Trump lashes out at media over 'phony' border conditions

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out at the news media Sunday over what he called "phony and exaggerated accounts" following reports of crowded and unsanitary conditions at U.S. Border Patrol stations that have heightened debate about U.S. immigration policy, a trademark issue in his 2020 reelection campaign.

In tweets, Trump insisted the "fake news media" was missing the point in their reports about severe overcrowding at the border stations. His comments came after acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan in a news interview acknowledged a difficult situation but disputed accounts of inadequate food and water available for migrants.

"Border Patrol, and others in Law Enforcement, have been doing a great job. We said there was a Crisis - the Fake News & the Dems said it was 'manufactured.'" Trump wrote. Federal detention centers "are crowded (which we ... brought up, not them) because the Dems won't change the Loopholes and Asylum. Big Media Con Job!"

The Homeland Security Department's internal watchdog provided new details Tuesday about the overcrowding in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. The report said children at three facilities had no access to showers and that some children under age 7 had been held in jammed centers for more than two weeks. Some cells were so cramped that adults were forced to stand for days on end.

Government inspectors described an increasingly dangerous situation, both for migrants and agents — a "ticking time bomb," in the words of one facility manager. The report echoed findings in May by the department's inspector general about holding centers in El Paso, Texas: 900 people crammed into a cell with a maximum capacity of 125; detainees standing on toilets to have room to breathe; others wearing soiled clothing for days...