Children in detention camps in the US

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/inside-a-texas-building-where-the-government-is-holding-immigrant-children

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/four-severely-ill-migrant-babies-hospitalized-after-lawyers-visited-border-patrol-facility_n_5d0d3bbce4b07ae90d9cfe4f

twitter.com/reckless/status/1142428101038809088 - includes video of Trump official trying to argue in court that it's within the law not to provide detainees with soap, toothpaste and conditions that make it possible to sleep - good for the judges who are clearly aghast at what she's saying

This is unspeakable. I know I'm not being unreasonable. Nobody could justify the way these children are being treated. I'm sure things are even worse for the adults, but children don't make the decision to cross the border! Where's the UN?

The articles above make it clear that the child detainees don't have enough to eat, they're not warm enough, they don't get clean clothes, they aren't getting prompt medical treatment (several have died), they don't have soap or access to hot showers, they don't have toothbrushes and toothpaste, they aren't given beds to sleep on. Hundreds of them are in a cold air conditioned warehouse with no windows and they have to decide whether to put their one blanket on the concrete floor and sleep on it or sleep directly on the concrete and use the blanket to try to keep warm. In some places the lights are on all night, making it very difficult to sleep. Older children are being asked to look after little children. No education, no play facilities, no kindness. You have to wonder about whether they're safe from predators - clearly some of the guards employed there are totally unfit to work with children, judging by the casual cruelty going on.

Some of the children are there for weeks and as a final sign that the law is being ignored when they're finally moved on the little ones are not put in car seats or booster seats as the law requires.

And worst of all, of course, they've been illegally separated from their families.

Is there anything we can do over here? I've been so distressed reading about this.

This is on my mind a lot at the moment. It is almost unbelievable that this is going on in a developed country.

What's even more unbelievable is that the Democrats aren't miles and miles ahead in the polls and look set to waste a lot of time on trying to decide on their candidate. Surely Trump can't be re-elected? How could any sane, decent person vote for him now?

I have absolutely no idea why anyone think America is (a) the land of the free (b) civilised. It isn't.

Its unbelievable. Those poor children :(

I've never been to the US. My impression is that the south and the midwest are like a different country from the West and East coasts. What puzzles me is that the population and wealth of the West and East coasts is so much higher - why don't they have more sway? Why do they stick with the odd electoral college system?

Horrendous. Children are going to die in those camps.

Grinds my gears that for such a "civilised, 1st world, free country" they can treat children in such way.
People don't give a shit because of far right tripe spouted constantly, I read some comments on a FB page where people were almost gloating about the deaths with the excuse that they are "future terrorists" if that's the case then every little white American kid has the potential to open fire in a school!
Fucking disgusting. I'm appalled.

If this was the treatment of western children in a foreign land there would be uproar.

It's appalling. But so is the hypocrisy from the democrats given Obama's own track record with the treatment of child migrants.

And worst of all, of course, they've been illegally separated from their families.

Maybe their parents should have thought of that before they crossed illegally

@Isabella when your and your family live in a country that is being blown to smithereens, have your family members killed infront of you and don't know if you are going to live to see another day, then see how much you care about the legalities of crossing boarders.

I actually cannot believe that anyone can justify this by saying they shouldn't have come here illegally my mind is blown and it really does make me mad

Auto correct has done me over.
your you
Boarders borders

Missmolly exactly thats my thoughts too some people really have NO idea of how other people live and the desperation these families must face. But i guess the above posters r american and believe all the propaganda they r fed every day

Maybe their parents should have thought of that before they crossed illegally

And that makes it okay to treat children this way, does it?

Surely Trump can't be re-elected? How could any sane, decent person vote for him now?

You bet he will be. And you’re the reason! People are tired of being told they’re not sane or decent for holding conservative political views. You are the problem, demonising people and hoping to shame them. All you’re doing is entrenching them in their positions. Keep it up and watch Trump re-elected in response!

This is happening to children whose parents are crossing legally, and presenting themselves for asylum as they are meant to do.

Although God knows what kind of heartless bastard you need to be to think it’s okay to incarcerate toddlers in inhumane conditions as long as their parents are bad enough in your eyes. I wouldn’t put Trump’s kid in one of those camps.

People are tired of being told they’re not sane or decent for holding conservative political views.

Putting children in concentration camps is a ‘conservative political view’ now? God, conservatism has got pretty shit recently, hasn’t it,

Horrendous- please don’t think that all Americans support this behaviour. There are some that do. There are very many that don’t. They are raising money, marching, taking court cases.

Trump did not win the popular vote last time.

When does a detention camp become a concentration camp?

@thesun when said camp doesn't enforce basic human rights.

Concentration camps function outside the normal judicial system. Different from eg prisons.

When does a detention camp become a concentration camp?

When it's the "bad guys" operating them. When it's the "good guys" they're perfectly justifiable, necessary even. Or at least that's what people will tell themselves.

"holding conservative political views"
And u believe that the treatment of these people including children is an acceptable conservative political view?????

@IsabellaLinton

Conservative views are okay. Separating young children from their parents isn’t justifiable in any shape or form.

I find reading about this really upsetting but I'm genuinely interested in where all the outrage was when Obama was doing it? A court stepped in to order the release of women and children from some of the camps during his administration because their treatment was a violation of the law. He also had children living in a former Japanese internment camp which Trump is now (rightly) being criticized for.