Fox News
Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday's Fox and Friends compared migrant detention facilities to an overcrowded house party
- "Fox and Friends" host Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday defended the Customs and Border Protection agency after a group of Democratic lawmakers alleged mistreatment of migrants.
- Kilmeade compared overcrowded facilities to a busy house party. He said: In the beginning it would be okay with 30. Then after 100 people it would be a little bit taxed, maybe you get an outdoor facility. Can you picture 5,000?"
- Democratic Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez criticised Kilmeade, asking what was the last party he went to where people were "locked in a cage under armed guard."
- A Department of Homeland Security report on Tuesday detailed overcrowding, lack of access to food and poor hygiene at detention facilities.
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A host for the Fox News channel compared migrant detention facilities on the US-Mexico border, where migrants are packed into standing-room-only cells, to a house party with too many guests.
Brian Kilmeade in Tuesday morning's edition of "Fox and Friends" defended conditions in the migrant detention facilities after a group of Democratic lawmakers accused Customs and Border Protection officials of mistreating detainees after inspecting facilities near El Paso, Texas.
DHS Office of the Inspector General
Overcrowding of families observed by OIG on June 10, 2019, at Border Patrol's McAllen, TX, Station
New York Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez said migrants were not being given access to clean water and were even being told to drink from toilet bowls.
During the segment, Kilmeade said the CBP was being unfairly blamed for conditions in the facilities, and compared the centers to a house party that got out of hand.
He said:
"Picture yourself: you have a house, family of five. You have a party, you have 30 people over. Maybe you have a big party and have 100 people over and you have two and a half baths.
"In the beginning it would be okay with 30. Then after 100 people it would be a little bit taxed, maybe you get an outdoor facility. Can you picture 5,000?"
You can have the best facilities in the world but they are so overstocked…"
The remarks attracted the notice of Ocasio-Cortez, who ridiculed his claims on Twitter.
Later Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security released a report detailing shocking overcrowding at its migrant detention centers - substantiating some of the allegations of Democratic lawmakers Monday.
Pictures from the facilities show migrants packed into fenced-off holding areas and cells, and the report says children were not given access to showers and hot meals.
DHS Office of the Inspector General
Overcrowding of families observed by OIG on June 11, 2019, at Border Patrol's McAllen, TX, Centralized Processing Center
On Tuesday though, Kilmeade continued to defend his remarks and the conduct of the CBP in reply to Ocasio-Cortez.
"They aren't cages- they r dividers that @BarackObama engineered 2 separate unaccompanied kids from adults ask @DHSgov- they were never meant to house 690k people in 6 mo's- Border Patrol R patriots & u have done NOTHING to help, except rant about unverified stories."
Hey, @kilmeade:
What was the last "party" you went to where you:
- Were locked in a cage under armed guard
- Drank out of a toilet
- & given food of such poor nutritional value, for so long, that it gave you mouth sores? https://t.co/UfO8EQzRbI
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) 2 July 2019