More undocumented immigrants are now placed in detention camps as a result of the zero-tolerance immigration policy pursued by the Trump administration. US taxpayers pay between $99 and $150 every day to detain just one person, with 70% of the immigrants staying in detention for at least a month, according to the immigrant rights organization, Freedom for Immigrants.
The organization claims that the top abuses suffered by immigrants in such camps relate to medical, nutritional, and legal issues, as well as prolonged detention, and even solitary confinement. At the start of this month, a group of six American Bishops visited a facility designed for minors, with Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores telling Vatican News that it was sad to see the children in detention, despite them being well-fed, able to go to school, and play soccer.
Bishop Flores said he is concerned that, while the children are provided with basic amenities, there may be insufficient supervision at such facilities and that vigilance and inspection is necessary to ensure they are receiving the correct quality of care. Flores, as well as the US Bishops Conference, believe that the Trump administration should find alternatives to the current situation.
Flores says it is not healthy to use old camps or former military bases for such purposes and that the US Bishops Conference has proposed several alternatives, which would also be more affordable for the US government.