ICE furiously denies 'fake news' claims about starving migrants in detention centers
The agency, headed by Homeland Security, hit back at a recent NBC News report that detainees have had to deal with overcrowding, food shortages and spoiled food at detention centers in at least seven states, according to immigration advocates.
After the outlet published the story early Monday morning, Homeland Security took to its X account and shamed the network for its 'false' report.
The post revealed a screenshot of the outlet's headline: 'Immigrants in overcapacity ICE detention say they're hungry, raise food quality concerns,' to which the agency responded: 'FAKE NEWS!'
'Any claim that there is a lack of food or subprime conditions at ICE detention centers are FALSE.
'All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.
'Meals are certified by dieticians. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.'
After the outlet published the story early Monday morning, Homeland Security took to its X account and shamed the network for its 'false' report
The agency's comment sparked an influx of reactions from online users as some stood by the statement and others questioned it.
'They are treated far better than they deserve,' one wrote, referring to migrants.
'ICE treats criminal illegals better than Gavin Newsom treats homeless veterans,' said another.
'BREAKING: @NBCNews is ALWAYS fake,' someone wrote.
Others were not as convinced the agency was telling the truth, as one user said: 'Post video of these supposed claims of yours.'
'You deny it, so it's true,' another commented.
'Show the receipts. And let observers in with cameras,' wrote another.
Although the agency has vehemently denied these claims, a former ICE official told the outlet it's difficult for a detention facility to stay stocked up with food when new illegal migrants get thrown in.
'While the agency can move money around to cover the cost of detaining more immigrants, planning for unexpected daily spikes can be difficult for facilities and could lead to food being served late or in small quantities,' the outlet wrote, per the source.
This is not the first time NBC has been the target of Homeland Security, as Secretary Kristi Noem made a fiery appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday as she fiercely defended the Trump administration's controversial new migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.'
The interview came after Democratic lawmakers described the facility as a humanitarian nightmare.
In a blistering exchange with NBC anchor Kristen Welker, Noem accused Democrats of hypocrisy and political theater after a congressional tour of the facility ended with accusations of inhumane treatment and squalid conditions.
'I wish they would've said that during the Biden administration,' Noem said as Welker repeatedly pressed her about reports of overcrowded cells and unsanitary water sources.
'They were piling people on top of each other on cement floors... and they didn't have two feet to move. They never did that, and that's why this politics has to end.'
The clash came just 24 hours after Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats toured the newly opened compound and compared it to an internment camp.
'There are really disturbing, vile conditions and this place needs to be shut the hell down,' Wasserman Schultz told reporters. 'This place is a stunt, and they're abusing human beings here.'
According to lawmakers on the tour, more than 30 migrants were packed into cage-style cells with just three combination sink-toilets. Temperatures hovered in the mid-80s inside medical intake tents.
Grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and other insects were rampant. One detainee reportedly shouted, 'I'm an American citizen!' while others chanted 'Libertad!', Spanish for 'freedom.'
Welker confronted Noem with such claims: 'Thirty people stuffed into a jail cell? Drinking water from the same place they use the bathroom?'
But Noem appeared unshaken and fired back. 'Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons. The standards are extremely high. This is a state-run facility, but it still exceeds the requirements.'
Noem stood by the facility and doubled down, revealing that five Republican governors have already spoken with her about using the Florida site as a model.
The Alligator Alcatraz facility was constructed in days and built on a remote airstrip in the Everglades. It now holds nearly 900 detainees but has a capacity of over 3,000.
President Trump, who visited the site before it opened, has praised it as a symbol of deterrence and a cornerstone of his administration's aggressive deportation push.
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