Report Details Alarming Conditions at Border Station Visited by Pence: Crowded Cages, No Cots

Reporters traveled with Vice President Mike Pence to a Border Patrol station in Texas, and the pool report from the Washington Post‘s Josh Dawsey details the conditions they saw firsthand.

Pence was at the McAllen facility today with several Republican lawmakers. Earlier tonight the vice president tweeted, “We have a CRISIS at our border. This year, we are on track to apprehend more than one million migrants on our southern border. The time to address this humanitarian crisis and secure our border is NOW.”

Per the pool report, there were roughly 384 people men there “in caged fences with no cots,” and “the cages were so crowded that it would have been impossible for all of the men to lie on the concrete.” Some of the men in there apparently said they’d been there “40 days or longer.”

Dawsey writes that it was not only “sweltering hot” but that “the stench was horrendous.”

Dawsey also posted photos to Twitter from the border station:

VP saw 384 men sleeping inside fences, on concrete w/no pillows or mats. They said they hadn’t showered in weeks, wanted toothbrushes, food. Stench was overwhelming. CBP said they were fed regularly, could brush daily & recently got access to shower (many hadn’t for 10-20 days.) pic.twitter.com/tHFZYxJF7C

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) July 12, 2019

A few other images from inside: pic.twitter.com/0s7nLXyT3p

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) July 12, 2019

The men said they were hungry and wanted to brush teeth. Most didn’t speak English but gestured at us. CBP said three meals are brought in a day & they can brush daily. Stench was horrendous. CPB said it is cleaned 3x a day. Heat was sweltering. CBP said it was air conditioned.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) July 12, 2019

Facility we saw earlier in the day with children was new & relatively clean and empty. There were cots & medical supplies & snacks. Children watched TV and told Pence through translator they were being taken care of. But at least two said they’d walked for months to get here.

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) July 12, 2019

Pence, per the pool report, said, “I was not surprised by what I saw. I knew we’d see a system that was overwhelmed.”

[image via Josh Dawsey / The Washington Post]

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