As you’ve surely heard, children are being taken and separated from their parents because of President Trump and Jeff Sessions’ “Zero Tolerance” illegal immigration policy. After Oregon’s own Senator Jeff Merkley was turned away after demanding to inspect a facility where these immigrant children were being held, yesterday reporters were finally allowed inside the Casa Padre detention center in Brownsville, Texas.
The building is a former Walmart, and currently houses more than 1,400 immigrant boys. MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff was one of the reporters allowed in, and his Twitter thread that describes what he saw is a “must read” for anyone who doubts how despicable the current administration truly is.
I’m a part of the first group of journalists to go into the shelter for detained child migrants in Brownsville Texas since the zero tolerance separation policy was announced. 1000+ boys here.
Going in right now.
More tonight w @chrislhayes on @allinwithchris @MSNBC. #inners pic.twitter.com/NeLlaDdSKv
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
Just finished tour, don’t even know where to start.
One of the first things you notice when you walk into the shelter — no joke — a mural of Trump with the quote “sometimes losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”
Presidential murals everywhere. But that one is 1st.
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
This shelter, Casa Padre, is the largest licensed childcare facility of its kind in the country. Nearly 1,500 boys 10-17 in here now. They’re supposed to sleep four to room. Nearly every room has 5. They’ve received a variance from the state because of overcrowding.
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
Officials here said they’ve never had an MS-13 member here, ever.
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
Moments after we walked in a shelter employee asked us to smile at hundreds of detained migrant kids in line for a meal because “they feel like animals in a cage being looked at.”
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
Kids here get only two hours a day to be outside in fresh air.
One hour of structured time.
One hour of free time.
The rest of the day is spent inside a former Wal Mart.
— Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) June 13, 2018
Yes, it gets worse from there. (And bear in mind, this is the detention center that the Feds are allowing reporters to see. Under the Trump/Sessions ruling, some of these centers can be unlicensed.) Read the entire thread here.
