Thread: Alien detention sparks Congressional probe

Alien detention sparks Congressional probe

12:07 PM CST on Tuesday, February 20, 2007

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV

WASHINGTON — A News 8 investigation continues to raise serious questions about the incarceration of young children at a federal immigrant detention center in Taylor, Texas.

"It sounds like the Holocaust," said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Dallas). "It's unconscionable, it is not the American way, and if it is now, it shouldn't be."

Immigrant children and their parents have been kept for months behind bars at the Hutto Family Residential Facility. While Homeland Security officials call it a "safe" and "humane" alternative to splitting up families targeted for deportation, those who have been on the inside have just one word for it:

"It's prison," said Somalian refugee Bahjo Hosen. "You are in prison."

Hosen and her three-year-old son Mustafa spent seven months inside before being granted asylum two weeks ago. They were among the 400 detainees—mostly women and children—forced to sleep in small cells, wear prison scrubs and wake up every morning before dawn.

Hanan Ibrahim and four of her children were released just days ago after three months behind bars. Johnson wants to know why the family was rounded up and imprisoned to begin with.

"The children are in school, they are checking in with the immigration office frequently, and then—all of a sudden—they are grabbed up and put in jail? That sounds like something that happened years ago," she said.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) chairs the House Immigration Subcommittee. She said she is shocked to hear about the treatment of immigrant families, many who whom are in America seeking asylum.

"Children do not belong in prison," Lofgren said. "Really innocent families being treated like maximum security criminals—that's not the American way."

Given all of the criticism, opposition and outrage, there is at least one place in Washington—outside of the Department of Homeland Security—where support for the Hutto Family Residential Facility is unwavering: the White House.

"In the past, children have been separated from their families," said presidential spokesman Tony Snow. "What we are trying to do is keep them together. "

Snow said President Bush supports the Hutto center. "The point is, it's difficult to find facilities, and you have to do the best with what you've got," he said.

But Johnson says Hutto is not the best this country can do, and both she and Lofgren will call for an investigation.

"It's a puzzle, it's a mistreatment and I really cannot agree with this procedure," Johnson said. "I would hope that not a single member of Congress would agree to it."

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/n ... 73146.html

Immigrant children and their parents have been kept for months behind bars at the Hutto Family Residential Facility. While Homeland Security officials call it a "safe" and "humane" alternative to splitting up families targeted for deportation, those who have been on the inside have just one word for it:

I thought they DIDN'T want these families split up?

Now what's their problem?

The children are with their families........that's a good thing.

Someone needs to tell our politically correct and histroy changing officials that these people are not immigrants. They are invaders.

Eddie Bernice Johnson doesn't know what she is talking about.

Dallas/Ft. Worth have the best Fed. Facilities in the country. They are freaking country clubs. Talk about Camp Cupcake!

Besides, those illegal aliens did this to their children and they should not be holding them up as shields for their criminal activity.

Deport the Criminal Parents, which exploit their own children.

Many American children live abroad with their parents, especially if their parents are military.

The anchor babies can live abroad in their parent's homeland.

If it's good enough for our milliatary, then it's sure good enough for the illegal aliens.

Dixie

Deport the families no appeals. it is the appeal process that takes so long. If there is no appeal process, then the families could be deported immediately. Children should be sent with their parents.

im talking to a rep from her office and he says that anyone seeking asylum
by law is not deemed to be in this illegally.

does anyone know if this is fact?

i also told the staffer that she needs to refrain from using the word holocaust because those people didnt come back and they were killed by the germans.
he said she meant the conditions were like it. i said i dont care. its not the same and it will never be the same.

Now what's their problem?

The children are with their families........that's a good thing.

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NOTHING MAKES THEM HAPPY, ITS NEVER ENOUGH!!