Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez heard an earful on Twitter over her relatively soft criticism of the Biden administration’s decision to open an immigrant detention center for children, which, when done under the Trump administration, she referred to as “concentration camps.”
After pressure to comment on the situation given how outspoken she was under Trump, she said it’s “not okay, never has been okay, never will be okay – no matter the administration or party.”
The New York progressive linked to a Washington Post article on the facility, with many pointing out that "kids in cages" quickly became a “migrant facility for children” under Biden.
“Our immigration system is built on a carceral framework. It’s no accident that challenging how we approach both these issues are considered ‘controversial’ stances. They require reimagining our relationship to each other and challenging common assumptions we take for granted,” she continued.
“It’s only 2 mos into this admin & our fraught, unjust immigration system will not transform in that time,” Ocasio-Cortez added, “That’s why bold reimagination is so impt.”
She went on to argue the Department of Homeland Security “shouldn’t exist, agencies should be reorganized, ICE gotta go, ban for-profit detention, create climate refugee status & more.”
Our immigration system is built on a carceral framework. It’s no accident that challenging how we approach both these issues are considered “controversial” stances.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 23, 2021
They require reimagining our relationship to each other and challenging common assumptions we take for granted.
It’s only 2 mos into this admin & our fraught, unjust immigration system will not transform in that time.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 23, 2021
That’s why bold reimagination is so impt.
DHS shouldn’t exist, agencies should be reorganized, ICE gotta go, ban for-profit detention, create climate refugee status & more.
Conservative Twitter reacted swiftly.
Little bit more subdued response than flying to the border to scream through a chainlink fence. https://t.co/eYmTNFKuF3
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 23, 2021
So ... “concentration camps”?
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 23, 2021
Can we expect more photo ops like this in response to Biden caging kids? pic.twitter.com/l79DsTtaWp
— John Gage (@johnrobertgage) February 23, 2021
Not okay is a far cry from her “concentration camp” claims.
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) February 24, 2021