Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 25 Jun 2019
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION has faced intensive scrutiny in the last year since it implemented its zero-tolerance policy at the border with Mexico.
Many human rights groups have compared the detention centres to prisons or even concentration camps over its care of the children it apprehends at the Mexico border.
Some 13,200 children and teens, most of them Central American, are being held in 168 shelters for minors in 23 states across the United States.
Migrant apprehensions at the border with Mexico soared to 144,000 in May this year, the highest number in 13 years, resulting in border patrol stations becoming overcrowded.
Many temporary shelters have been created as a result.
The current policy of separating families has come on the back of the “zero tolerance” approach announced by former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year. The children are put in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services and can be placed in a foster home or a shelter. Their parents, meanwhile, are prosecuted for illegally entering the US.
There has been renewed focus on the issue in the wake of the Trump administration’s appeal of a longstanding settlement agreement in court last week.
US government lawyer, Sarah Fabian, told a three judge-panel at the Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that soap and beds are not essential for detained migrant children.
Why are children being detained?
A big part of Trump’s first presidential campaign was to crack down on what he referred to as an “immigrant invasion” at the US-Mexico border.
Trump has regularly (and falsely) attempted to pass the blame towards previous administrations for initiating the policy of separating children from their parents.
There isn’t any federal law in the US that mandates the separation of children and parents at the border.
The current policy of separating families has come on the back of the “zero tolerance” approach announced by former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year.
Under the measure, adults who illegally cross the border will be arrested on criminal charges. For those who come with families, their children are removed from them. Sessions said this policy aimed to deter others from arriving.
Before the current policy was put in place, adults were not directly referred for prosecution but instead were allowed to submit an asylum application.
Previous Presidents
In 2005, George W Bush instituted a policy called Operation Streamline which also took a hard line on illegal immigration and prosecuted migrants. In this case, exceptions were made for those travelling with children.
Responding to an influx of illegal immigrants in 2014, then-President Barack Obama and his administration put whole families in immigration detention but that was short-lived. After four months families were released while their asylum cases were pending.
The Trump administration differs from that of Obama, and Bush, in treating all those who’ve crossed the border illegally as subject to criminal prosecution, despite any claims to asylum.
This month, Trump used the threat of another trade war to pressure Mexico into doing more to stop migrants as they cross northward to the US from Central America.
As part of its deal to avert Trump’s threat of five-per cent tariffs on all Mexican goods – which would have risen incrementally to 25% by October – President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government has agreed to deploy 6,000 officers from Mexico’s new National Guard to the US border to stem the flow of migrants.
What are the conditions like?
The conditions at the Customs and Border Protection facilities have been an issue of concern for some time.
An Associated Press report last week, based on accounts from lawyers, found “inadequate food, water and sanitation for the 250 infants, children and teens” at a Texas border patrol station.
According to the report:
“A 2-year-old boy locked in detention wants to be held all the time. A few girls, ages 10 to 15, say they’ve been doing their best to feed and soothe the clingy toddler who was handed to them by a guard days ago.”
Lawyers have warned that kids are taking care of kids, and there’s inadequate food, water and sanitation for the 250 infants, children and teens at the Border Patrol station.
“Three girls told attorneys they were trying to take care of the 2-year-old boy, who had wet his pants and had no diaper and was wearing a mucus-smeared shirt when the legal team encountered him,” the report states.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of many who have accused the US of operating “concentration camps”.
During a live stream on her Instagram, the first-term New York Democrat assailed the conditions of detention centres housing thousands of migrants who have crossed the border from Mexico.
“The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border, and that is exactly what they are,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“The fact that concentration camps are now an institutionalised practice in the home of the free is extraordinarily disturbing, and we need to do something about it,” she said, as she denounced the “authoritarian and fascist presidency” of Trump.
“I don’t use those words lightly,” she added.
I use that word because that is what an administration that creates concentration camps is.
Early this month, Trump’s administration cancelled all special care for children in shelters, citing a lack of funding. This means activities that are not essential or not linked to the children’s physical safety will no longer be funded.
What happens next?
The issue with the border came back into the spotlight last week when an attorney for the Trump administration, Sarah Fabian, said a longstanding settlement agreement requiring sanitary conditions for detained immigrant children may not necessarily mean a toothbrush and soap must be provided for shorter stays.
The hearing at the Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco focused on the US government’s appeal of a federal judge’s 2017 ruling that US authorities breached the agreement after young immigrants caught on the border said they had to sleep in cold, overcrowded cells and were given inadequate food and dirty water.
In its appeal, the Department claims the judge’s order is imposing “new substantive requirements” for the detention of immigrant children that aren’t laid out in the 1997 settlement.
Advocates disagreed, saying the agreement requires youth be held in “safe and sanitary” facilities, which should include basic hygiene items and sufficient food and water.
During the hearing, Fabian said the agreement was vague about what is required to determine a facility is safe and sanitary.
The settlement between advocates for young immigrants and the US government says children should be held in facilities that meet certain standards and released as soon as is reasonably possible, which has been considered to be about 20 days.
The Trump administration is continuing to pass the blame for the conditions in the migrant detention centres, yesterday blaming Congress for not approving the funding to improve the centres.
Yesterday, US Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News that the administration would be looking to get more resources to improve conditions, adding that the Democrats were the biggest barrier to that.
House Democrats unveiled a $4.5 billion measure last Friday to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis at the border and the government’s responsibility to care for migrant refugees seeking safety in the US under its asylum laws.
The measure is scheduled for a vote next week.
With additional reporting from Associated Press and - © AFP 2019
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Because all the other nonsense they’ve tried throwing at him for the past year has failed to stick and they’re not a terribly imaginative bunch so they’re back to being outraged about this again. I don’t care, do you?
@Winston Smith: I don’t care that you don’t care about not caring about children.However,I do care,not that you care that I do care about children being abused.
@Winston Smith: they’ve been throwing it for longer than a year and they’ll keep doing it because he persists with his evil/ridiculous/self-serving (at times hitting the trifecta) policies. U not caring is hardly a surprise (esp given the skin colour of most of those it affects) but just as well you’ve no authority over anyone so meh.
@Winston Smith: it’s funny alright, just not in the way you think. I disagree with a policy, no more complicated that that. As for Me and my ilk? Yeah the cheek of decent people wanting some pretty basic standards for how we treat other people especially innocent children. Where u see virtue signaling any half-way decent person sees what’s right and what you support.
@G Manning: Winston / Vote4Pedro as you know lives in an echo chamber on social media, he has about 10 back-up accounts on Twitter all ready to go for when this one (his 30th?) gets banned. Thankfully decent people in the real world are in the majority, and the racist online mob are very small in number, just very active due to lack of time spent outdoors.
@Jenny Boyle: I’m not Winston just so you can stop embarrassing yourself.
@Vote4Pedro: bad but not that bad kinda thing? Ok but how’s that gonna make poor little Winston feel?
@Jenny Boyle: who knows? Maybe they’re 4 different people. Shur I’ll probably be one of your accounts soon or visa versa
@Jenny Boyle: I think Trumps support has grown and will see him in to 4 more years in office because us apparent “wasters and racists” have become fed up with the generation of dimwits that get offended over everything, complain complain complain and have no solutions for anything unless it effects them directly. You’re a NIMBY type . We see through your BS. Trump said he was going to bring illegal immigrants to areas of politicians neighbourhoods opposing his border plans and there was uproar. Now who is being racist? You are anti Trump i get that but you think the other side are all roses?
@Jenny Boyle: before you cry that this is a fake account. It was set up 6 years ago, long before words like Russia Trump Whitehouse Snowflakes and Libtards were put together. I do not like Trump and I think most of what he says can be disgusting, but he is the right man for the job. He is the best they’ve had in a long long time and if you’re offended by him quiet frankly nobody cares.
@Winston Smith: yes I do and he’s found out to be a compulsive liar also so what are you on about nothing sticking ….
@Martin McFly: And this justifies such treatment of children? The US wouldn’t have this problem in the first place if it hadn’t been sticking its fat oar into central and southern American politics since the 50s.
The closer and closer it gets to 2020 I expect these stories and stories about sexual harassment to increase. The simple fact remains whether you like trump or not, these detention centres were there when Obama was in power. The seletive outrage from the left is fairly predictable and boring at this stage. It’s no surprise that many Democrats are moving away from that party.
@Centerro: Obama held families, together, for 4 months in the detention centres and then changed to allowing them apply for asylum. Trump has been separating infants from their families for over a year now and not allowing them apply for asylum. Obama is not the President of the United States. The two situations are incomparable.
@Jenny Boyle: what about the tens of thousands of families killed by drone attacks under Obamas 8 years in office? Did you protest these or voice concerns over that?
@Centerro: What about whataboutery, Trump has ordered more drone strikes in his first 2 years in office (238) than Obama did (186), Trump has increased the frequency of drone strikes by 423%, Trump has revoked Obama’s rule that all civilian deaths from drone strikes must be made public. https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/5/8/18619206/under-donald-trump-drone-strikes-far-exceed-obama-s-numbers
@Jenny Boyle: No surprise you used a news article from basically The Sun of Obama’s hometown.
Jenny if you really cared about drone strikes you would condemn Bush, Obama and Hilarys wars which killed hundreds of thousands but of course you havent. Bush invaded Iraq. Obama bombed 7 countries in 6 years. Hilary organised the destruction and destabilisation of Libya causing 40,000 deaths and more migrant crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04MDYW1oEe0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlz3-OzcExI
Chicago sun article quotes unverified data from The Daily Beast a left leaning website. The 423% unverified data is by the pro war thinktank uscfr – it would prefer a war puppet like Obama.
@Mark Keenan: I condemned them at the time, Donald Trump is President now, and YouTube videos? PLEASE! hahahahha!
@Jenny Boyle: You must have condemned them in you’re own head Orla because you only seem to surface when Trump is mentioned
@Jenny Boyle: So you only use links to Fox news when it suits you or?
@Darren: Listen, you lost the debate, I caught you out, take your licks and put on your big boy pants and stop whining, it’s pathetic.
@Mark Keenan: neutral observer? Is that you hon? I can’t tell if you don’t announce it.
@Mark Keenan: here’s the thing, why do we know what Obama did with the military? Because they released the data. Trump revoked the reporting of civilian casualties, stopped troop deployment reports from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and increased military actions by almost every metric.
@Jenny Boyle: Orla, please have the courage of your convictions and stick with the one fake name. Nobody cares to listen to someone who keeps changing names. Grow a pair, oh sorry, you are a bloke.
Fairly sure Hilary and Obama started the camps.
@Dave Grant: fair enough but you’re wrong.
@Dave Grant: Sadly for you it was George W. Bush in 2006, oh well! How many times can Trump supporters get caught out with bare-faced lies on this and every other article!
Im not a republican or a democrat but imho the Democrats are at fault for holding up funding for many many months to improve these centres to help these children.
Obama deported 3 million illegal immigrants during his term. Obama and Hilary Clinton both voted for 700 miles of border fence. I wonder why was there hardly any media articles when Obama was Pres with same issue? Editor in chief New York Times Magazine confirmed that the viral photo of caged children was from the Obama Era.
He wrote: “Correction: this link, which was going around this morning, is from 2014…only indirectly related to current situation.”
https://www.westernjournal.com/viral-photo-of-caged-children-actually-from-obama-era-nothing-to-do-with-trump/
Did journal.ie run this story about these poor kids when Obama was President? No – could that be as journal.ie politcal analyst is counsel to Democrats Abroad Ireland.?
@Mark Keenan: no “neutral observer” disclaimer? Ur slipping hon
@Mark Keenan: Well said.
Long (though informative) article for an easily answered question. The debate continues because Trumpys monstrously cruel, unnecessary and un-American (if you hold the US to the standards they proclaim) policy continues. The inhumane separation of children of all ages from their parents an imprisoning those children in cages in the US is never going to not be a story.
@G Manning: the children are imprisoned because their parents are bringing them to the border *knowing* they will be imprisoned. Why do these people continue to bring their children to the border knowing they will be imprisoned? Doesn’t seem like the actions of loving parents to me.
@G Manning: have a look at the route the immigrant caravan has taken. Mexicans in certain cities are fighting back as when the caravan comes in crime rates rise. Mexico as you know is also very corrupt with numerous different cartels running certain areas. The caravan itself is made up of one cartel, they avoid going through cities where rival cartels exist. You keep telling Uncle Donald to let the Cartels through illegally.
Imagine if these liberals knew what governments USED to do when people invaded their country. I’d say detention centers are pretty nice in comparison
@Rocky Stefan: Which liberals?
Illegal immigrants should be reported on site, this lefties reporting or so-called journalism is a joke. What don’t you people understand, human trafficking is a massive problem & the likes of these stories only feed into this poor me Narrative
@Ciaran Kelly: They are NOT illegal!
They are claiming asylum which is legal!
@Bob Earner:
Why don’t they claim asylum at the US embassy in Mexico city, or the numerous US consulates throughout Mexico, instead they make a dangerous journey all the way to the US border, the furthest point being California. Asylum seekers my arse.
All the outrage at Trump when we still have direct provision here in Ireland. We should clean up our own act. That said the practice of separating families is immoral no mater who’s doing it. Human trafficking is more profitable than drug trafficking and it’s same vile people running it.
@seanmccann:
How do you distinguish between the human traffickers of a child and the actual parent(s) when they present themselves without documentation, do you just take their word for it??
Let Trump build his wall and in return get him to improve the conditions of the migrants with some of the unlocked funding. Best case scenario the wall helps ease illegal immigration. Worst case is does nothing but at least the migrants’ conditions have improved and you can point to Trump’s wall being a failure. Considering how much the US spend on funding their wars the wall is a fairly minor expenditure.
Nothing this egotistical monster does should surprise us, he is power & money obsessed with no tolerance, concern or sympathy for anyone other than himself.
@Anthony John Cotter: the Democrats have held back funding for these centres for months while at the same time complaining about the conditions. AOC is a numpty, whoever wrote this piece is grasping at straws when they have to stoop to that level to be quoting the congresswoman plus she’s been slated for invoking the comparison of modern day America with nazi germany. Tim Poole is as liberal a journalist as what’s out there and even he says number 1 that AOC is toxic, and number 2 that the Democrats have no alternative just obstruct.
@Vote4Pedro: Democrats just obstruct? Ok. Sorry about whatever condition you have that so severely limit your memory.
@Anthony John Cotter: most Americans don’t want these economic illegal immigrants, that’s one of the reasons why Trump was elected but yet they still come in their thousands knowing damn well if they’re caught, they will be incarcerated and be separated from their kids. I’m not happy about the living conditions of the children but do you not think the parents are responsible for putting them in this situation in the first place?
@Vote4Pedro: its an accurate comparison at this stage.
@Vote4Pedro: AOC is a halfwit, shell talk herself out of her job soon enough. Her concentration camp comments show her ignorance.
@Hair Bear: Honest question: why is it that all these people are trying too move away from their home country, looking for asylum in other countries & illegally trying to cross the US border knowing the massive risks involved in doing so?
Would be really interested to hear an honest answer.
@Gazza Lazza: same reason why the economic migrants from the far flung corners of the earth manage to end up in Ireland and the UK even though both countries are thousands of miles from their first port of call.
@Hair Bear: Compares Mexico – U.S. border to “far flung corners of the earth (sic)” A whole new level of dumb.
@Hair Bear: you didn’t answer the question. You stated “same reason…….” and so on without actually saying what those reasons are, which was the original question.
You must be a politician because your deflection tactics are to a tee………
Because it’s wrong.
Trump advising the courts that soap and beds are not essential requirements for children?! What an evil individual he is.
@Jenny Boyle: so instead of your usual spouting off on this forum, what are you going to do about it? Donate half your social welfare /wages would be a start or maybe set up a charity or Go-Fund Me page?
@Hair Bear: Go to your incel safe space!
@Hair Bear: She will let them stay in the stables when the unicorns are out picking up refugees.
@Jenny Boyle: so are you going to do anything about the kids in these camps or not? Your usual screaming and shouting like a petulant child is not really gonna help them.
@Hair Bear: You still didn’t answer my question.
Again would be really interested to hear it, as it might, hopefully start a logical debate around this issue. The causes of mass emigration/immigration globally need to be addressed first & foremost.
Lets take Honduras for example: why are people, including parents taking such massive risks to leave their home country to get to the US?
For one it’s not because they love American freedom that’s for sure.
All the bleeding hearts at their best. The kids are better looked after than when they were with their irresponsible parents.
How many of the bleeding hearts club , actually voted for aborting children as a lifestyle choice.
This is a dark stain on the Trump administration, to add to the other dark stains. And he is going to run for a second term,? Gimme a break.
@Paula Mackie Senior:
Maybe the Dems will leak photos of the “kids in cages” from 2015, under Obamas admin, and try blame it on Trump again.
Where did the 500k go that the Pope donated? Was that to push them over the border or help them in Mexico?
Democrats will do anything to make Trump look bad and are doing nothing to help in Congress, just posing at a fence is not helping (Cortez)
For the last 2.5 years he has been President Economy has improved.
6 Million Jobs created.
There could possibly be jobs for them on the future but they got to come in the legal route.
Yeap he has taunts with Kerry and Iran amongst others thrown at him by the democrats but he is not stupid or foolish like other presidents pressing the war Button.
A lot of the families coming in with kids. How are parents to provide for their kids?
Also a load of criminals coming in with the caravans. so much Child trafficking to be dealt with. Question has to be asked why have over 435k people crossed the border illegally this year?
How many are Mexican and how many are from other countries ?
If your first thought is to deflect from what is actually happening to these children by invoking Obama or blaming their parents or any of the other disgusting deflections I’ve read here you are (IMO) a heartless and morally corrupt person.
If you make a claim like “it’s their parents fault” then you are able to justify the horrible suffering of these children.
If you say “but Obama started it” then your are deliberately supporting what is CURRENTLY happening to these children.
If you are a PARENT and defending what is going on then you show yourself up to having not an ounce of empathy.
THIS SHOULD STOP! Treating children in a way that is tantamount to torture can NEVER EVER EVER be defended!
People arguing over who started them…does it matter who initiated this vile treatment of children…it’s inhumane and any sane human being should protest this….seriously it’s amazing what people have come to accept…..America the home of the free…they’d use this treat by other countries as a reason to invade…
have your say