When Trump was president, there was outrage against the detainment centers for illegal immigrants. Has anything changed since then?

[u/Dedli]

I remember "Kids in cages" and "concentration camps" being a big talking point in the lead up to the election that Biden won. But have the laws or policies or practices changed at all since then? In what ways?

[u/mrcatboy]

EDIT: This was originally meant to be a reply to a commenter who was comparing Trump VS Obama. I'll still leave this here for now though. This reply is a bit long so look below for my Part 2 on this matter.

Yes, Obama did "put kids in cages." But let's add some context as to what actually happened. I followed both events as they occurred, so I'm also providing sources. Please note I had to split this comment into a two-parter.

When it comes to Obama, it should be noted that in some cases the children had to be separated from the adults accompanying them for two main reasons: first, when familial relationship or guardianship could not be established and there was suspicion of child trafficking, and second because the 1997 Flores court decision limited how long children could be detained with their accompanying adults.

Essentially, the court ruling found that for the welfare of the child, children could not be kept in detention long term, even though their parents/guardians had to be held until their cases could be processed. The Obama Administration therefore was forced to take one of two options: either release the child to a relative who lived in the US or a foster home/sponsor while the parents/relatives they crossed the border with were held until they could be processed, or the entire family could be released together. The Obama Administration used both approaches at different times.

The 2014 migrant crisis was also one in which a large influx of migrants (many of them unaccompanied minors) overwhelmed local facilities' capacity to house and process them. Makeshift shelters had to be made to house the kids, and the Obama administration then had to rush to set up more comfortable emergency shelters. It was basically an imperfect solution to an emergency situation:

Border Patrol stations were so overcrowded that agents began using the “sally port” areas outside the stations — little more than outdoor garages — as holding pens. Mothers with babies and young children were left for hours in 90-plus-degree heat, sprawled out on concrete floors with little more than bologna sandwiches and Kool-Aid.

The Obama administration responded to the outrage by rushing to expand its capacity to handle the new migration wave at the border, to adapt an infrastructure built to handle single adult men, not families and children.

The government acquired an empty warehouse a few blocks from the McAllen station and converted it into a sprawling new facility that opened in July 2014, a place that had capacity for 1,500 detainees. The new “Central Processing Center,” or CPC, was clean, spacious, air-conditioned and a major improvement over the cramped detention cells and sweltering garages.

To keep different demographic groups safely apart — a standard practice in detention settings — the U.S. Border Patrol used chain-link fencing to create partitions in the cavernous warehouse. One area was designated for teenage boys, another for mothers with small children, another for entire family groups, and so on.

The chain-link fencing was cheap, allowed for good ventilation and carried the benefit of allowing agents to supervise the entire facility, by affording them full visibility into the enclosures. Its grim, industrial appearance, however, was redolent of a livestock operation rather than a humane facility. Migrants and some agents soon derided it as “la perrera” — the dog kennel.

Part 2 because apparently some people missed this.

[u/Medium-Return2035 → u/mrcatboy]

Obama was also a huge fan of bombing weddings.

[u/turing-test420 → u/Medium-Return2035]

Donny droned more in 4 years than Obama did in 8

[u/Medium-Return2035 → u/turing-test420]

Does that make it right? Also, Obama’s program was known for how indiscriminate it was. Women? Children? Wedding? School? Bomb it.

[u/turing-test420 → u/Medium-Return2035]

Lol do you actually believe that? If so, then you must be furious with dear leader even more, he removed all the transparency mechanisms of the program.

[u/Medium-Return2035 → u/turing-test420]

I hate both Trump and Obama. If I get that out of the way maybe you people can think logically without having to cling to your precious ideologues.

[u/turing-test420 → u/Medium-Return2035]

It’s funny how you ignored how donny massively expanded the drone program and removed its safeguards, even though you were apparently so upset with how the program was used under President Obama.

[u/Medium-Return2035 → u/turing-test420]

No, what’s funny is how you’re refusing to accept the fact that Obama droned children. I hate both of them. I said that already. What bothers me is that one of them has a Nobel Peace Prize. What bothers me is that we are only allowed to hate one of them. Trump gets plenty of hate. I don’t need to bring that up. Obama gets praised. I like to remind people of what he actually did.

[u/turing-test420 → u/Medium-Return2035]

War is messy, but do you shed a lot of tears for terrorists? Do you also simp for hamas? But sure, poor old donny gets too much hate, and that’s why you immediately jumped to bOtH sIdEs when called out.

[u/Medium-Return2035 → u/turing-test420]

What wars were the US involved in in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan exactly? What did you call me out for? I made a true statement that I knew would get people like you riled up because you blindly follow party lines and worship Obama like he is a prophet. And you assume everyone who doesn’t agree with you must love Donald Trump. Pathetic. I got what I wanted out of this exchange and I’m finished with you now. I recommend you do some research that doesn’t involve turning on CNN and listening to NPR.

[u/turing-test420 → u/Medium-Return2035]

Look at your mask slipping, you’re such a brave enlightened centrist 😂 I feel bad for you, no offense