Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) on Wednesday downplayed the horrible conditions in U.S. Border Patrol detention centers by describing all of the supposed benefits undocumented immigrants are receiving there.
“They belong back with their families. When you look at the lovely way they’re getting treated — they’re getting free health care, free housing, you know, they’re watching the World Cup on big screen TVs,” he said on Sean Hannity’s radio show, as recorded by the Huffington Post.
However, photos of the detention centers show immigrants crammed together sitting on cement floors and benches, and locked up in holding cells. Photos provided to the Houston Chronicle by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) show some of the depressing conditions that undocumented immigrants are living in.
After trips to a detention centers in Arizona and Texas, LA Times reporters Molly Hennesy-Fiske and Cindy Carcamo said the facilities were “crammed,” “unsanitary” and “reeked of sweat.”
Neugebauer said that undocumented immigrants came to the U.S. partially due to the fantastic detention centers.
“What they were told is coming true: ‘Hey, if you get to the U.S., you’re going to really enjoy being there.’ We need to send a signal that if you get here, you’re going right back,” he said. “As soon as you send several planeloads of people back that have paid big money to get their kids here…it’s going to get their attention. We’ve got to send a signal that we cannot be the world’s peacekeeper, and we can’t be the world’s humanitarian relief organization. The American taxpayers can’t be responsible for this.”
Even conservative pundit Glenn Beck recognized the horrible conditions at the detention centers, and on Tuesday said he would be sending food and soccer balls to undocumented immigrants at the border.
Stupid and venal. He’s my TX Rep and he’s horrible.
Bullshit.
Please - what is in the water that these Texas politicians drink???
Fracking waste.
And here you thought the rwnj’s may have reached the bottom of the barrel in terms of being callous asshats…only to find there’s a whole-'nother barrel that hasn’t even been tapped yet. Makes you want to weep some days.