Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Should homeless shelters look like this detention center? Is that what you want? I'm asking because I'm not sure.

No doubt, more than a few homeless US citizen would be thrilled to have accommodations as nice as this detention center.

They also anticipate that each detainee will stay approximately 23 days. Would homeless citizens want to stay at a detention center like this for just shy of a month before going back to wherever?

Twenty-three days off the streets is better than 23 days on the streets--food, clothing, housing, medical care, recreation…provide these services for the homeless population in DC, LA, etc and it would be standing room only for those who would welcome a respite from the streets even if it was only temporary.

$140 a day per person.

The US homeless population would be ecstatic to have the benefits provided by $140 per day. Do they get this kind of benefit? Hell no!

The main issue is that we need to secure the borders which requires that we allocate the resources, surveillance technology and manpower necessary to ensure that individuals crossing the borders are doing so legally. But, we also have to address our government's political and financial support of repressive regimes in Central America, and frankly, in Mexico too . There is definitely a legacy of drug and gang related violence, rampant domestic abuse, and unrelenting poverty in those countries. In the meantime though, what should happen to these children? It is inhumane to just let them outside to die. We should humanize the real-life individuals behind this polarizing political debate, the children don't deserve to starve because of their parents or our government's negligence....

Anonymous wrote:Should homeless shelters look like this detention center? Is that what you want? I'm asking because I'm not sure.

No doubt, more than a few homeless US citizen would be thrilled to have accommodations as nice as this detention center.

They also anticipate that each detainee will stay approximately 23 days. Would homeless citizens want to stay at a detention center like this for just shy of a month before going back to wherever?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt children are homeless, living on the street, because of the price of a flat-screen TV. A couple hundred dollars more or less isn't keeping them out of an apartment.

You missed the point entirely. We, as a nation, should not be treating illegal immigrants better than we treat our own citizens.

How about treating people like human beings and not being so disgusting as to think that some people matter and some don't, solely based on where they happened to be born?

... which is just pure luck, or unluck as the case may be.

Is it luck or are we the children of people who built a country worth living in?

Should homeless shelters look like this detention center? Is that what you want? I'm asking because I'm not sure.

No doubt, more than a few homeless US citizen would be thrilled to have accommodations as nice as this detention center.

he feds said the rooms will be referred to as "suites." The suites are furnished with bunk beds, play tables for children, flat-screen television sets and landline telephones.

"I will refer to everyone in this facility as a resident. ICE generally refers to people in custody as detainees," ICE San Antonio Field Office Director Enrique Lucero said.

Lucero oversaw the transformation of the center.

The center has a soccer field covered with artificial turf, basketball courts, ping pong tables and a weight room. Officials also have plans to install a playground.

A charter school from nearby San Antonio will provide schooling and access to a library for the immigrant children.

The immigrants will get medical screenings. Children will receive physicals within 24 hours of arriving at the center and women within a week.

"There is a dentist on site," Lucero said.

There is a room where the immigrants will get to pick new clothes. Every illegal immigrant will be able to choose six sets of clothes, including shoes and socks.

"While residents are here ... we will provide a safe and humane environment," Lucero said.

The feds estimate it will cost approximately $74,000 a day to house 532 immigrants at the center. That's an average of $140 a day per person.

Once again, why are we treating illegal immigrants better than our own homeless population? A dentist on site? Six sets of new clothes? Turf soccer field? Basketball courts? Ping pong tables? Weight room? No wonder homeless advocates have been up in arms about the crisis at the border.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some things never change. I remember debating a classmate in the 60's because she insisted that all African Americans spent their money on was color TV's. I hear the dog whistle loud and clear. Flat screens indeed. Find your humanity or at least realize that we are a nation founded in the premise that our diversity is our strength.

What exactly does your statement/lecture have to do with treating illegal immigrants better than we do our own homeless citizens?

I must agree with first PP. Why fixate on TVs? It does seem like a dog whistle.

It seems like a nice detention center, while the detainees wait to go through processing. There's a huge backlog, so it's not a fast process, but detainees go to the head of the line (a longstanding policy).

Should homeless shelters look like this detention center? Is that what you want? I'm asking because I'm not sure.

I no longer say anything OP, the country is going to h--- in a hand basket.

Anonymous wrote:Some things never change. I remember debating a classmate in the 60's because she insisted that all African Americans spent their money on was color TV's. I hear the dog whistle loud and clear. Flat screens indeed. Find your humanity or at least realize that we are a nation founded in the premise that our diversity is our strength.

What exactly does your statement/lecture have to do with treating illegal immigrants better than we do our own homeless citizens?

Some things never change. I remember debating a classmate in the 60's because she insisted that all African Americans spent their money on was color TV's. I hear the dog whistle loud and clear. Flat screens indeed. Find your humanity or at least realize that we are a nation founded in the premise that our diversity is our strength.

Most of these “children” who are crossing our borders are teenagers:

Sixteen percent of the minors who’ve crossed illegally and unaccompanied in fiscal year 2014, ending Sept. 30, were 12 and younger, compared with 9 percent in the same nine-month period for the previous year, Pew found. The remaining 84 percent of unaccompanied minors who’ve crossed this year were teenagers.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/07/pre-teens-account-for-sharpest-spike-in-unaccompanied-child-migrants/

How many are gang members? We are not sure. How many are male? Not sure.
While we should treat ALL the people who come across with compassion, they should not be given extravagant accommodations. This is almost like rewarding these people for breaking our laws. But, most of these people must be sent back to their homeland. They are not all coming here to escape violence - perhaps a very small minority are, but most of them have admitted that they are here because they have been told they can stay. Our country cannot possibly provide accommodations, food, healthcare, etc., for ALL people experiencing violence or poverty in their countries. IT IS JUST NOT FEASIBLE.
We have a process for entering our country legally. These people need to follow that process. We have millions who do.
The ONLY people benefiting from this appalling situation are the coyotes who are being paid thousands of dollars per person for bringing these people over. If they get sent home, the influx will stop and there will be no more victimization and abuse of people on the trip here.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what OP thinks we should do with them. Pitch tents on the national mall? Our prisons are already very overcrowded by natives, so that's not an option. The hospitals cost too much even for those of us working our asses off. I guess we could put them in school gyms but what do we go when the school starts again?

OP, these are children!!!! They came from very dire circumstances.

Most of the border kids are still teens, not young children. Yes, there's been in increase among younger children, but most are still teens. And some are gang-affiliated. Let's not forget that.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-illegal-immigration-unaccompanied-minors-20140724-story.html#page=1



Hand over your tax money, folks! You'll be paying for these border kids!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt children are homeless, living on the street, because of the price of a flat-screen TV. A couple hundred dollars more or less isn't keeping them out of an apartment.

You missed the point entirely. We, as a nation, should not be treating illegal immigrants better than we treat our own citizens.

How about treating people like human beings and not being so disgusting as to think that some people matter and some don't, solely based on where they happened to be born?

How about putting away your fairy dust long enough to recognize that we're busting at the seams - unable to take care of our own?

How about that, Puck?

You been inside a homeless shelter lately? I have. They certainly were not "suites" with flat screen tv's. Why exactly should those who break our laws be treated better than our own citizens?