AOC says migrants forced to drink toilet water after tense border visit

[JA]

AOC says migrants forced to drink toilet water after tense border visit

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claims Border Police agents are forcing migrants to drink out of toilets and live under other extreme conditions — while the officers sit back and laugh.

“I see why CBP officers were being so physically &sexually threatening towards me,” the congresswoman tweeted Monday after leaving a US Customs and Border Protection facility in Texas.

“Officers were keeping women in cells w/ no water & had told them to drink out of the toilets,” she said. “This was them on their GOOD behavior in front of members of Congress.”

The New York lawmaker was visiting a number of migrant detention centers scattered along the southern border on Monday with other congressional Democrats following reports of terrible conditions and repeated sexual assaults.

“Now I’ve seen the inside of these facilities,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “It’s not just the kids. It’s everyone. People drinking out of toilets, officers laughing in front of members Congress.”

AOC criticizes CBP after report of secret Facebook group as agency opens investigation

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized U.S. Customs and Border Protection Monday following a report that over 9,000 current and former Border Patrol agents are part of a secret Facebook group where some group members made fun of migrant deaths and created lewd edited images of the New York Democrat.

The agency in a response to the report said it immediately contacted the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general and "initiated an investigation."

An official for the CBP said the online activity was "disturbing." The CBP chief also said the posts "are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see—and expect—from our agents day in and day out" and added employees found to have violated the agency's standards of conduct "will be held accountable."

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Monday, President Donald Trump sidestepped a question about the Facebook group, saying he did not know what members of the group were saying about members of Congress. However, the president said that "the Border Patrol is not happy with the Democrats in Congress."

He also defended Border Patrol agents.

"The Border Patrol, they're patriots," he said. "They're great people."

Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group Where Agents Joke About Migrant Deaths and Post Sexist Memes

Members of a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents joked about the deaths of migrants, discussed throwing burritos at Latino members of Congress visiting a detention facility in Texas on Monday and posted a vulgar illustration depicting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez engaged in oral sex with a detained migrant, according to screenshots of their postings.

In one exchange, group members responded with indifference and wisecracks to the post of a news story about a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant who died in May while in custody at a Border Patrol station in Weslaco, Texas. One member posted a GIF of Elmo with the quote, “Oh well.” Another responded with an image and the words “If he dies, he dies.”

[...]

Members of the Border Patrol Facebook group were not enthused about the tour, noting that Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from Queens, had compared Border Patrol facilities to Nazi concentration camps. Escobar is a freshman Democrat representing El Paso.

One member encouraged Border Patrol agents to hurl a “burrito at these bitches.” Another, apparently a patrol supervisor, wrote, “ the hoes.” “There should be no photo ops for these scum buckets,” posted a third member.

Perhaps the most disturbing posts target Ocasio-Cortez. One includes a photo illustration of her engaged in oral sex at an immigrant detention center. Text accompanying the image reads, “Lucky Illegal Immigrant Glory Hole Special Starring AOC.”

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145738027270115328
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145762201619357696
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145764653835964419
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145766311794040834
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145768510783668232
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145801283191955464
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1145802564098777090

There are several other congresspersons who went on this trip to the CBP facilities as well and they all corroborate what AOC has said about the conditions therein.

https://twitter.com/RepJudyChu/status/1145779501080743939
https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1145771512512811015
https://twitter.com/RepJoeKennedy/status/1145791291986460672
https://twitter.com/RepDean/status/1145778546998202368

[7,052,770]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

[Progressive Pessimist]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

It will be one of many infamous things. The worse part is that it will also be part of our country's history that we may never redeem ourselves from.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Nothing will be done about this.  This is the country that folks like FuzzyBear love!

No doubt Tender and Grassroots will be in here defending this in no time, desperately trying to spin it “well ackshwally it’s Nancy Pelosi’s fault something something WALL ILLEGAL THE LAW”

Fits in with the “LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO” philosophy they have.  “Look what democrats made these cpb officers do!”

[Ilhan Apologist]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

[HisGrace]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

The soldiers in that case were discharged and sent to military prison. This stuff is institutionalized and no one is going to be punished for it.

[Ilhan Apologist]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

The soldiers in that case were discharged and sent to military prison. This stuff is institutionalized and no one is going to be punished for it.

https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-abu-ghraib-lawsuit-20150317-story.html

[Cassandra]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

The soldiers in that case were discharged and sent to military prison. This stuff is institutionalized and no one is going to be punished for it.

This is my deepest fear: that no matter who wins in 2020, these concentration camps remain. All that may change if a Democrat is elected is that liberals stop thinking and posting about the horror on the southern border, leaving the state to stomp on any attempt by the left to disrupt this inhumane system.

[Ban my account ffs!]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

The soldiers in that case were discharged and sent to military prison. This stuff is institutionalized and no one is going to be punished for it.

This is my deepest fear: that no matter who wins in 2020, these concentration camps remain. All that may change if a Democrat is elected is that liberals stop thinking and posting about the horror on the southern border, leaving the state to stomp on any attempt by the left to disrupt this inhumane system.

I really agree.  The only hope is that AOC doesn't give up on this, calls out the people who try to gaslight the public into thinking she's "crazy", and continues to point these atrocities out.  History shows that persistent pains in the ass get persistent results.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Average Republican upon hearing about migrants being told to drink toilet water:

"Well, if it's good enough for dogs, it's most certainly good enough for them."

Median Republican upon hearing about migrants being told to drink toilet water:

*very uncomfortable, conflicting feelings* *silence*  *opposes doing anything about it*

[Gass3268]

I'm all for sending Trump to the Hague after he's no longer President.

[junior chįmp]

Average Republican upon hearing about migrants being told to drink toilet water:

"Well, if it's good enough for dogs, it's most certainly good enough for them."

Median Republican upon hearing about migrants being told to drink toilet water:

*very uncomfortable, conflicting feelings* *silence*  *opposes doing anything about it*

GOP: You cant even drink the tap water in Mexico so if anything....this is actually cleaner and healthier water for them.

[QAnonKelly]

I'm all for sending Trump to the Hague after he's no longer President.

https://twitter.com/ivankatrump/status/1136144171084001285?lang=en

[JA]

https://twitter.com/DebbiAlmontaser/status/1145920381351583745?s=19

The problem with this tweet is that they're wrong. That is exactly what America is. If not, then our history wouldn't be soaked in the blood of so many innocents and such awful policies couldn't have been so easily executed. America has been and still is exactly that. And that's why voting out Trump, voting out Republicans, and damning the right-wing will never be enough and why their fascistic elements will not disappear even with a Democratic wave election. It's embedded in who they are, in their cultural upbringing and surroundings, and in our very institutions all the way to their core. Anything short of a complete and total break from America's past and a radical change in a more humanitarian direction will be insufficient. Otherwise, the situation will only continue to worsen.

[Bidenworth2020]

https://twitter.com/DebbiAlmontaser/status/1145920381351583745?s=19

The problem with this tweet is that they're wrong. That is exactly what America is. If not, then our history wouldn't be soaked in the blood of so many innocents and such awful policies couldn't have been so easily executed. America has been and still is exactly that. And that's why voting out Trump, voting out Republicans, and damning the right-wing will never be enough and why their fascistic elements will not disappear even with a Democratic wave election. It's embedded in who they are, in their cultural upbringing and surroundings, and in our very institutions all the way to their core. Anything short of a complete and total break from America's past and a radical change in a more humanitarian direction will be insufficient. Otherwise, the situation will only continue to worsen.

The reason they have been so easily executed is pure ignorance.

[darklordoftech]

This will be Trump's longterm legacy, the primary thing he's remembered for.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Bush did the same thing at Abu Ghraib, and now he's ridiculously popular.

Don’t forget Straight, Inc. The people who claim to be “shocked” by Trump are full of sh**t.

Usually the argument I hear when Bush comes up is “it was actually Clinton’s fault”.

[T'Chenka]

Where is grasr00ts? When will Fuzzy arrive? Where is Sanchez at? Not one single blue avatar here. That really says it all IMO.

These guys have black belts in pretzel-bending to defend their beliefs, but they won't say a word on this one. How can you expect anybody to take you seriously when you don't show up and defend your "American Values" when the going gets tough? Your arguments are the "better" and "more reality-based" ones, so why aren't they holding up to scrutiny and reality?

I want you to come to this thread and explain to us why this is acceptable in ANY way, or otherwise I want you to admit that these are disgusting un-American happenings and that Republicans should be deeply ashamed. Failing to do either, you are now in my eyes equivalent to the Germans who supported Hitler in the 30's, and will be shown respect accordingly. Please note that I'm not necessarily saying you're as bad as WW2 pro-Hitler Germans (pro-genocide).

[7,052,770]

Where is grasr00ts? When will Fuzzy arrive? Where is Sanchez at? Not one single blue avatar here. That really says it all IMO.

Trump supporters are already on Twitter denying it all and/or saying the people in the concentration camps deserve it because they broke the law coming here. That will be the party line for years, but over the next few decades, as this becomes the Trump Presidency's defining thing in people's memory, conservatives and Republicans will start insisting that they opposed this all along and it was just everyone else who supported it.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Where is grasr00ts? When will Fuzzy arrive? Where is Sanchez at? Not one single blue avatar here. That really says it all IMO.

Trump supporters are already on Twitter denying it all and/or saying the people in the concentration camps deserve it because they broke the law coming here. That will be the party line for years, but over the next few decades, as this becomes the Trump Presidency's defining thing in people's memory, conservatives and Republicans will start insisting that they opposed this all along and it was just everyone else who supported it.

Exactly.  Zero ability to take responsibility for their bad actions or policies.

This is all par for the course.  They get elected, cynically take over a responsibility, immediately start half assing it while also doing things like separating families and detaining far more people or trying to run a war they started on the cheap all while screaming bloody murder about how overwhelming it is “thanks to the Democrats”. 

They get exposed as people start dying, inevitably it turns out they are operating cruelly with sociopathic practices.  And when called out:

It’s lashing out in anger and denial.  Charging conspiracies or falsely equivalent whataboutery or, as was mentioned above, simple justification based on dehumanizing large groups of people.

[TPIG]

I'm all for enforcing our immigration laws, and strengthening our Southern border, but this goes so far beyond that. It breaks my heart to think that these people come here for a better life, one with potential and purpose, and this is the treatment they're shown; this is the face of America they see. It doesn't matter anyone's place of origin or immigration status, we're all children of God and deserve to be treated with the dignity that comes from being made in his image. America can't be a moral leader when engaging in this despicable treatment of the weakest in our society...

[Frodo]

To be fair, it was Trump's evangelical base who finally forced him to end family separations.  For now, anyways.  Maybe they'll come through again on insisting on the humane treatment of migrants in accordance with their Christian teachings?  With Fuzzy Bear at the forefront, battering down the White House doors to demand their voices be heard?

[Xeuma]

I'm all for enforcing our immigration laws, and strengthening our Southern border, but this goes so far beyond that. It breaks my heart to think that these people come here for a better life, one with potential and purpose, and this is the treatment they're shown; this is the face of America they see. It doesn't matter anyone's place of origin or immigration status, we're all children of God and deserve to be treated with the dignity that comes from being made in his image. America can't be a moral leader when engaging in this despicable treatment of the weakest in our society...

Did you vote for Trump? If so, this is what you voted for. This is exactly what he said he would do. How do you justify that?

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I'm all for enforcing our immigration laws, and strengthening our Southern border, but this goes so far beyond that. It breaks my heart to think that these people come here for a better life, one with potential and purpose, and this is the treatment they're shown; this is the face of America they see. It doesn't matter anyone's place of origin or immigration status, we're all children of God and deserve to be treated with the dignity that comes from being made in his image. America can't be a moral leader when engaging in this despicable treatment of the weakest in our society...

Look.... here's the bottom line....

Comparing these detention facilities to concentration camps is an insulting lie. What is going is this....

There are a few bad apples who are highlighted by sensational media and conditions are without a doubt bad, but that is just a fraction of the story. The main story is that people are flooding our borders en masse and as a result we do not have all the resources to deal with those kinds of numbers, we get overwhelmed, and conditions go to hell, toss in a few bad apples in law enforcement and this is a recipe for disaster.

[GeorgiaModerate]

I'm all for enforcing our immigration laws, and strengthening our Southern border, but this goes so far beyond that. It breaks my heart to think that these people come here for a better life, one with potential and purpose, and this is the treatment they're shown; this is the face of America they see. It doesn't matter anyone's place of origin or immigration status, we're all children of God and deserve to be treated with the dignity that comes from being made in his image. America can't be a moral leader when engaging in this despicable treatment of the weakest in our society...

Did you vote for Trump? If so, this is what you voted for. This is exactly what he said he would do. How do you justify that?

This is not entirely fair.  Trump campaigned on tight immigration control, but he did not campaign on providing such poor treatment of the detained people.

[DrScholl]

Trump's entire persona campaigning was nothing but insane so people knew they were voting for an unstable, unpredictable person when they chose to do so.