Thread by @brianschatz

Here’s what I saw on the border in Texas today. Conditions were awful. Overcrowded quarters. Harsh odor filled the air. Mylar blankets.

Spoke to some men through a chain-link fence.  Many have been in for more than forty days. They are drinking heavily chlorinated water even though there was running water and bottled water in the facility. 3-5 days between showers.

Met a bunch of teenagers. Reminded me of my kids. But they looked exhausted. It was the eyes. From Guatemala and Honduras.

Talked to a couple of dads with my broken Spanish. One lost his other son in the violence in Honduras and his nine year old looked scared.

Spoke to around a dozen women. They are not allowed to make phone calls, contrary to official policy.

One lady with a 5 yr old daughter from El Salvador. They left because kids were being kidnapped at the elementary school. The daughter seemed ok and I asked her if she was hungry. She said no, she told me just ate. Then I heard from the mom. Her daughter is actually not eating.

Then I realized she’s traumatized from the 35 day journey on foot, and her two sisters stayed home. I choked back tears.

The mom goes to New York tomorrow to meet her sister to try to get her asylum claim adjudicated. But all legal papers are in English and she doesn’t know how to find a lawyer. It is a Notice to Appear but with no date. It’s nearly impossible for her to comply with this,

but if she doesn’t show up, she’s an “immigration fugitive” and there’s an order of removal.

They are all fleeing violence. Seeking refuge. This is not how we should be treating them.
 
I broke down at the end of the day.

The cruelty is the point and it comes from the most powerful person in the world.