Clipped from the White House Press Briefing of Feb. 13, 2007
Q I wanted to ask you, there have been some stories lately about an ICE detention facility outside of Austin, Texas, where asylum-seekers have been kept in prison-like conditions — it is a converted prison, although the bars are not kept closed, as it would be in prison. Women and children are kept in garb that is likened to prison outfits. Is the President comfortable with the idea that asylum-seekers, particularly children, are kept in conditions —
MR. SNOW: Well, as you probably know, in the past, children had been separated from their families. What we’re actually trying to do is to keep them together. We also have been concerned about making sure that they’re kept in humane and sanitary conditions and they’re clothed and fed. And all that is as you would expect. But one of the things we’re trying to do is to keep families together. When you have a large number of people in a facility like that, it does create challenges, and we’re trying to do our best with it.
Q Wouldn’t it be better to find another type of facility?
MR. SNOW: Such as?
Q Dormitory —
MR. SNOW: Sports stadium?
Q — I don’t know.
MR. SNOW: The point is, it’s difficult to find facilities, and you have to do the best with what you’ve got.
Q Thank you, Tony.
END 12:32 P.M. EST
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