The German camps were called concentration camps, because at first they were. The inmates were used as labor, but expendable labor.
It wasn't until later that they became death camps, either thru shooting ( at first) and then gassing.
Because of that horrific use of the camps, people equated the term concentration camp with death camp.
Which overshadowed the fact that concentration camps before and after than were also places where victims died of disease, starvation , brutality, or could be places where those extremes were not put into place,like the more benign Japanese "internment camps" of WW2, which, btw, were also used in Canada and Britain, in WW2.
The reason people are uncomfortable with the term now, today, is because the immigrants are not being murdered en masse.
"Never forget" doesn't mean "look out for death camps". It means "look out for conditions that led TO the death camps"
Mass overcrowding which can lead to disease is happening now, here at the camps
Last months DHS Inspector General's report says exactly that:
severe overcrowding
A cell with a maximum capacity of 12 held 76 detainees
a cell with a maximum capacity of 8 held 41 detainees
a cell with a maximum capacity of 35 held 155 detainees
Border Patrol agents told us some of the detainees had been held in standing-room-only conditions for days or weeks.
We also observed staff discarding all other detainee property, such as backpacks, suitcases, and handbags, in the nearby dumpster.
We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety not just of the detainees, but also DHS agents and officers.
With limited access to showers and clean clothing, detainees were wearing soiled clothing for days or weeks.
We also observed detainees standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets.
Although CBP headquarters management has been aware of the situation at PDT for months and detailed staff to assist with custody management, DHS has not identified a process to alleviate issues with overcrowding.
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Mga/2019/oig-19-46-may19-mgmtalert.pdf
the death rate is increasing, as of this week ICE reports 24 deaths.
There are reports from many areas that mumps, measles, and chicken pox has broken out. The conditins are ripe for contagious epidemics that effect not only the camp victims but also the guards and staff, which has resulted in high staff turnover.
We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety not just of the detainees, but also DHS agents and officers. Border Patrol management on site said
there is a high incidence of illness among their staff. Border Patrol management at PDT and other sites also raised concerns about employee morale and that conditions were elevating anxiety and affecting employees’ personal lives
They noted that some employees eligible for retirement had accelerated their retirement dates, while others were
considering alternative employment opportunities.
= new reply since forum marked as read
