Photos show almost 400 migrants packed in cages at Texas processing center

"Photos show almost 400 migrants packed in cages at Texas processing center" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Photos of a packed migrant processing center in McAllen, Texas on Friday show nearly 400 migrant men packed behind fences with no mats or pillows.

The photos came from members of the media during a tour Vice President Mike Pence took on Friday and show some of the conditions immigrants crossing the border are facing. The United States has seen a surge of immigration this year that has officials calling the situation an ongoing border security and humanitarian crisis. According to The Washington Post, a border patrol agent in charge of the facility said many of men hadn’t showered in “10 or 20 days.” The shelter previously lacked showers.

VP saw 384 men sleeping inside fences, on concrete w/no pillows or mats. They said they hadn’t showered in weeks, wanted toothbrushes, food. Stench was overwhelming. CBP said they were fed regularly, could brush daily & recently got access to shower (many hadn’t for 10-20 days.) pic.twitter.com/tHFZYxJF7C

— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) July 12, 2019

The pool report of the vice president's tour described the smell as "horrendous." Some border patrol agents were wearing face masks.

Wow this White house pool report from McAllen: "400 men were in caged fences with no cots. The stench was horrendous." pic.twitter.com/zLwzCqR9WG

— Jon Passantino (@passantino) July 12, 2019

The McAllen tour came the same day that Texas lawmakers criticized the federal government's treatment of migrants and questioned whether state agencies and officials could provide humanitarian assistance. The conditions at some of the processing centers for migrants have been the subject of attention from the media, Congress and public for weeks now.

View a video from Reuters showing Pence and migrants inside the shelter here:

Earlier this summer, the Tribune reported that some migrants didn't "shower or brush their teeth for days on end," and sick children could often be heard coughing and crying through the night. And yet other migrants described conditions in which they got plenty of food and were well taken care of — illustrating how conditions can be so different from one location to the next.