Pence observes overcrowded and smelly center for migrants in Texas custody

MCALLEN, Texas (Reuters) – Vice President Mike Pence on Friday visited an overcrowded, nauseating center in Texas, where nearly 400 men have been arrested after being charged with crossing the US border illegally.

Some 384 single men were trapped behind metal fences inside McAllen's sweltering facility, according to an on-site pool reporter. The men did not have carpets or pillows and some slept on concrete.

According to the reporter, the cages were so full that it would have been impossible for all men to go to bed at the same time.

Some of the men said that they had been there for 40 days or more, that they were hungry and that they wanted to brush their teeth. Some agents guarding the cages wore face masks.

Water was available outside the gates, said the pool reporter, citing agents who said the men had access to water without the presence of reporters.

After visiting the establishment, Pence said at a press conference that he was not surprised by what he had seen.

"I knew we would see an outdated system," Pence told reporters. "These are difficult things."

A patrol officer, Michael Banks, said men had the right to brush their teeth once a day. "We currently have 88,000 toothbrushes," he said.

A large number of men had not taken a shower for 10 to 20 days because the facilities had not yet received a shower, according to Banks, who indicated that there were now a shower semi-trailer. Banks said the longest stay of all men at the facility was 32 days.

The men received three hot meals a day at local restaurants but could not have a camp bed to sleep because they did not have enough room for them.

Another 275 women were living in re-used army tents, he said.

Pence said McAllen's center was an "excellent example" of why the United States needs to secure its borders.

"The facilities are overcrowded and our system is overwhelmed. It is time for congressional Democrats to mobilize, do their job and end this crisis, "Pence wrote on Twitter.

Republican President Donald Trump has made the fight against illegal immigration one of the cornerstones of his administration, which is trying to cope with the influx of essentially Central American families crossing the US-Mexico border.

Pence also envisioned a separate family-run facility, divided into several rooms to house women with children, men with children, unaccompanied minors and whole family units.

Inside, migrants were lying on aluminum foil blankets and some children were watching television. Two of the children reported walking for two to three months before arriving at the school.