“People in cages”: the conditions in which illegal immigrants are kept at the border. PHOTO

A new report by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security describes the appalling conditions and overcrowding in migrant detention centers in Texas, writes "Voice of America".

The head of one of the centers said that he feared for the safety of his staff and described the situation as a “time bomb”.

On the subject: Border guards are sounding the alarm: hundreds of sick immigrants have fallen in the USA

Published on Tuesday, the report contains numerous photos of people in cells that lie on the concrete floor without work, men, in a room where overcrowding can only stand, men and women in surgical masks who seem to be trying to get the attention of the photographer.

One photograph shows 88 men in a room designed only for 40 people. One of them presses a cardboard plate with the inscription "Help."

The report says that some migrants deliberately clog the toilets with socks and blankets in order to get out of the cage while the toilets are being repaired.

Photo: oig.dhs.gov

The inspector general's report points out scant opportunities for personal hygiene. The document says that many migrants fall ill and suffer from constipation due to the sausage sandwiches they are fed with.

On the subject: How not to overpay for an immigration lawyer

The Inspector General urged the Department of Homeland Security “to take immediate measures to eliminate dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of children and adults in the Rio Grande Valley”.

Photo: oig.dhs.gov

A group of Democratic lawmakers who visited one of the centers on Monday called the conditions of detention "shocking."

Critics believe that one of the reasons for overcrowding in the centers is the refusal of the Trump administration to release migrants seeking asylum.