A federal judge on Friday sharply questioned the Biden administration’s position that it bears no responsibility for housing and feeding migrant children while they wait in makeshift camps along the U.S-Mexico border.

The Border Patrol does not dispute the conditions at the camps, where migrants wait under open skies or sometimes in tents or structures made of tree branches while short on food and water. The migrants, who crossed the border illegally, are waiting there for Border Patrol agents to arrest and process them. The question is whether they are in legal custody.

That would start a 72-hour limit on how long children can be held and require emergency medical services and guarantees of physical safety, among other things.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said evidence presented by migrant advocacy groups appeared to support the definition of legal custody. “Are they free to leave?” she asked.

“As long as they do not proceed further into the United States,” answered Justice Department attorney Fizza Batool.

  • quindraco@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    24
    ·
    7 months ago

    There are restrictions on everyone’s ability to leave. I currently can’t go 30 feet south, because I would trespass in my neighbor’s home. These people can’t leave north.

    • PissChrist@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Great point. Its basically the same thing. Being a child locked in a cage in a foreign country while losing your parents and not being able to trespass your neighbors. Same/same. Youre also now restricted from showing up in my lemmy feed due to the block feature, further proving your point.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        But these kids deserve to starve to death, you see. They committed the grave crime of requesting asylum in the United States after fleeing for their lives.

      • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        7 months ago

        Lol, that is the funniest,cleveredt block I’ve ever read, that didn’t devolve into rudeness. Kudos.

    • RainfallSonata@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      THE GOVERNMENT isn’t restricting your right to go 30 feet south, YOUR NEIGHBOR IS. And I can’t imagine why.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Yeah, why is the government feeding any kids? Why isn’t it letting the poor ones die in the street like they deserve for not pulling themselves up by their bootstraps and starting a small business?

      WIC is just a postmodern neo-Marxist liberal plot!