Nielsen Heads to Border; Storm Moves East
BERMAN: Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen heads to the border with Mexico today after the death of a second migrant child in Border Patrol custody this month. This morning, we're hearing from the mother of the Guatemalan boy who died on Christmas Eve. CNN's Dan Simon is live in El Paso, Texas, where Secretary Nielsen makes her first stop today. Dan.</s>DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, John. Secretary Nielsen's stated reason for coming to the border is to see firsthand the medical screenings that are taking place inside the border control stations. Obviously she is facing this fresh new crisis with two children who have died in less than a month and she wants to see the enhanced screenings that are taking place. She will be in El Paso today and in Yuma, Arizona, tomorrow. In the meantime, we are gaining better insight on why the eight-year-old and the father came this country, why they wanted to leave Guatemala and come to the United States. Well, we're told that the father wanted to find better work and that the son, they said they wanted to give him a better education. But they're also saying that the reason why they brought the son is because they were under the impression that when you bring a child that you have a better chance of gaining entry into the United States, that they were encouraged by their neighbors to bring a child. One of the things that the mother told Reuters is, quote, lots of them have gone with children and managed to cross, even if they're held for a month or two. But they always manage to get across easily. And critics of U.S. immigration policy will say this is exhibit a with what is wrong with the system, that it's a system that incentivizes bringing children across. And this is the latest tragic example of that. Erica, we'll send it back to you.</s>HILL: All right, Dan, we'll take it. Thank you. A massive storm is being blamed for two deaths and flooding in the south and it could now bring blizzard conditions to millions this weekend. CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray joins us now with your forecast. Jennifer, good morning.</s>JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Erica. We have a lot to talk about. We have this storm system that's stretching from the northeast all the way down to the south, bringing monster storms to places like New Orleans this morning. Also raining in D.C., New York, Atlanta, Boston getting a mix of rain and even a little bit of snow. But all of this rain over the last 24 hours across the south with this slow-moving system, we saw ten inches plus across southern portions of Mississippi. So we have flash flood watches, flash flood warnings in effect right now. And you can see that area 50 million people under a flood threat. It stretches all the way up to New York City. So the rain accumulation through Saturday morning, we're going to see that bullseye right around the panhandle, stretching all the way up to the northeast. So it is going to be slow-moving at the airports now for big cities like Atlanta, New York, D.C., Boston, all will see delays for today, even seeing delays as far back as Chicago, Cincinnati. Places like Minneapolis finally starting to clear out after snow the last two to three days. But, looking ahead, as we look into New Year's Eve, things don't look much better. That first round will clear out by the weekend, but we have a second round that's going to come through just in time for New Year's Eve, unfortunately. So we are going to bring rain into the new year. So if everyone's heading to the city for the ball drop, you could get wet. But at least temperatures will be warmer than last year. John.</s>BERMAN: Yes, you're going to get rained on and you can't go to the bathroom for nine hours if you're in Times Square. So, you know, it sounds like a great night. Jennifer Gray, thank you very much for being with us. Appreciate it.</s>GRAY: All right.</s>BERMAN: So as 2018 comes to an end, the eyes of the political world, they're on 2020. Which Democrats will step up to run against Donald Trump? We'll discuss, next.