by Inara Jain

*This article is meant to display an individual opinion and covers the issue accordingly. Rather, it is meant to provide a historical warning and spark meaningful thought and conversation*

The genocide of the Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps during World War II is looked back on as the single most fateful event of the last century. In recent decades the German government has made sweeping amends as a real apology for its role in history. In the past decade, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have made arrests of countless asylum seekers and refugees and forced them into detention centers at the Southern border. Similar to how Nazi officers stripped Jewish people of their human rights, ICE officers currently deprive immigrants of theirs.

In Nazi Germany, millions of Jewish families were forced into ghettos and concentration camps and faced inhumane conditions. They had no human rights and were forced to follow unreasonable instructions. These conditions are very similar to the crowded and dangerous ICE detention centers today. According to a New York Times story, migrants have no soap or hygiene essentials, the spaces are overcrowded, and are housed in cages. Further reports indicate that people in ICE custody are sexually abused, often held in solitary confinement, and are sleep-deprived. The appalling similarities between Nazi concentration camps and ICE detention centers are compelling.

In Nazi Germany, Jewish people were forced into ghettos and concentration camps had their belongings and valuables taken from them. They were robbed of their identities and were unable to practice or observe their religious beliefs. This lack of freedom of religion is comparable to the circumstances in current ICE facilities. Muslim migrants in detention centers see their faith at risk. According to immigrant advocate groups, Muslim detainees in a Florida facility must choose between their religion or food as they are served expired halal meat or pork. Aside from violating their religious beliefs, it often makes them sick. Valuable and personal items such as rosaries are reportedly confiscated from migrants by ICE officials. This is a startling echo of the Nazi practice of confiscating wedding rings from Jewish men and women. We can see collections of these countless rings in museums today. In a country that believes in freedom of religion, trampling religious sensitivities should not be a means for punishment. 

Separation of families was prevalent during the Holocaust. When Jewish families were forced out of their homes, they were often torn apart and placed in separate concentration camps. Many never saw each other again. Holocaust survivors have attested to the trauma they endured, as children, when they faced separation from their parents. This trauma follows them decades later. Adults and children dying in concentration camps due to forced labor and punishment was a frequent occurrence. Numerous fatalities and missing cases of children in ICE custody reflect further similarities between ICE detention centers and Nazi concentration camps. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), thousands of children at the border face separation from their families. Immigration advocates demand the reunification of these children, but the details around each case become increasingly convoluted. The possibility of these children experiencing traumatic disorders, similar to those of Holocaust survivors, cannot be eliminated due to similar circumstances.

ICE detention centers on the United States’ southern border display similar practices, of the violation of human rights, to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Jewish people were starved, had no access to essentials, were unable to practice their religion freely, and were often separated from their families. We see the same trends unfolding through news stories, migrant testimonies, and letters from those still in the detention centers. After the Holocaust, Germany continues to make serious attempts to prevent another horrific infringement of human rights. However, if the United States government does not take accountability for what happens in ICE detention centers, history could repeat itself.