It’s come out in the last day or two that migrant children aren’t necessarily being given toothbrushes and soap. An AP report out today that teens, children and infants – yes, infants – at the El Paso facility are being held without adequate water, food and sanitation facilities.
The attorneys who recently visited the facility near El Paso told The Associated Press that three girls, ages 10 to 15, said they had been taking turns watching over a sick 2-year-old boy because there was no one else to look after him. The children told lawyers that they were fed uncooked frozen food or rice and had gone weeks without bathing or a clean change of clothes.
This is, to use a word, deplorable. I don’t care how you feel about immigration. The fact that children – babies – are being treated like this is an absolute disgrace.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a report that said in part “In accordance with internationally accepted rights of the child, immigrant and refugee children should be treated with dignity and respect and should not be exposed to conditions that may harm or traumatize them. The Department of Homeland Security facilities do not meet the basic standards for the care of children in residential settings.”
There is no middle ground on this. Every decent American should be furious about this. The fact that the Trump administration is being allowed to get away with this is a disgrace. And please don’t come back with “Well, the Obama Administration did it.” If they did, that was wrong. But the fact is this is how it is now. And the situation has been accelerated by the Trump Administration.
History won’t look kindly on this. And they shouldn’t. The Trump admin. should be remembered for its inhumane policies towards children. And I hope Democratic candidates remind the country of this as the months go on. These are children – little children – the Trump Administration is mistreating. Don’t blame their parents. The Trump Admin. could do better. But they aren’t.
Don’t dare offend Republicans by calling them concentration or internment camps though. We wouldn’t want to upset them as they cheer children being treated in a subhuman manner.
Based on some of the comments I have seen from ICE agents describing these people? Yeah, I have absolutely no doubt that there is a segment who get off on treating them poorly. That and there is no real oversight to speak of.
?