The Trump administration continues to subject asylum seekers to harsh, dangerous conditions in southern border detention facilities. In numerous contexts of these facilities, abuse has been wantonly carried out against migrants — but acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli thinks that the whole issue rests anywhere but the Trump administration. During time this Sunday on ABC’s This Week, he blatantly asserted that the dangerous conditions in detention facilities, where some people have been left for weeks in essentially standing room only areas, are Congress’s fault. When pressed about the administration’s own responsibility for these apparent human rights violations, he laughed — literally.
Answering for why this situation has emerged in the first place, Cuccinelli told host Jonathan Karl, pointing to a supposed decrease in the number of children in overcrowded border patrol facilities following additional funding from Congress — which again, is not the only issue here:
‘Because Congress has let it happen — it’s that simple… So when Congress provides the professionals at the border what they need, success happens — success when measured as avoiding overcrowding.’
Watch:
Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli tells @jonkarl that conditions at border detention facilities are “because Congress has let it happen” https://t.co/Z8xMQ0sEZL pic.twitter.com/J8FQRr30VS
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 14, 2019
Karl pressed further:
‘If you don’t have the resources — you can’t detain these people, can you? Isn’t that a basic human rights violation?’
Laughing like he literally didn’t care about the reports of mistreatment, abuse, and danger in detention facilities, Cuccinelli replied:
‘No — they’re being fed, they’re being –‘
Karl cut in, pointing out that some detainees don’t even “have enough space to lie down.”
Cuccinelli stammered in response:
‘Well, you know, that’s a reality of facilities not designed to handle the swamping at the border… The alternative is to let them all go, and that is the wrong alternative. You have just said — don’t worry about the law, we’re going to ignore the border.’
Check it out:
.@jonkarl on conditions at migrant facilities: “How can you allow this to happen?…Isn’t that a basic human rights violation?”
Ken Cuccinelli: “No, I mean they’re being fed…that’s a reality of facilities not designed to handle the swamping at the border” https://t.co/Z8xMQ0b3Bb pic.twitter.com/vvptjw2BEO
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 14, 2019
What’s more important here — the Trump administration’s interpretation of one specific law, or how human beings fleeing violence are being treated once they arrive in the United States?
Karl retorted:
‘Well isn’t there also a law about how you treat human beings? There are international standards, human rights standards. If you can’t detain them humanely, you have an alternative, which is what was done for many years before, which is to release them and ask them to come back for their asylum hearings.’
Cuccinelli blatantly lied in response:
‘And of course, many of them never show up, and this president promised to change exactly that pattern of behavior that you just described, and he’s doing his best to achieve that. Some of what you’ve described has happened even under President Trump because of overwhelming numbers. At the same time, all of us in the Department of Homeland Security and beyond are trying to manage these numbers as best we can.’
Oh wow, do you want a freaking gold star? Wow, you’re doing your best, good job Ken.
Maybe if your “best” includes more than half a dozen children dying in less than a year, numerous adults also losing their lives, and widespread reports of abuse and physical calamity, you need a new job — to put it lightly.
Featured Image via screenshot
