Jayapal Disses Trump's Cages, Forgets Biden's Policy Continuity
Rep. Pramila Jayapal decries Trump's immigration crackdowns and detention centers in a video clip from The Hill, focusing on the past administration's 'inhumane' policies. While Trump's border policies were indeed brutal, this narrative carefully avoids mentioning the significant increase in migrant detentions under the current administration, often in the very same facilities or newly expanded
ones. In April 2024, DHS documented over 24,000 migrants in ICE custody, a figure consistent with, and at times exceeding, levels seen during the Trump era, despite promises of reform. It appears the 'inhumane' label is policy, not partisan. The US’s extensive detention infrastructure, heavily reliant on private contractors like GEO Group and CoreCivic—who collectively reported billions in revenue
during the Trump-Biden transition—continues to operate, funded by congressional appropriations many of these same critics vote to approve. One might wonder if the issue is the practice, or simply which party is in office when cameras are rolling.