An official representing the Trump administration argued in court that it should not be required to provide toothbrushes, soap and even proper beds to detained children at the US-Mexico border.
During a Court of Appeals hearing in San Francisco on Tuesday, government lawyer Sarah Fabian maintained that it was "safe and sanitary" for children to sleep on the concrete floor in detention facilities.
Her comments were made as attorneys representing detained children at the border claimed that the government is not abiding by the requirements of a 1997 settlement agreement which set a framework for decent humane treatment of detained minors.
The settlement specified that children must be housed in "safe and sanitary conditions", saying that amongst other things, they should at least be provided with soap and toothbrushes.
The three judges present at the hearing appeared pretty shocked at Fabian's comments, as Judge William Fletcher asked:
Are you arguing seriously that you do not read the agreement as requiring you to do something other than what I just described: cold all night long, lights on all night long, sleeping on concrete and you’ve got an aluminum foil blanket?
I find it inconceivable that the government would say that that is safe and sanitary.
US circuit judge Marsha Berzon followed up by asking:
You’re really going to stand up and tell us that being able to sleep isn’t a question of safe and sanitary conditions?
Meanwhile, Fabian stumbled through much of her argument, responding with a lot of "well...maybe's"
A Trump official tried to argue that detained children don’t need soap, toothbrushes, or beds to be ‘safe and sanit… https://t.co/eecN9kDitd— NowThis (@NowThis) 1561145035
Just like the judges, people on the internet couldn't believe what they were hearing claiming they felt "sick to my stomach".
@nowthisnews @SarahKSilverman I feel sick to my stomach thinking that I live in a country where this is happening.… https://t.co/6tLFoSOIMi— Bobby 818 (@Bobby 818) 1561147169
@nowthisnews Who is this monster?— Dr. Anthony Slouchy (@Dr. Anthony Slouchy) 1561145369
@nowthisnews @SarahKSilverman It’s easy to understand how Nazi soldiers could say “I was just following orders”.… https://t.co/RlXDtIHJYF— Martin Sharratt (@Martin Sharratt) 1561146511
@nowthisnews @RealGDT She didn’t say a single coherent sentence— Eli (@Eli) 1561148063
@kevinsmurray @nowthisnews This is the same woman who told a judge she couldn’t work over a weekend to reunite kids… https://t.co/t6wn7ip3yW— Abigail Doull (@Abigail Doull) 1561156316
@nowthisnews If all of us don’t vote in 2020 to rid ourselves of this vicious animal, the tears and sadness of thes… https://t.co/uNr6ZYqk7h— CTerri (@CTerri) 1561151158
@nowthisnews I understand she has a job to do but no job is worth arguing that stupid point. Human decency has to… https://t.co/NXKVxjZzGN— Neal Son (@Neal Son) 1561152832
The full exchange can be found here:
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