LISTEN: Border agent mocks migrant children crying for parents at detention center
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LISTEN: Border agent mocks migrant children crying for parents at detention center
Immigrant kids, many of them taken away from their families, sit in a cage at a facility in McAllen, Texas. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/AP)
Heart-wrenching audio of wailing children was recorded at a detention center for young migrants taken from their families — and cruel border agents can be heard mocking them.
Locked away at the U.S. border, the 10 kids can be heard crying for “Mami” and “Papa,” according to audio obtained by ProPublica.
A man believed to be a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent likens their torment to music.
“We have an orchestra here,” he muses, according to a translation shared Monday. “What’s missing is a conductor.”
The audio of children whose ages range from 4 to 10 was recorded last week at an unspecified detention facility and passed along to Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid attorney Jennifer Harbury.
The civil rights lawyer told ProPublica her client “heard the children’s weeping and crying, and was devastated by it.”
Harbury did not respond to a request for comment.
Journalists could be heard listening to the audio ahead of a White House press briefing, and the audio could heard playing again as Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen defended the Trump administration’s disputed immigration policies.
Nielsen told reporters she had not heard the audio.
"We now care for them. We have high standards. We give them meals an we give them education and we give them medical care,” Nielsen told reporters of the migrant children. “There is videos, there is TVs, I visited the detention centers myself.”
One of the children in the recording was identified as Alison, a 6-year-old girl from El Salvador heard rattling off a phone number she memorized for her aunt, who she believes will pick her up at any moment.
“Are you going to call my aunt so that when I’m done eating, she can pick me up?” the little girl asks a consular worker, according to the translation.
The consular worker can be heard saying the girl has been denied a meal.
“They haven’t given her her food yet because she wants to talk to her aunt first,” the worker says, then pledging to call the aunt.
ProPublica spoke to the aunt, who was not identified.
“It was the hardest moment in my life,” the woman told the news site. “Imagine getting a call from your 6-year-old niece. She’s crying and begging me to go get her. She says, ‘I promise I’ll behave, but please get me out of here. I’m all alone.’ ”
The aunt said little Alison has been moved to another facility with a bed.
But in the week since the audio was recorded, she has not seen or heard from her mother, whose last known location was a immigration lockup near Port Isabel in Texas.
The mother and daughter traveled to the United States through Guatemala and Mexico after paying a smuggler $7,000, ProPublica reported.
“She’s a human being. She’s a child. How can they treat her this way?” the aunt said of her niece.
The audio was recorded as the Trump administration announced plans to pitch tents for more than 300 migrant children at the Tornillo port of entry.
The tan tents were installed this week and hold bunk beds for at least 20 children, photos show.
With Chris Sommerfeldt
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As a mother I could not help but weep after hearing this audio. Who are we as a country? There has got to be a better way.
Oh the hypocrisy of the left. This is yet another contrived and made up crisis. The illegals have learned to come to the border with children in tow....not necessary their own....claim they are seeking asylum....start the process....then disappear. The kids are being taken care of and the separation will be short. The border patrol is simply applying the laws that were passed by a bipartisan Congress, but not enforced by the Obama administration.
Greg - say what you will. I gave up on this discussion when the majority on the right decided to accuse the kids in this audio as being liars and actors. There is no reasoning with that argument.
That's pretty much the only tactic they have left given how bad their PR is on this issue.
They are being manipulated and exploited by adults. A temporary separation is not the end of the world for these kids. What I said above is what really is going on, and it only has become apparent what the left is doing when Trump and Sessions decided to enforce the law. This is also another losing issue for the left, as it is so apparent to the voters what is going on here.
It's already started to turn around and begin biting the butts of the hypocritical (deleted, skirting {SP} )
Yep, I agree.
Our country is so phucked. We can't even come together when children are being mistreated.
Here's Trump's new hotel:
.
Even some conservatives are disgusted by the Trump regime:
The bottom line is that this is unnecessary. There is widespread bipartisan consensus on this. The President*, who fancies himself a king, actually does have the authority to stop this unnecessary trauma on children. He’s too busy focusing on his imaginary authority to pardon himself of traitorous crimes.
Especially since it was his regime which changed the previous policy and thus caused the problem. In fact they've been plotting to do this since Feb 2017.
The previous policy as practiced by the Obama administration, was to not to enforce the laws as passed by Congress. Trump simply applied the law.
It is sad and heartbreaking to hear. As a mother you just want to hold them and tell them it will be fine.
Unfortunately, many of the adults who accompany these children lie. It is just a fact. You don't know who to believe. Children can be threatened to say an adult is their mother or father or tell lies. They cry for their mother, fathers, aunts but are they really relatives? Could be pimps for all we know. These children could end up being child sex slaves never to be seen and heard of again. It is our responsibility to protect the children and do our due diligence the best we can. Crying is heartbreaking of course, but I would rather hear some crying than have them be raped and tortured for years. Wouldn't be surprised if many already have.
Instead of pointing fingers, it would be great if the do nothing Congress for the last 20 years would do their fricking jobs on both sides of the aisle.
Which I have said many times but no one wants to hold them responsible.
Perhaps there will be a quick fix since all three branches of government are controlled by one party. I'm just confused why they continue to do nothing when it's within their power.
Yep and the Democrats did nothing when they controlled all two branches of power also. The third branch is Judicial.
Hopefully it has all come to a point that Congress will get something done, but I do believe they need some Democrat votes too.
Sure, we can blame whomever you want.
Now, can we move on to the present time and encourage those who are able to do something about now to act. If you want they can add an attachment where they can list everyone who didn't do anything to correct this issue before now. It makes no difference to me as long as someone does something.
They had some not too long ago, dems and republicans worked out a plan Trump said he liked and it was good to go. Until Steven Miller got in his ear, he turned on a dime and quashed that bipartisan attempt. Basically defenders of this Trump policy don't care the kids are used as pawns in their political game. The ends justify the abuse of children if they end up getting what they want politically. No wonder the policy is being compared to some horrendous moments in history.
You said you where confused. Stating for you that neither party has done anything. If this had been done prior by any Congress, the problems with immigration we have now would not exist. Hope that clears it up for you.
Trump has and so has his DHS Director. I suggest you contact your state Senator.
Thanks - I never thought of that.
Sure, thanks.
Hello Sunshine,
When you have some extra time, you should try and watch this link that colour me free shared with me.
It was very informative.
Hi Jane...thank you. I most definitely will.
Frontline also did a program on the growing MS13 gang members connection to our immigration laws.
See if I can find it.
Please share if you can find it. Thanks
Thank you.
No problem
The article was about border agents cruelly mocking children who were crying for their parents, not a single comment about that yet. How about it righties, is this ok too? Should these agents lose their jobs, yes or no?
Overpopulation is the root cause of this
Bottom line: Trump can end this with one phone call any time he wants to. Children are being separated from their parents because HE wants it that way, period.
Precisely. Trump and Sessions have been plotting to do this since the inauguration in order to discourage refugees from coming here. For some reason they think that abducting children will be good PR for the GOP.
You got that part right. The question is how many of them are really refugees.
Sadly, it IS good PR for most of their base.
In one week trump hugged a murdering dictator, saluted a man that said he wants to see the USA, "burning a lake of fire", shit on all of our allies and imprisoned children...
And the trumpettes just keep on cheering for this bottom feeding worthless POS.
Okay, I'm closing the article (I'm tired). Thanks to everyone for your comments, even the ones that I didn't agree with. It's good to hear different views especially the ones that provoke emotion.
Cheers!
E.A Have a Pleasant rest! Till Next Time!