Fox News’ Shep Smith: Depriving children of soap and toothbrushes is a ‘violation of the Geneva Conventions’

Fox News host Shepard Smith on Monday blasted the Trump administration for failing to provide basic sanitary supplies for migrant children that have crossed the U.S. border on their own and been detained by immigration officials.

Speaking on his program Shepard Smith Reporting, the host slammed the administration for acting in an inhumane fashion. He even suggested that the actions the Trump White House has taken so far could be comparable to violations of international law in other situations.

“Soap and toothbrushes are not optional for children in detention,” Smith said. “They are necessary. Were these particular children prisoners of war rather than innocent children, failure to provide those necessities would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions.”

In spite of the conditions of children that have been reported, “President Trump claims his administration is doing a fantastic job under the circumstances,” Smith added.

The administration seems to have taken the official line of “passing the buck” somewhere else when it comes to media depictions of how immigration officials have thus far treated immigrant children, some of whom have been deprived of toothbrushes, soap, and proper sleeping conditions.

Vice President Mike Pence, for instance, speaking on Face the Nation over the weekend, acknowledged the “heartbreaking” situation near the border. But he also put the blame on Democrats in Congress for not passing an appropriations bill to properly fund the facilities.

That runs counter to the arguments laid out by a Justice Department lawyer last week, who had argued in defense of the executive branch’s decision to deprive migrant children of these necessities within detention facilities. That lawyer stated in a 9th Circuit court in California that children were “safe and sanitary” in spite of the lack of those supplies, reporting from The Atlantic detailed.

Featured image via screen grab/Fox News

Chris Walker

Chris Walker is a freelance news and opinion writer based out of Madison, Wisconsin. With more than 15 years of experience, Chris has published work that spans three separate presidencies. In his free time, Chris likes to pretend he can play guitar.