NEW: Abner, 17, describes 11 days of hunger and thirst at Yuma's border station. He tells NBCNews that he gave food to younger migrant kids so they wouldn't go hungry, saw a guard hit a boy, and drank from the sink by cupping his unwashed hands.
CHICAGO — Abner, a 17-year-old Guatemalan boy, vividly recalls the first 48 hours he spent inside the U.S. Border Patrol station in Yuma, Arizona. He was awake for all of them because there was no space to lie down., Abner said the older children would give the 8, 9, and 10-year-olds space to lie down on the floor while they would try to sleep sitting or standing up. With nothing to cover him, Abner would tremble.
Earlier this month, NBC News reported that children held at the Yuma station between April and June had told government case managers about overcrowding and poor conditions,In total Abner spent 11 days from late May to early June in the Yuma border station. He describes them as filled with hunger and thirst, extreme temperatures and fear of the guards manning the facility.
"Sometimes, we would give one [hamburger] to the little ones. Because the little ones were the ones that wanted to eat more than others. At least, [the older kids could] stand the hunger a little more," Abner said.For water, they had only the sink in their cell, and they had no hand soap. They drank from the sink by cupping their unwashed hands.
"Sometimes we would ask what time it was and they would tell us, 'Oh do you have a meeting to go to?' And they would reprimand us on why we were asking," Abner said.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
This Woman Is Putting Her 17 Kids Through School Thanks to a Face OilMoringa is so much more than the source of a trendy beautifying oil. For the people of northern Uganda, this sustainable resource represents the future.
Read more »
The Latest: Iran says 17 CIA spies arrested, some sentencedNEW: Iran says it has arrested 17 Iranian nationals allegedly recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency to spy on the country's nuclear and military sites.
Read more »
Iran says it has arrested 17 US spies, some could face executionGet breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC news.
Read more »
Iran Claims 17 Citizens Arrested As Alleged CIA Spies, Sentences Some To DeathThe CIA has yet to comment on the incident.
Read more »
Iran Claims 17 Citizens Arrested As Alleged CIA Spies, Sentences Some To DeathIran claims it arrested 17 spies working for the CIA—and that some of those 17 were sentenced to death by lisettevoytko
Read more »