Staff Reports
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from Florida, recently sparked an outcry with what she seems to believe is a groundbreaking revelation about illegal immigration detention facilities. Apparently, she is scandalized by the fact that these places have facilities where individuals brush their teeth and, heaven forbid, use the toilet. Yes, these lawbreakers—the same ones that have crossed our borders illegally—are being subjected to the luxury of basic hygiene in a bathroom setting. It’s as if she’s just discovered indoor plumbing.
For those who missed the memo, most people in the United States have this thing called a bathroom, where, brace yourselves, they too brush their teeth and, yes, use the toilet. It’s a shocking revelation only if you lived under a rock for the past century. The congresswoman is supposedly distressed that these individuals have to do such unspeakable things where they also relieve themselves. The horror! If bathrooms are such a calamity, maybe she’d like to propose an alternative—charming outhouses for everyone, perhaps?
Now, it’s amusing to note that Debbie Wasserman Schultz uses this argument to paint a dire picture of the treatment of illegal immigrants, calling attention to these innocuous details in attempts to evoke sympathy. The idea seems to be that Americans should feel guilty about providing detention facilities with actual, functional bathrooms. Are we supposed to feel bad that we have met basic human standards? The next thing you know, offering them three hot meals a day will be considered an atrocity.
The congresswoman’s narrative cleverly omits key details—such as the criminal background of individuals entering the country illegally and the fact that detention facilities operate much like any large-scale institution, ensuring the health and safety of individuals through hygiene standards. Yet, the issue is spun to suggest a gross mismanagement of human rights, with Americans painted as the bad guys for offering amenities they, themselves, use daily.
In this ongoing battle where Democrats are eager to showcase the U.S. as a villain, it’s crucial to keep sight of the actual issues at play. People who illegally cross into our nation must face consequences and should be treated humanely within those consequences. However, let’s not pretend that providing a bathroom is somehow a violation of rights. It’s time for realistic assessments over dramatic narratives that contribute nothing to immigration reform but confusion and misplaced outrage.
