities, since we were not able to directly talk to the to the children. We walked through temporary shower facilities, and we were told that that is where children take a shower. We also saw a couple of old balls that the CBP officers themselves bring to the location, and donate to the kids so that they can play. So there were there were two balls there, in a very, very small place. It wasn't a playground, it was just a walkway where children can come out and play for you know, they didn't specifically set how much time.
[Gorani:] Right.
[Torres:] But my question is, why are CBP officers being tasked with having to shower children and change diapers? If these kids are going to be
[Gorani:] Yes.
[Torres:] separated from their parent, they need to be taken care of by someone who is an expert in dealing with children that have suffered so much trauma, not a law enforcement officer.
[Gorani:] I want to ask you about something your colleague on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Florida, said about teen girls in detention. Listen.
[Rep. Frederica Wilson:] So they're at 17, waiting on their 18th birthday. ICE comes to that facility, shackles their hands, shackles their feet and take them to a private prison just like the private facility they're in. So they're profiting from these children. So it's profit and greed. And instead of them processing them out of these centers, out of that center, they're constantly bringing girls and children into this center. I do not trust them with adolescent girls. I do not trust them with girls going through puberty.
[Gorani:] So that's kind of that is a very serious, you know, allegation there, that your
[Torres:] Absolutely.
[Gorani:] Frederica Wilson is saying. She doesn't trust Border Control officials with teenage girls, as if somehow they might behave inappropriately. Do you agree with her? And what is that based on?
[Torres:] It's absolutely it is absolutely a concern that has risen to the top, based on reports of this closed social group that they have, where CBP officers have been posting sexist remarks against members of Congress, Latina members of Congress, where they have threatened to throw food, burritos at members of Congress who were simply doing our job, and that is, you know, to visit these facilities and conduct oversight. So with that you know, if these officers engaging in these comments in what they thought was a private platform
[Gorani:] Yes.
[Torres:] created for themselves, you know what? If you're a CBP officer and you need counseling, then you need to seek mental health. You should not be dealing with
[Gorani:] Right. But that's I was just
[Torres:] young women and young girls.
[Gorani:] I was just making it clear, that's one of your concerns. Just making it clear, it's not based on any fact
[Torres:] Absolutely.
[Gorani:] or any complain specific OK. Thank you so much, Norma Torres, for joining us
[Torres:] Thank you.
[Gorani:] we really appreciate your time on the program. Still ahead, scenes you may not expect in the heart of Tel Aviv. Protestors are furious over the police shooting of an Ethiopian-Israeli teen, but authorities hope to avoid a repeat of violent demonstrations. We'll be right back. Also, after days of wrangling, two high-profile women have emerged as the nominees for two of the top jobs in the European Union. Some people are saying, "Finally." Although others are not happy of the political leanings of one of the top candidates. We'll explain.