Reporters Forbidden From Bringing Cams, Talking To Kids At Child Migrant Center

A girl taking part in a caravan of migrants from poor Central American countries -mostly Hondurans- moving towards the United States in hopes of a better life, looks out from the trailer of a truck along the Irapuato... A girl taking part in a caravan of migrants from poor Central American countries -mostly Hondurans- moving towards the United States in hopes of a better life, looks out from the trailer of a truck along the Irapuato-Guadalajara highway in the Mexican state of Guanajuato as they head to Guadalajara on their trek north, on November 12, 2018. - The United States embarked Friday on a policy of automatically rejecting asylum claims of people who cross the Mexican border illegally in a bid to deter Central American migrants and force Mexico to handle them. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Journalists got to visit the migrant child detention center in Clint, Texas on Wednesday following the controversy over the facility’s notoriously poor conditions–but only on very limited terms.

According to the New York Times, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials barred the reporters from bringing their phones or cameras inside the facility. Journalists weren’t allowed inside the cells nor the outside area where the agents have kept the children.

Border officials also refused to let the journalists talk to the kids. One CBP agent threatened to throw out a reporter who noticed a crying young girl making a phone call, per the Times.

“Don’t talk to her,” the agent warned.

The Times detailed the austere facility as looking “more like a jail” than a proper juvenile detention center. There were reportedly no books, crayons, or art on the walls.

The local chief patrol head, Aaron Hull, explained the poor conditions to the reporters by insisting that “we need the resources to do the job.”

Yet a CBP official claimed during a media call that same day that supplies are “available now and they have been continuously.”

The CBP did not respond for TPM’s request comment by the time of publishing.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Welcome back 2018

  2. Honest to CHRIST…this doesn’t make Border Control look like Brownshirts AT ALL…what happened to all this TRANSPARENCY you aholes touted in your Senate hearings? Just more BS to get appointed and then FK 'EM. I really really hate what they are doing to MY country.

  3. Yet a CBP official claimed during a media call that same day that supplies are “available now and they have been continuously.”

    He went on to say that concentrations camps are supposed to be unpleasant.

  4. If this were all the D’s fault as little Donnie has claimed, what’s the Big Fucking Deal?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

133 more replies

Participants

Avatar for stlounick Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for inversion Avatar for callmeeric Avatar for tacoma Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for borisjimbo Avatar for lastroth Avatar for leftcoaster Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for benthere Avatar for gharlane Avatar for choska Avatar for caltg Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for godwit Avatar for jersey Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for mtw

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: