Kristi Noem Steamrolls Dems Over Border Facility ‘Cages’ Narrative [WATCH]

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the federal government’s handling of detention facilities on Sunday, pushing back against allegations from Democrat lawmakers that conditions at the southern border have become “inhumane.”

The comments came during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, where host Kristen Welker asked Noem to respond to recent criticism of the facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The nickname refers to a high-security immigration detention center that has drawn scrutiny from members of Congress following reports about its conditions.

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“Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that the conditions there are inhumane: more than 30 people stuffed into a jail cell,” Welker said.

“She said they get their drinking water and they brush their teeth from the same place where they go to the bathroom. Madam Secretary, what do you say to these lawmakers who argue this is not humane treatment of individuals, of humans?”

Secretary Noem rejected the characterization of the facilities as “inhumane” and stated that the standards in place for federal detention centers surpass those seen at other levels of incarceration.

“Our detention centers at the federal level are held to a higher standard than most local or state centers and even federal prisons,” Noem said.

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She also took issue with the way the facilities were being described, saying, “I wouldn’t call them ‘jail cells.’”

Welker pressed further, referencing terminology used by Democrat lawmakers in previous years.

“Democrats have called them cages though,” Welker said.

Noem responded by drawing a comparison to previous administrations, specifically referencing the immigration detention policies under Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

“I wish they would have said that… back during the Biden administration and back when Democrats were in the White House and they were piling people on top of each other on cement floors and literally didn’t have two feet to move,” Noem said.

“They never did that, and that’s why this politics has to end.”

Secretary Noem emphasized that her department has made efforts to allow transparency regarding the conditions of the facilities.

“We took cameras in there. We will take cameras in there and show people what these facilities look like,” she stated.

“Because if you compare them to what happened under the Biden administration and under the Obama administration, these centers are at the highest levels. And they’re even higher than what our federal prison standards are or state or local often are.”

NBC’s Welker echoes the Wasserman-Schultz Alligator Alcatraz rhetoric to Noem:

“Democrats have called them cages!” https://t.co/qHyS2HFAgg pic.twitter.com/K3Zt5vW9BY

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) July 13, 2025

The exchange reflects the growing tension between the Department of Homeland Security and Democrat lawmakers over detention policies under President Donald Trump’s administration.

The facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration enforcement and detention conditions.

As criticism of the facility grows in some political circles, DHS has maintained that it is operating within the bounds of federal law and exceeding minimum standards.

Secretary Noem’s comments on Sunday were the latest in a series of public statements aimed at refuting claims of mistreatment and drawing a distinction between the current administration’s approach and previous policies under Democratic leadership.

Secretary Noem’s appearance comes amid broader efforts by DHS to expand detention capacity and respond to rising illegal immigration figures reported in recent months.

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