AOC says ‘fascist’ Trump is running ‘concentration camps’ on the southern border

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has slammed ‘fascist’ Donald Trump’s immigration policy, saying his administration is operating ‘concentration camps on our southern border.’

The Democratic Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district streamed a live Q&A with her Instagram followers on Monday, in which she doubled down on her criticism of the government’s crack down on asylum seekers and migrants.   

‘That is exactly what they are. They are concentration camps,’ Ocasio-Cortez said during the live-stream. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in an Instagram Q&A on Monday that concentration camps are now an ‘institutionalized practice’ in America and described Trump’s border policy as ‘extraordinarily disturbing’

‘I want to talk to the people that are concerned enough with humanity to say that “never again” means something.’

The phrase ‘never again’ has strong ties to the aftermath of the Holocaust and some conservatives accused Ocasio-Cortez of ‘trivializing’ the term by applying to Trump’s policy. 

But Ocasio-Cortez maintained that the Democrats  ‘are losing to an authoritarian and fascist presidency’ and insisted that she does not ‘use those words lightly’.  

‘I don’t use those words to just throw bombs,’ she continued. ‘I use that word because that is what an administration that creates concentration camps is.  

‘A presidency that creates concentration camps is fascist and it’s very difficult to say that.’

‘The fact that concentration camps are now an institutionalized practice in the home of the free is extraordinarily disturbing and we need to do something about it.’                   

The Congresswoman from New York told her followers that the Democrats 'are losing to an authoritarian and fascist presidency'

The Congresswoman from New York told her followers that the Democrats ‘are losing to an authoritarian and fascist presidency’

Ocasio-Cortez came under fire from conservatives in November after she used the Holocaust analogy to point out that applying for refugee status should not in itself be considered a crime.   

‘Asking to be considered a refugee and applying for status isn’t a crime,’ the 29-year-old posted on Twitter. ‘It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany. It wasn’t for targeted families fleeing Rwanda. It wasn’t for communities fleeing war-torn Syria. And it isn’t for those fleeing violence in Central America.’

According to NBC, as of early June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was detaining more than 52,500 immigrants every day in a network of more than 200 detention centers.

Ocasio-Cortez said: 'A presidency that creates concentration camps is fascist and it's very difficult to say that'

Ocasio-Cortez said: ‘A presidency that creates concentration camps is fascist and it’s very difficult to say that’

The outlets reports that 24 immigrants have died in ICE custody during the Trump administration, while at least four others died shortly after being released. 

That number also does not include those, including five children, who died in the custody of other federal agencies. 

Ocasio-Cortez’ latest statement came as President Trump threatened to remove millions of people living in the country illegally on the eve of formally announcing his re-election bid.

In a pair of tweets Monday night, Trump said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would next week ‘begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.’

‘They will be removed as fast as they come in,’ he wrote.

An administration official said the effort would focus on the more than 1 million people who have been issued final deportation orders by federal judges but remain at large in the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to explain the president’s tweets.

President Trump who is due to formally announce his re-election bid tonight, yesterday tweeted threatening to remove millions of people living in the country illegally

President Trump who is due to formally announce his re-election bid tonight, yesterday tweeted threatening to remove millions of people living in the country illegally

It is unusual for law enforcement agencies to announce raids before they take place. Some in Trump’s administration believe that decisive shows of force – like mass arrests – can serve as effective deterrents, sending a message to those considering making the journey to the U.S. that it’s not worth coming.

Trump has threatened a series of increasingly drastic actions as he has tried to stem the flow of Central American migrants crossing the southern border, which has risen dramatically on his watch. He recently dropped a threat to slap tariffs on Mexico after the country agreed to dispatch its national guard and step-up coordination and enforcement efforts.

A senior Mexican official said Monday that, three weeks ago, about 4,200 migrants were arriving at the U.S. border daily. Now that number has dropped to about 2,600.

Immigration was a central theme of Trump’s 2016 campaign and he is expected to hammer it as he tries to fire up his base heading into the 2020 campaign.

Trump will formally launch his re-election bid Tuesday night at a rally in Orlando, Florida – a state that is crucial to his path back to the White House.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk