I did my dissertation on #ConcentrationCamps, so I have a few thoughts about @AOC's use of the term to describe the build up of camps on the US southern border. For those in a hurry, here's the take-home message: By any reasonable definition, these are concentration camps Why are they called concentration camps? well, to state the obvious, it's because large numbers of people are "concentrated" in camps. A better question is, why don't we just call them prisons? We don't say "prisons" because prisons are a part of the formal legal system.