President Donald Trump said Sunday he wants members of the press "to go in and see" detention centers holding illegal immigrants along the U.S. southern border, and announced his administration will invite reporters to tour some of the facilities.

What are the details?

According to CNN, President Trump was asked by a reporter whether he would visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Clint, Texas, which The New York Times recently described as "the public face of the chaos at America's southern border."

"What we're going to do is I'm going to start showing some of these detention centers, because — to the press — I want the press to go in and see them," the president explained.

President Trump said he had already spoken with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Mark Morgan and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan to make arrangements for the press tours.

"We're going to have some of the press go in because they are crowded, and we're the ones complaining about they're crowded," Trump said.

"They're crowded because people come up, but now thanks to Mexico, it's slowing down greatly, and I think you'll start seeing some very good numbers," the president continued. "But it is crowded. But we want to have the press go in and see because you know what The New York Times, it really is fake news."



Trump - Detention Center Tours youtu.be

Anything else?

The Washington Examiner reported that President Trump was referring to an article that The Times published Saturday, which described "outbreaks of scabies, shingles and chickenpox" in the Clint facility. According to CBS News, President Trump also called The Times piece a "hoax."

Secretary McAleenan told ABC News on Sunday that the allegations in The Times' story were "unsubstantiated," because "there's adequate food and water. Because the facility is cleaned every day. Because I know what our standards are and I know they are being followed."

The Clint facility was toured by more than a dozen Democratic House members last week, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused the Trump administration of "denying children toothpaste and soap" at the detention center.