During World War II, the U.S. government ran concentration camps in America. Hardworking Japanese-American citizens and their children were ripped from their homes and put in “relocation camps” for the duration of the war.

“Concentration,” “relocation” and “work” camps are prisons for innocent people who have not been charged with any crime. These prisons are not nearly as horrible as Nazi death camps, of course, but both are inhumane and morally wrong.

Now the Trump administration is holding thousands of Central American children in border patrol camps. Bright lights are on day and night. In some camps, there are no clean diapers. We won’t even teach these children English or give them adult caregivers. Young kids try to help even younger ones.

Children are sleeping on concrete floors with aluminum blankets, some with no soap and no toothbrushes. To verify this information view Sarah Fabian, Trump administration lawyer, on You Tube (6/25/19) arguing in court that facilities are not required to provide those items.

 Private companies are charging U.S. taxpayers $775 per child per night to hold these kids in tent cities, which, according to NBC news, is “far higher than the cost of keeping children with their parents in detention centers.” Numerous children have American relatives who want to take them in.

America must stop imprisoning defenseless children. Such treatment is clearly child abuse.

Any American with a conscience should speak out. Abraham Lincoln said “All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.“ 

 Ellen Field, New Gloucester