As a part of president Donald Trump’s agenda to crack down on illegal immigration, the construction of a detention center, notoriously dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, began in June. The facility quickly drew immense criticism for its inhumane conditions and treatment of detainees.
(Illustration by Kaylin Yi)
Though Alligator Alcatraz is currently shut down due to environmental and moral concerns, the Trump administration’s use of it as a model for expanding detention capacity across the country is extremely concerning. Reports described the center as having contaminated food, floors flooded with sewage water and overcrowded cells resembling cages, according to AP News.
This precedent reflects a disregard for human rights and normalizes mistreatment under the guise of immigration control. The situation highlights a distinct lack of empathy from Trump’s administration and other officials, as they easily cross other humans’ boundaries in this facility.
Additionally, detainees were denied the opportunity to speak to lawyers, family or friends, according to NBC News. They were effectively denied one of America’s most fundamental rights: access to a fair justice system.
The detention center is oppressive toward immigrants who deserve equal and just treatment. Even the most basic standards of human decency are ignored, as if immigrants deserve fewer rights than any other citizen does. Everyone, including immigrants, should reserve the ability to possess human rights, no matter their origin.
In the midst of it all, the government’s reaction toward public criticism is offensive. Its complete disregard for the public’s opinions shows a disinterest toward serving the people of America, which should be one of their top priorities.
Trump’s unprofessionalism was shown clearly as he joked that detainees would have to “learn how to run from alligators,” according to CNN. Instead of understanding the cruel conditions they forced the detainees of Alligator Alcatraz into, the administration ridiculed them.
To prevent more unjust facilities from being built, Americans must stand up and hold government leaders accountable, demanding humane treatment for all people, regardless of their immigrant status. The same goes for officials, whose silence makes them complicit in the moral wrongdoings of Trump’s administration.
Similarly, the government must take responsibility and shut down existing facilities with inhumane conditions. It has a duty to ensure that detention centers, or any other facility, meet basic human rights.
And in a nation that prides itself on being a country of immigrants, forcing people to suffer because of their background is deceitful. These centers take away dignity, separate families and reduce people to less than human.
Americans can not claim to value the right to freedom while tolerating this kind of abuse. Ending these facilities is not just about policy, but about deciding what kind of country we want to be.
