Chilling Images Paint a Picture of the Overcrowded Migrant Centers

"210317_PX819-H-444" (United States government work) by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

As the Biden administration limit access to the southwestern border from the media, photos of migrants in an overcrowded border facility in Donna Texas released by a Democratic representative revealed the horrific situation that they’re trying to cover.

On Monday, Texas Representative Henry Cuellar released chilling photos of an overcrowded migrant center in Donna Texas. In the images released, the migrants can be seen in clear pens akin to cages and are sleeping on pads on the floor with merely aluminum blankets.

There are also some images where it appears that dozens of them share a single pen. Although most appear to be wearing masks. 

During Biden’s first two months in office, a massive influx of migrants at the southern border has been recorded. However, it seems as if the Biden administration is trying to hide something from the public as they restricted access to the media.

Due to this, media have been complaining about a lack of transparency about the situation at the border facilities such as one located in Donna, Texas.

One well-known photojournalist John Moore tweeted on Friday, “I have photographed CBP under Bush, Obama, and Trump but now – zero access is granted to media. These long-lens images taken from the Mexican side.” The photographer added, “there’s no modern precedent for a full physical ban on media access to CBP border operations.”

Meanwhile, in their defense, the White House stated that it is restricting media access to the facilities at the border in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the Biden administration’s goal is to finalize the details on how they can provide media access to the facilities at the border such as that located in Donna, Texas. However, it is still uncertain when will this happen. 

Biden’s press secretary also made comments about the conditions in the migrant center. 

One reporter asked Psaki whether the conditions the migrants are being kept in at the migrant facilities are being kept in represents the crisis that is ongoing at the border. 

Psaki was quick to deny calling the situation a “crisis” and instead answered, “Children presenting at our border who are fleeing violence, who are fleeing prosecution, who are fleeing terrible situations, is not a crisis.”

The White House press secretary added, “We feel that it is our responsibility to humanely approach this circumstance and make sure they are treated and put in conditions that are safe. I will say that these photos show what we’ve long been saying, which is that these border patrol facilities are not places made for children.”

Psaki continued, “They are not places that we want children to be staying for an extended period of time. Our alternative is to send children back on this treacherous journey. That is not, in our view, the right choice to make.”

Psaki also stated that the Biden administration is currently intending to reduce the pressure on migrant facilities such as the one in Donna, Texas. 

The photo that was released by Rep. Henry Cuellar also upset some Republicans who believed that Democrats are being hypocritical in stating that there is no ongoing “crisis” at the border. 

Representative Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) wrote on Twitter, “Either Dems and media faked the tears and ‘outrage’ pre-Biden, or they meant it. If it’s the latter, where are they now? Kids are in cages. And this surge is far worse than any under President Trump.”

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