Court rules: "Assuring that
children eat enough edible food, drink clean water, are housed in hygienic
facilities with sanitary bathrooms, have soap and toothpaste, and are not
sleep-deprived are without doubt essential to the children's safety."
Read the full decision HERE.Rights groups expressed relief on Thursday after a federal court dismissed a Trump administration appeal which argued that safe and sanitary conditions for detained immigrant children does not include providing basic hygiene necessities such as toothbrushes, soap, showers, and towels.
That the court decision was necessary underscores the cruelty of the Trump White House, said observers.
"The government
of the United States of America was fighting against having to provide
toothbrushes, soap, and showers to children," tweeted Andy Donohue, managing editor
of Reveal.
In its opinion (pdf), the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals strongly rejected the Trump administration's argument that certain
basic necessities may not be required in some circumstances.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As if it needs explaining, it is this kind of conduct by the Trump administration that has led to the rise of the Jewish-led NEVER AGAIN campaign. Trump's prison camps, especially those for children, have led people of conscience to engage in protests such as the one earlier this week at the Wyatt private prison in Central Falls. - Will Collette
"Assuring that children eat enough edible food, drink clean water, are housed in hygienic facilities with sanitary bathrooms, have soap and toothpaste, and are not sleep-deprived," the ruling stated, "are without doubt essential to the children's safety."
"Assuring that children eat enough edible food, drink clean water, are housed in hygienic facilities with sanitary bathrooms, have soap and toothpaste, and are not sleep-deprived," the ruling stated, "are without doubt essential to the children's safety."
Aura Bogado,
immigration reporter for Reveal, called the decision a "big win for
children and their advocates."
The court's ruling
comes just weeks after Justice Department attorney Sarah Fabian stood before
Ninth Circuit judges and argued that the Trump administration should not
necessarily be required to provide detained immigrant children with
toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and other items.
Fabian's remarks
quickly went viral and sparked widespread outrage.