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Clinton Criticizes Migrant Child Detentions Amid Her Own Record
Clear Facts
- The Clinton administration detained over 4,100 unaccompanied juveniles in fiscal year 2000.
- Former President Bill Clinton signed 1996 laws that expanded mandatory detention and expedited removals.
- The Trump administration has located over 145,000 children previously lost under the prior administration.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attacking current immigration enforcement despite a historical record that mirrors the policies she now criticizes. Data from the Bill Clinton era reveals that hundreds of juveniles were held in federal custody daily as immigration enforcement sharpened during the 1990s.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service under Bill Clinton detained 4,136 unaccompanied illegal minors for periods exceeding 72 hours in fiscal year 2000. This historical reality complicates the former First Lady’s recent claims regarding the treatment of migrant children.
“Terrible damage to children is being done in our name,” Clinton posted on social media while criticizing current detention numbers.
Department of Homeland Security officials clarified that current practices are consistent with past administrations and do not target children. They noted that parents are given options regarding their children’s placement during the removal process.
“ICE does not target children or separate families,” a DHS spokesperson stated.
“Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates.”
Recent reports indicate that the current administration is focused on rectifying the exploitation of 450,000 unaccompanied children that occurred during the Biden tenure. Authorities have utilized door knocks and welfare visits to locate thousands of children previously placed with unsafe sponsors.
“Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers,” the spokesperson added.
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