In a renewed focus on detention centers for illegal immigrants, leftists have hit out against President Trump, focusing particularly on a facility in Virginia, where it is alleged children were beaten, among other abuses. However, the center opened in 2007 and the alleged abuses were reported in 2016, a year before Trump took office.
A tweet from Michael Biesecker of the AP drew attention to the story Thursday:
BREAKING @AP: Immigrant children as young as 14 housed at a juvenile detention center in Virginia say they were beaten while handcuffed and locked up for long periods in solitary confinement, left nude and shivering in concrete cells. https://t.co/ffw0bBcYrH
— Michael Biesecker (@mbieseck) June 21, 2018
However, the news is hardly ‘breaking’:
Um…
…the facility opened in 2007.
And the primary allegations are from…2016.
A year BEFORE Trump became President.
Just pointing this out. https://t.co/Xc9LIfsNCG
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) June 21, 2018
“BREAKING” @mbieseck? pic.twitter.com/2n2KBYtdJu
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 21, 2018
How is this breaking when these allegations were in a lawsuit from October 2017? https://t.co/7TcB1RgP4U
— Andy and Jalad at Tanagra (@Aestro) June 21, 2018
The story relates to lawsuits filed in 2016, during the Obama administration.
According to the report, a guard at the facility was fired for allegedly punching two children. The facility denied the allegations, and the guard counter sued for wrongful dismissal. The case was settled in January.
This is why the media is the worst. This guy tweets this headline and of course it gets picked up. The allegations are horrific. However, no one reads the articles so it will be completely lost that it’s not something that just happened pic.twitter.com/yaMfZZVOVk
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) June 21, 2018
So, President Trump had absolutely nothing to do with any of this. These people were detained in facilities opened prior to or during the Obama administration. Children were allowed to be taken by human traffickers and then there was an attempt to keep it all quiet.
OK, but whatever, blame Trump:
That’s horrendous. Trump administration officials should be held accountable for criminal acts of child abuse. cc: @ACLUVA https://t.co/lp5AWjX195
— Jamil Dakwar (@jdakwar) June 21, 2018
fuck impeachment. this motherfucker should be locked up for life. https://t.co/vX6YevImK5
— marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) June 21, 2018
Impeach lock up who?
And of course, they're torturing the kids too. https://t.co/99YPqCLhCt
— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) June 21, 2018
This is what happens when your entire political narrative is grounded in the idea that some lives are worth more than others. It always led here, to brown kids in shackles.
This is America now. This is who we are. Don’t look away. https://t.co/lyJ504hZbR
— Derek Johnson (@derekjGZ) June 21, 2018
This is not over by a longshot. https://t.co/1nd2NboquV
— Mark Frost (@mfrost11) June 21, 2018
The spirit of Abu Ghraib lives. In Virginia. https://t.co/zVo4ZT5KfF
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) June 21, 2018
Gitmo Jr. Good Lord. https://t.co/VAy8NIsqGc
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) June 21, 2018
Not a single case of alleged abuse mentioned is during the Trump administration. In fact it specifically says that. But keep lying you lying hypocrite.
— Keep Calm and Carry (@johnnyfriegas) June 21, 2018
It would be awful if people had actually read these stories when they all happened between 2009-2016, it is a shame no one could report on Obama.
— How is this real life? (@Howisthisreall4) June 21, 2018
Some still can’t muster the attention span to read one article:
So it turns out many of these children were placed there during the Obama administratin. Shamefull.
— Ken Montgomery (@MontgomeryKen) June 21, 2018
What are you talking about? Obama left office in 2017. This began last month.(actually in April)
— Roxanne Gallagher (@Roxyknowsknitts) June 21, 2018
No, it ALL happened under Obama. It's conveniently buried in the 10th paragraph. Seriously, how lazy are you that you can't read to the 10th paragraph? Jesus.
— Schmectel Corporation (@schmectelcorp) June 21, 2018
Remarkably, CNN host Brooke Baldwin also made the point during an interview with a Democratic Senator, that Democrats didn’t seem all that concerned about immigration policies under Obama:
