America Isn't Running Concentration Camps: A Letter to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Okay, AOC, when you have Chuck Todd critiquing you, I would think that might lead you to question the extent of the foolishness tied to your most recent comments, but, alas, here you sit on Twitter, still wondering why Chuck made the assumption that you were speaking in terms of Nazi Germany, still pushing the narrative that our temporary detention facilities at the southern border are just as bad, and still failing to learn anything from anyone calling you out on any of it. I’ve missed a lot of opportunities to call you out on stuff in the short time you’ve been in the public eye. After all, I’m just some nineteen-year-old kid writing this in his bedroom. But then again, you were serving tacos just a year ago. It’s just that this one’s especially tough to pass up. It’s just too easy. First, let’s have a peek at the definition of the term “concentration camp,” shall we?

Welp, these people aren’t prisoners of war. They aren’t political prisoners. Are these people refugees? Uh, not exactly if you want to stick with the Merriam-Webster definitions here. And besides, we have overcrowded sanctuary cities for those people. These people are not those people. They are part of the biggest minority in the U.S., but in no way whatsoever are they forced to come here. Hate to break it to you, but America is so great that these folks choose to come here, and they know what to expect and of the overwhelming immigration population these facilities face. They come here on their own accord, and they can voluntarily leave on their own accord. While there are cases of lengthened detainment, over 70% of migrants are released after about 30 days or less. The purpose of these facilities is to vet these people. The reason they’re held is to keep our country safe, and majority of these migrants are willing to wait to see if they’ll be granted a visa to enter the greatest country on Earth. Does it still sound like a concentration camp, where those detained are locked up, tortured, and slaughtered?

You’re in the limelight of politics now, AOC. You ought to know your stuff. What would you say if I told you that the rising population of detainees in these facilities has been a trend for the last 25 years? That’s almost your whole lifetime! Under Democrat Bill Clinton the population jumped 20%, forcing Clinton to sign a bill expanding the temporary detainment facilities. Republican George W. Bush, who was very keen on combating illegal immigration, also saw a spike in the number. Its growth even continued under Obama, growing 25% from 2009. So, where was your posse then?

Where were fellow Democrats in 2004 when the death rate per 100,000 detainees sat at a whopping 11.9 compared to the 2.3 per 100,000 in 2018? Would you believe me if I told you that as the sum of total detainees increased, the opposite happened for detainees’ deaths? Where have you all been all this time? Why is this an issue just now?

If you think this is all Trump’s fault, then you’re dumb. Actually, his solutions to the growing problem seem coherent. Due to the steady heavy flow of new detainees, conditions of the facilities are worse off; that is a fact. Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services, states that they can no longer keep up on providing meals and healthcare to the ever-increasing number of migrant children they need to house, but the White House has proposed an updated budget for ICE. As of right now over 49,000 migrants are detained in facilities of which Congress only funds a capacity of 40,000. The updated budget would add extra space for 12,000 migrants, creating better housing and conditions for detainees.

I’m not saying all is bright and peachy. However, for you to compare these facilities, whose primary purpose is to simply vet these migrants, to concentration camps, which were responsible for the execution of millions of lives, is a tad bit way too far, Alexandria. The U.S. isn’t forcing these people to come here. The U.S. isn’t keeping them here. Do you see how things differ between the two? Do you see how gross that comparison is? Do you understand why Chuck Todd just had to say something?

“Americans Are Done Buying into Democratic Spin on Immigration.” - https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/444610-americans-are-done-buying-into-democratic-spin-on-immigration

"Detention by the Numbers." - www.freedomforimmigrants.org/detention-statistics.

"How Trump Inherited His Expanding Detention System." - www.themarshallproject.org/2019/02/12/how-trump-inherited-his-expanding-detention-system#.

"The Annual Death Rate in Immigration Detention Rose in 2017 and Fell in 2018." - www.cato.org/blog/annual-death-rate-immigration-detention-rose-2017-fell-2018.

The Dana Show - www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-dana-show/e/62058971?autoplay=true.

“Why the Trump Admin Wants More Detention Space for Migrants and Democrats Want a Limit.” - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/why-ice-wants-more-detention-space-migrants-democrats-want-cap-n970071