During June 2019 the federal detention facilities located in the Rio Grande Valley were found overcrowded to an alarming extent. A situation termed as the “ticking time bomb” according to a report issued by the officials.
In a single room at the Customs and Border Protection’s Fort Brown Texas station located near the U.S. border with Mexico, there were around 51 women in a cell that only had the capacity to house 40 juveniles. This shocking condition of the migrants has been reflected upon in the report from the Inspector General’s office at the Department of Homeland Security too. Additionally, the report provides with an appalling number of male detainees facing a similar circumstance. It tells us a cell that is routinely designated to 41 juveniles has been made home for 70 detained male immigrants. According to the Border Patrol managers, toilets for men have been found clogged with Mylar blankets or socks so the detainees could attempt to escape while a maintenance activity was underway.
At the McAllen Texas facility migrants have been found crowded behind chain-link fences. Many detainees have been witnessed huddling under blankets on the floor. Some have been thrown onto windows, others have been shouted at, while still others taunted for the length of their stay at the detention center by an allusion to their over-grown beards.
Apart from these concerns, a major one raised in many reports, is the immediate health and safety risk. One that is applicable to all detainees, officers and DHS agents. In fact likelihood is that people who are either working in the Force or those detained at these facilities might be carrying a disease. And that is bound to make things still more difficult for the people and the American Government.
President Donald Trump and the Lawmakers have had a dialogue wherein it was observed how this crisis has continued to witness an upward trend for a long time now. Also, it was revealed the same phenomenon was observed even before the Democrats agreed to act.
For now the Congress has approved a sum of around $4.6 billion for humanitarian assistance at the border. You can look for details of this event on news channels offered by Spectrum Cable and get more details.
The agencies however continue to fear occurrence of riots involving people who stand against the moves resorted to by the Trump Administration. The DHS representatives are not open to comment on the situation and the said department has not yet responded to the request for a reply. Thus all we can do is hope for the conditions to get better for people detained at such facilities.
