Taking Formula From Immigrant Babies Won't Fix the Shortage

If you put infants in federal custody, you're obliged to feed them.

In the midst of a national baby formula shortage, some Republicans have found a scapegoat: undocumented immigrant kids.

Several GOP lawmakers have taken to Twitter in recent days to criticize the Biden administration for sending "pallets" of baby formula to migrant detention facilities, supposedly funneling supplies away from American-born mothers. Their claims are light on detail and sometimes downright deceptive, ignoring the actual reasons for the shortage as they clumsily shift the blame to a relatively small group.

Rep. Kat Cammack (R–Fla.) helped spur the outrage after tweeting photos comparing formula supplies at what she said were local grocery shelves and the Ursula processing center, an immigrant detention facility. "This is what America last looks like," Cammack declared.

The first photo is from this morning at the Ursula Processing Center at the U.S. border. Shelves and pallets packed with baby formula.

The second is from a shelf right here at home. Formula is scarce.

This is what America last looks like. pic.twitter.com/OO0V99njoy

— Kat Cammack (Text KAT to 50138) (@Kat_Cammack) May 11, 2022

Holes in Cammack's story soon began to appear. Newsweek obtained a comment from an Ursula official who said "that there were no pallets of baby formula there and that only single adults are currently housed at the facility." What's more, the photo Cammack tweeted that supposedly highlights an empty shelf "right here at home" appeared in a March 11 article from El Paso. It was used at least twice in April.

Rep. Troy Nehls (R–Texas) echoed Cammack's concerns, tweeting: "Baby formula should go to Americans before illegals. This should not have to be said." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the National Border Patrol Council released a joint statement saying that the Biden administration's decision to provide baby formula to undocumented immigrants is "reckless" and "out-of-touch."

Migrants in detention centers aren't free to leave facilities whenever they want to shop for baby formula. Legally, essential products must be provided to migrant children that the government has detained. "Facilities will provide access to…drinking water and food as appropriate," reads the 1997 Flores settlement that addressed the treatment of migrant children. A 2015 Customs and Border Patrol document on detention standards noted that "food must be appropriate for at-risk detainees' age and capabilities (such as formula and baby food)." These legal standards predate the Biden administration.

Nor would diverting baby formula away from immigrant detention centers ease supply chain woes in a meaningful way. Ursula—the facility Cammack singled out on Twitter—holds around 1,100 detainees. The number of American parents who rely on formula to feed their infants is on the order of millions. Though several Republican lawmakers and right-leaning news outlets are agitating about the "pallets of baby formula for all of the illegals who are crossing into the United States," none have been able to say exactly how much formula is going to detention facilities or how often shipments are arriving.

The baby formula shortage is indeed a huge problem. About 40 percent of top baby formula brands are out of stock right now, and producers are warning that shortages could last for several months. But the shortage wasn't caused by the government's legal duty to feed the kids it has confined. "Much of the current shortage is rooted in a February recall of formula after a suspected bacterial outbreak at an Abbott Nutrition plant in Michigan," explains Reason's Eric Boehm. And while we could re-fill those shelves with formula from abroad, tariffs and quotas "make it burdensome and costly to import the supplies that are now desperately needed."

You can't solve the national shortage by making it harder for undocumented parents to feed their babies. Instead of looking for immigrant scapegoats, lawmakers should tackle the trade and regulatory policies that helped create the current shortage.

Comments

[Rancor]

Our problems are much bigger than a simple baby formula shortage.

The Davos crowd is working overtime to destroy civilization. They must get paid by the hour:

Food factories and warehouses are exploding left and right

Fertilizer is inflating astronomically or outright evaporating from the market

Gas and diesel shortages are going critical

The global supply chain is being obliterated

US trains are cutting their car allocation for fertilizers right at the start of the planting season

Same with feed grain for livestock

Shanghai, one of the largest hubs for trade in the world has been shuttered

The abortion hornets’ nest has just been deliberately kicked field goal style with a steel toed boot

The promises of Klaus Schwab of the havoc that Cyber Polygon will bring grow ever nearer
Governments are recklessly and deliberately printing and destroying their currencies across the globe.

The petro-dollar has just been dethroned and trillions will come rushing home as a result. Hyper-inflation is in the wind

Meanwhile, WWIII looms ominously on the horizon as NATO keeps deliberately escalating the war in Ukraine

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast

Prepare accordingly.

Evidence at the top. Solutions at the bottom, send me yours:

https://tritorch.com/fractured

[Don't look at me!]

I admire your optimism.

[Rancor]

Hope spring eternal...

[IceTrey]

Speaking of hornets don't forget the murder hornets that are invading now.

[perlmonger]

The abortion hornets’ nest has just been deliberately kicked field goal style with a steel toed boot

I had some godsdamned "libertarian" retard try and "BOAF SIDEZ" me in person about this very topic and I nearly decked the stupid motherfucker.

[perlmonger]

But I gotta say, between the GOP branches of various states doing everything in their power to shoot themselves in the junk prior to this mid-term election, and the DNC apparently deciding that starving native children in favor of the children of illegal immigrants, it's like a fucking contest to see who can shiv their own election chances the most times in the shortest period.

[Longtobefree]

Of course, if the criminals are not allowed in at all, they don't need formula, right?

[Ra's al Gore]

Ship them back and let some other country handle the formula issue. Problem solved.

[Brandybuck]

Only in the twisted mindset of the Right are infants called "criminals".

[JesseAz]

Their parents are you disingenuous fuck. The child goes with their parents back to their home country. They aren't taken and jailed.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Only in the twisted mindset of the Left are infants called "a clump of cells".

[sarcasmic]

Apparently JesseAz believes that the sins of the father should be visited on the son.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

You want to get rid of child endangerment laws?

[Dace Highlander]

Sarc just wants to get rid of infants period. Except for his personal stash in the basement.

[Inquisitive Squirrel]

When you have to purposefully misrepresent your opponent's position in order to having a winning argument, maybe it's time to reassess your argument.

[Agammamon]

Is that better or worse than 'clump of cells'?

[soldiermedic76]

When medical supplies are short you triage. In military medicine it is typical during triage to treat your side before you treat foreigners, including foreign civilians. The government created the border crisis. They are buying critical supplies, supplies that our citizens can't get adequate amounts of, to insure they treat foreigners, who the adult ones broke the law. It's a simple fix. Deport them and stop hoarding critical supplies that our citizens are short on. If it's a choice between my kids starving (luckily my kids are old enough not to worry about this) and the children of criminal foreigners, I know which I would choose as a parent.

[soldiermedic76]

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but it's reality. Is it any less harsh to demand we let our own children starve to make sure foreign children don't starve?

[Ghatanathoah]

How exactly did the government create the border "crisis?" The idea that the government could stop people from coming here illegally if it tried a little harder is silly. It reminds me strongly of all those utopian progressives who think the government could fix education, healthcare, and homelessness if it tried a little harder. Lack of will is not what causes any of these problems. Lack of ability is.

With that in mind, I am sure that most of these people could find some way to feed their children if they were given the opportunity to try. Instead of incarcerating them and buying them food, why not release them on probation? They might violate probation and escape, but that seems like an acceptable risk if they have a baby to feed.

[perlmonger]

The idea that the government could stop people from coming here illegally if it tried a little harder is silly.

Stop entirely? No. But, given that the rates of illegal immigration do go up and down depending on the policies in place, it's clearly something that could be reduced from its current torrential levels.

Making sure that it was eminently clear that there was no possibility of success in this manner would help. If everyone who crossed illegally was detained and deported? No catch-and-release, actually tell them to go the fuck home.

And actually, they could probably do a pretty solid job. Not with a barrier type "fence", of course, but a series of AI manned watchtowers that were backstopped by human operators if they had a potential false positive of negative outside of a given level of confidence. Verify for a go/no-go decision, and then dispatch someone to arrest them.

And then deport them.

[soldiermedic76]

Ending deportation. Increasing and advertising catch and release, ending title 42, decreasing CBP patrols and reassigning the agents to paperwork. Expanding refugee requirements. Ending stay in Mexico. All of these turned a trickle into a flood. As I am sure you are well aware.

They can provide for themselves, all they have to do is voluntarily return to their country of origin. Additionally, if they can't make their court dates, than they are fugitives from the law, the same as citizens would be. Not enforcing a bench warrant because they are illegal immigrants is bullshit, you and I wouldn't get that consideration if we skipped out on parole. I favor increased legal and simplified legal immigration but don't have any sympathy for people who break the law, and then fail to even meet their court dates.

[ElvisIsReal]

They showed up with "BIDEN LET US IN" T-shirts for God's sake!!

[rbike]

Each democrat candidate raised their hand in a debate when asked would they provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants.

[mtrueman]

"Ending deportation. Increasing and advertising catch and release, ending title 42, decreasing CBP patrols and reassigning the agents to paperwork. Expanding refugee requirements. Ending stay in Mexico. "

None of that is going to put baby formula on the shelves.

[JoeB]

I guess you were sticking with CNN during 2016-20. Walls, "Remain in Mexico", impressive reduction in illegal apprehensions...ring any bells?

[Davedave]

" The idea that the government could stop people from coming here illegally if it tried a little harder is silly."

No, it's obviously true. Just stop it being illegal, problem solved.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Only in the twisted mindset of the left is not giving “taking”.

[JesseAz]

Holy fuck Reason. It isnt taking it away from someone. It is about not taking it away from the market where citizens can get it and giving it to someone else at taxpayers expense.

What the actual fuck.

[Cronut]

When Americans who have jobs and pay taxes can't find necessary items like BABY FORMULA, but illegal immigrant detention facilities have plenty, that's a fucking problem, you half-wit, especially because those taxes PAID for some illegal immigrant's baby to eat, while you're worried about how you're going to feed your own.

Stop being a cunt. Middle class Americans are worried about how they're going to feed their children. Every ounce of formula that's diverted from a store shelf for some other purpose is an ounce not available for taxpayers, and that's wrong.

[Cronut]

That was supposed to be an independent comment. Not a reply.

Fiona is the half-witted cunt. Not JesseAZ.

[Agammamon]

How do you know the detention facilities have plenty?

The Twitter posts re-using photos and lying about context?

[Dace Highlander]

Because the DGB would not let that information be put out without context.

[JoeB]

Open borders trumps free market in the Reason hierarchy of virtue.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

They can buy formula in their home countries.

[Azathoth!!]

Migrants in detention centers aren't free to leave facilities whenever they want to shop for baby formula.

Yes they are.

They are 100% free to leave the US and buy formula in Mexico.

The only thing migrants in custody are not free to do is stay.

[mad.casual]

They are 100% free to leave the US and buy formula in Mexico.

Sorta. But we don't talk about how you can't just walk from S. America into Mexico, (falsely) claim to be a US Native, and get a free flight "back to where you came from" without even presenting so much as a driver's license, because that just fucks up all kinds of immigration, nationalist, democratic, and globalist narratives.

[mad.casual]

Their claims are light on detail and sometimes downright deceptive, ignoring the actual reasons for the shortage as they clumsily shift the blame to a relatively small group.

Speaking of being light on detail and sometimes downright deceptive, are any of them actually ignoring actual reasons for the shortage and shifting or are they pointing to more equitable solutions or mitigations that don't involve taking from the natives? Asking for a group of people you may've heard of called Libertarians. You know, the Free Minds and Free Markets type. Maybe you've heard of them. No?

[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

It's no secret that Koch / Reason libertarianism prioritizes immigrants over the US-born. It might sound harsh, but when our philosophy's primary objective is making our benefactor Charles Koch even richer by importing cost-effective foreign-born labor, that's just the way it is.

So even if the Biden Administration had an explicit policy of hoarding baby formula to make sure it went to immigrant families, I wouldn't object. 🙂

#InDefenseOfBillionaires
#CheapLaborAboveAll

[Spiritus Mundi]

#libertariansforgovernmentredistribution
#immigrationaboveall

[JohannesDinkle]

If a mother can't find baby formula to feed her child but finds that her family paid to buy formula to give to people breaking the law she might just get a little pissed off. She has none, but paid to give it away free.
Of course, the Secretary of Transportation can always breast feed his child.

[perlmonger]

Taking Formula From Immigrant Babies Won't Fix the Shortage

Solve the shortage? Nah. But it might help make sure the kids that are actually supposed to be here get fed.

[sarcasmic]

Immigrants aren't officially human beings until they have their papers. So fuck 'em, and their kids.

[Agammamon]

Nobody is stopping you from buying formula and giving it to them

[BestUsedCarSales]

There's a lot of comments here, I think.

The biggest one is just asking the question of whether this actually impacts who is able to get formula that much? I don't know the exact answer, but supply chains are very complicated, as are logistics, and so it's rarely as simple as "They have it in place A, shift it quickly to place B."

Also, how much is being relocated? I have no idea.

[soldiermedic76]

So the choice is between making sure citizens have adequate formula to keep their babies from starving or that we take care of the babies of people who broke the law to come here? Not sure how you justify feeding foreigners while our own citizens' children face possible hunger. It's easy they can elect to go back or the government can send them back.

[JoeB]

No, they just don't receive state-enforced priority over free-market distribution of goods and services. Hello?

[MollyGodiva]

Being mean to immigrants is then default Republican position for all issues. They somehow work it into almost everything.

[sarcasmic]

Every political party has a scapegoat.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

The point is that the government is prioritizing non-citizens over actual citizens for what some families consider to be an essential good for their kids, not that immigrants are being scapegoated.

The FDA could actually solve the issue by letting the Abbott factory reopen and get the supply churning again, but it's probably going to take several months just to get things back to normal at this point because the FDA's been fucking around.

[sarcasmic]

It's not like people who are detained can go shopping or go to a food pantry or a church.

[JesseAz]

The by choice crossed illegally into the country and many turned themselves in. That was their choice dumbass. They are also free to sign an acknowledgement of their illegal crossing and return to their country of origin. They choose not to.

You are defending the government disrupting the market by taking a currently limited resource and giving it to someone who intentionally chose an action they knew to be illegal.

Why are you passing all over Adam Smiths grave?

[sarcasmic]

Do you think what these people do is fun? I can't imagine what it would take to uproot and give up literally everything and everyone you know like they have done.

As far as Smith goes, he understood that immigrants are a net benefit to the economy.

Now you get to lecture me on how all principles of economics are thrown away once a person gets past whatever it is I learned.

[Don't look at me!]

I can't imagine what it would take to uproot and give up literally everything and everyone you know like they have done.

Not everyone has lived their entire lives in the same small town blissfully unaware of the current price of lobster rolls.

[sarcasmic]

When I meet such a person I'll let you know.

[Agammamon]

Neither can the rest of the country.

[DesigNate]

They could have always stayed home? That was an option they chose to ignore.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

It's not like people who are detained can go shopping or go to a food pantry or a church.

It's still beside the point.

[Smack Daddy]

The big problem with this is, what is the responsibility of our federal government? The federal government is charged with the responsibility to protect the citizenry and their rights. It is not to protect non-citizens or to steal from the citizenry to provide for non-citizens that do not belong here. The money that is used to purchase formula for illegal aliens belongs to the people, there for our own money is being spent in a way that harms the people of this republic.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

We should buy them all expensive handbags then, since they can't go shopping. And Cinnabons

[sarcasmic]

Seriously. People locked in cages don't have many options.

[JesseAz]

They chose that option willingly when they chose to circumvent migration laws dumbass.

[sarcasmic]

Appeal to authority much?

[damikesc]

Unless you're claiming that we are, in fact, going INTO Mexico and kidnapping these people...you are making no sense.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

That's not even what that means, doofus. An "appeal to authority" is a logical fallacy where you discount an argument or agree with one based on the credentials of who makes it.

[DesigNate]

We could always send them back? Then they wouldn't be locked in cages AND we wouldn't be spending tax dollars on cages.

[JoeB]

Wow, you just keep banging your head with this one.

[creech]

I worked for a food processor which steam cleaned and sanitized all the equipment - to USDA standards - every freaking night. Can't the Abbott plant do the same, get an "all clear" from the FDA, and get back into production in hours, not months?

[sarcasmic]

As long as the factory is closed the FDA looks like it's doing something.

[DesigNate]

If I understand correctly, the plant wasn't even contaminated. So of course the FDA has to keep it shut down so they don't look like the incompetent boobs that they are.

[perlmonger]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/fda-wont-specify-criteria-for-returning-full-approval-to-recalled-baby-formula

No idea if the reports are accurate or not, but this seems to indicate that there was a problem. Or maybe the "whistleblower" was just someone who was pissed off and all of this is, as you say, the FDA doing CYA.

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

This is seriously a point where the plant owners should just tell the FDA, "Go fuck yourselves, we're reopening and making product again starting tomorrow. Have fun when our plant manager goes on FOX to complain that you're fining us for trying to get baby formula to American parents."

[perlmonger]

Surely cleaning the plant and getting it operation is something that could be achieved with a brute force application of money. This might actually be justified.

[JoeB]

Just one plant down, and the ffing infant formula supply tanks? Let's bust that trust!

[JesseAz]

Not giving illegal immigrants things is so mean. They deserve everything for not following the law.

[sarcasmic]

Because not having papers is the same as murder. I get it.

[JesseAz]

Lolwut. You just accused Americans who want to buy formula of wanting to murder babies below through starvation.

I know you blame others for every shitty part of your life, but they made a conscious decision to cross a border illegally.

Youre not a libertarian.

[sarcasmic]

Looks like I struck a nerve. Must be your cognitive dissonance kicking in. That's always good for angering people who refuse to face their own doublethink.

[Smack Daddy]

No, you dug until you struck stupid.

[Dace Highlander]

Aren’t these just clumps of cells? You have spent the last week calling babies that while everyone else was calling them, you know, babies.

[Dariush]

I guess this is you stirring the pot to get a rise out of everyone, right? Then you wonder why you get your feelings hurt when you’re being serious and trying to make a point and the rest of the board shits all over you.

You know damn well how bad this looks for democrats who prioritize feeding non citizens over citizens. This is why you’re accused of being a leftist, instead of acknowledging the situation you instead deflect in order to not concede the point to the Ultra Maga.

[Agammamon]

Says the DNC shill, ignoring who's jailing these people in the first place.

[sarcasmic]

Kind of ironic that those who most loudly oppose abortion have no qualms with starving children for the capital crime of having parents without papers.

[JesseAz]

How racist of you. You don't think other races or countries can feed their kids. Only America can.

You really are a simpleton.

[sarcasmic]

How many times did you vote for your hero Sheriff Joe?

[JesseAz]

I dont live in Maricopa dumbass.

But nice use of leftist talking points and derision for not being a lefty. Lol.

[sarcasmic]

Did you move away from Maricopa county before or after you stopped beating your wife?

[Don't look at me!]

Sad.

[sarcasmic]

I know it. His poor wife, right?

[Don't look at me!]

Ideas!

[Davedave]

Even in a Handmaiden's Tale world, some people would still be incels. This one ain't getting a wife if they were for sale.

[Nobartium]

The worst kind of government is one which caters to foreigners over its own citizens.

Their situation (the parents) is the fault of bleeding hearts like you.

[BestUsedCarSales]

Eh, I get your point but I can imagine a worse type of government then that.

[Nobartium]

Even tyrants establish an endpoint to their rule, usually in physical boundaries.

[Smack Daddy]

It's funny how you think it's okay to feed Illegal alien babies and starve American children. Using our own tax dollars to do it. So, what is the democrat platform now? We want to sexually groom, abort, and starve American children. Good luck.

[perlmonger]

Hey, it's not just America!

https://thepostmillennial.com/canadian-kindergartners-given-masturbation-homework-assignment

[Nemo Aequalis]

Rep. Kat Cammack (R–Fla.) helped spur the outrage after tweeting photos comparing formula supplies at what she said were local grocery shelves and the Ursula processing center, an immigrant detention facility. "This is what America last looks like," Cammack declared.

You mean when people find out what's going on they get pissed off?
You don't say!

[bobby oshea]

What an awful, illogical, bad faith article!
[Matt Welch indignant voice] What in the actual ___ is the author doing?
Trying to say that Republican's want to starve illegal immigrant babies? This is the takeaway from this constellation of events? We're going to deliberately ignore the actual point that illegal immigration is such a problem that we may have to start triaging baby formula between the open market for citizens and government redistribution to illegal aliens.

[BestUsedCarSales]

What's more, the photo Cammack tweeted that supposedly highlights an empty shelf "right here at home" appeared in a March 11 article from El Paso. It was used at least twice in April.

That's just laziness, right? I mean, I can confirm that the baby formula shelves at my store are in a pretty rough state. Cammack could have just went and taken a photo of an actual one. Have an aid do it. Really that's just laziness on her part.

[Craig Johnston]

The problem isn’t that they have a responsibility to feed infants in custody with their parents, it’s that they are government employees who overbuy everything because they get in trouble for not having enough but not for having too much. It’s like the story of the 10000 iPhones the VA wanted to give to certain vets. They probably needed 1000. They eventually used something like 1300.

[DRM]

Migrants in detention centers aren't free to leave facilities whenever they want to shop for baby formula

Sure they are. They are not eligible to engage in "voluntary departure" at-will, because that's the name of specific process involving trusting them to actually remove themselves and reduced penalties if they're caught again. However, they are perfectly free to go ahead, admit to illegal entry, and waive their appeals any time they like, and the US will be happy to deport them.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

So. Not even the most immigration restrictionist person could realistically claim that it is even possible to get to a state of absolutely zero illegal immigration. So, given the reality that there will always be some illegal immigrants, WHILE they are being detained awaiting deportation back to where they came from, what is the proper obligation of the government to provide to them?

Should they get food and water? But, that would be 'taxpayer-funded' food and water. Is it okay for tax money to go to giving food and water to illegal immigrants awaiting deportation? After all, that is food and water paid for by taxpayers who would otherwise spend that money on food and water for themselves. Is it right to give food and water to "illegals" at the expense of citizens? Why should the government redistribute scarce resources like food and water from citizens to illegals? Don't citizens deserve it more?

Should they even get temporary shelter? But after all it would be 'taxpayer-funded' shelter. Is it wrong to take taxes away from citizens to pay for temporary shelter for illegals awaiting deportation? There are homeless Americans right now, how dare the government spend tax money on shelter for illegals when that money could be spent on giving citizens a place to stay.

Maybe they should just get a bullet to the head. But it would of course be a taxpayer-funded bullet. Which is worse: shooting the illegals, or confiscating the tax money to pay for the bullets to shoot the illegals with?

The point is, just saying the magic words 'taxpayer-funded' does not alleviate the government from providing for the basic needs of individuals that are in their custody, whether they are citizens or not. Every person has a right to be treated with a certain minimum level of dignity, and part of the PURPOSE of tax money is to ensure that these minimum levels of dignity are actually observed.

The real problem here is not that baby formula is supposedly taken from citizens and given to non-citizens. That is a fundamentally collectivist approach to viewing the baby formula market - it implies that all of the domestic baby formula rightfully belongs to 'the citizens' and that the government should correctly allocate baby formula based on citizenship status. The real problem is the baby formula shortage itself which is distorting the entire market. It is absolutely right-wing scapegoating to point the finger at those filthy illegals supposedly taking baby formula from the hands of hard-working taxpayers instead of focusing on the actual problem of regulations and supply chain issues which created the baby formula shortage itself.

[JoeB]

Maybe if there weren't SO FFING MANY illegals at the same time, the volume of formula would not be worth discussing. Long post, short on timeliness.

[Nobartium]

So, given the reality that there will always be some illegal immigrants, WHILE they are being detained awaiting deportation back to where they came from, what is the proper obligation of the government to provide to them?

There is no obligation of any government to provide anything to those outside of its jurisdiction.

Evict them all, kids and parents.

[NOYB2]

So, given the reality that there will always be some illegal immigrants, WHILE they are being detained awaiting deportation back to where they came from, what is the proper obligation of the government to provide to them?

They shouldn't be "awaiting deportation"; if they are caught crossing the border illegally, they should immediately be returned to the side of the border they entered from.

There is no justification ever for entering the US without documentation and permission from either Canada or Mexico, since both are safe nations.

[Jose 3]

"WHILE they are being detained awaiting deportation back to where they came from, what is the proper obligation of the government to provide to them?"

Excuse me, but these illegal aliens aren't "awaiting deportation," they're awaiting the opportunity to be driven, bused, or flown to other parts of our country where they expect to be afforded free food, health care, education, etc. all at the expense of the people whose laws they broke when they crossed our borders illegally!

On the other hand, if we have the wherewithal to help anyone in need, we should do what we can...right after we take care of all Americans who are in need FIRST!

If that isn't satisfactory to these illegal aliens, they can leave. They got themselves to our border, they can get themselves home.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

“….and that the government should correctly allocate baby formula based on citizenship status.”

Whose position is this? The bear in your trunk? The government should not “allocate” anything.

Maybe the disinformation board can inform would be migrants that they are responsible for feeding their infants if they sneak into this country illegally.

But that would be disinformation.

[Naime Bond]

If you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that '....WHILE they are being detained awaiting deportation back to where they came from, ..' and that is going to take place in weeks not years time, providing basic necessities to them and to those on death row seems reasonable. But to boot strap that argument into a de facto 'constitutional right' to enter the Country illegal and receive anything beyond a few weeks is ridiculous. The real problem is not putting the military down there to seal off the borders until a proper barrier can be deployed and secured, and by not starting the process of deporting every illegal in this country, by the millions per year. Big data probably knows the last time I trimmed my nose hairs; they can certainly find the illegals for us so we can deport them by the millions.

[Dace Highlander]

American citizens during normal times: We’re ok sending baby formula to the border.
American citizens during high Bidinflation: Well it’s putting a hurt on my budget but babies need formula, so we should try to get them what is needed.
American citizens when there is a pervasive shortage of food: We need to take care of our own citizens first and then help others as we can.
Biden Administration: Fuck you America! We do what we want to do!

[Dace Highlander]

Also why didn’t Bette Midler suggest to the immigrants to try breastfeeding their babies? Really if it’s good enough for American citizens it should be good enough for the illegal immigrants, right?

[Steve-O]

But seriously, almost 100% of Latin American mothers breastfeed (barring rare medical reasons). It’s just part of the culture. How much formula are these centers going through anyway?

[Smack Daddy]

The first year of childhood should be full of mammaries.

[Smack Daddy]

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

[Steve-O]

I will use that.

[XM]

It doesn't matter if only 100 baby formula was sent to these facilities. Because given that most of these people aren't refugees, we had no obligation to house them by thousands and feed them. These are citizens of another sovereign nation and their welfare is chiefly the responsibility of their society. We're sending billions of dollars ON THE FLY to help Ukraine and foreign nationals (with Rand Paul standing as lone opposition) while millions of tax paying American citizens suffer.

Reason's attempt to wish away this terrible optics with "baby formulas sent to these facilities wouldn't help millions of Americans anyways" is choosing from false choices. If the government could send some baby formula to migrant mothers, they could send some to American women. Look how quickly the abortion maniacs tried to codify Roe. Look at how many blue states conjured nonexistent money to pay for abortions. Did Biden relax FDA standards to admit more baby formula imports? Do Reason writers not see any sort of duplicity?

Do you understand why donald Trump can win elections at national levels, but not libertarians? Because Trump is the kind of politician who would say "I'd give 100 baby formulas to Americans before Ukraine or migrants". If a nation is experiencing a crisis, the tax paying citizens expect priority representation. We expect Biden to feed migrant mother AND address supply chain issues. He's NOT DOING THAT. We're not citizens of the world, you dopes. You think Honduras or Germany would provide sanctuary and housing of thousands of Americans who arrive at their borders?

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Do you understand why donald Trump can win elections at national levels, but not libertarians? Because Trump is the kind of politician who would say "I'd give 100 baby formulas to Americans before Ukraine or migrants".

Yes we know. Trump is a demagogue who is not above scapegoating foreigners. And you think libertarians should emulate that approach? Shouldn't libertarians believe that every individual is worthy of a minimum amount of human dignity regardless of their nationality?

[NOYB2]

Trump is a demagogue who is not above scapegoating foreigners.

Nobody is "scapegoating foreigners". We aren't saying that South Americans or Ukrainians are bad people, we don't even blame them for trying to enter the US illegally.

We blame Biden for not enforcing US law and expelling these people. We blame Biden for expropriating US citizens in order to spend hundreds of billions on problems, conflicts, and migrants that are not the moral or legal responsibility of Americans or the American government.

[XM]

The rhetoric is pure MAGA, but the sentiment is that elected officials should prioritize the needs of its citizenry. That's the point. If a father spends all his time feeding orphans and neglects to take care of his family, his children and wife will be upset at him, no matter how noble his agenda is.

We're not citizens of the world. Otherwise, we should just act as the world's police in the name of the common good and 100 thousand Americans should be able to go to Guatamela to demand housing and care. Last I checked libertarians didn't support sending gazillions of dollars to other nations and cooperation in the name of human dignity.

Do you understand the notion of a representative government? America was founded on that concept.

[mtrueman]

" If a nation is experiencing a crisis,"

Americans reduced to begging the government for baby formula? It's more than a crisis, it's poultry returning to their nests. Crying, praying or Donald Trump aren't going to help.

[JoeB]

Sure...in a world without scarcity.

[NOYB2]

Taking Formula From Immigrant Babies Won't Fix the Shortage

Ah, the New Libertarianism: justifying the expropriation of Americans in order to pay for handouts to random people from around the globe.

That, and misrepresenting illegal migrants as "immigrants".

If you put infants in federal custody, you're obliged to feed them.

Which is why the infants and their accompanying adults should be immediately taken back to the other side of the border. I mean, presumably, they had some way of feeding their infants over there.

[901Tiger]

Wait . . . isn't the author admitting that the government is taking babies from their parents? Those babies aren't walking across the border on their own . . .

[Frank Thorn]

Feed 'em Soylent Green.

[Smack Daddy]

If they make it out of babies, then the left will say you can't call it people.

[Green Jihad]

So in order to penalize people for having kids, they'll starve babies in hopes of pushing women to have more abortions. The "immigrants" in question are here illegally and we are not obligated to provide services (including food) for people who break the law.

[Jose 3]

Well Fiona, there happens to be an alternative to putting infants and their parents or guardians in federal custody...you can send them back to where they came from and encourage them to return legally.

The idea that Americans should be deprived of food and other essentials in favor of those who chose to willfully break our laws and enter our country illegally isn't compassionate, it's bizarre!

Oh, and one more thing...these illegal aliens aren't being "detained" from leaving and going back to the country from which they came...they're being "detained" from continuing to enter our country illegally. These illegal aliens "aren't free" to go shopping...but they are free to go home.

Talk about "deception" and spin!

[The New Number Two]

The formula had been charitably donated. It wasn't seized from Middle America's store shelves and shipped to the border. If you want someone to blame for the shortage, blame the FDA for stalling on Abbott Nutrition. I understand the desperation. It's a horrible situation, but losing your shit because babies of illegal immigrant mothers have formula is just ugly.

[The New Number Two]

And sorry, but the federal government has a responsibility to provide for the basic needs of those in their custody, especially children.

[MoreFreedom]

"If you put infants in federal custody, you're obliged to feed them."

Unless you restrict immigration of infants so US citizens don't have to compete with the government in obtaining baby formula, or require immigrants to bring their own formula. This is a government made problem via actions by the FDA and Biden's immigration executive orders.

Further, recalling a product because of a "suspected" problem, and closing the plant to allow the FDA to inspect it based on a suspicion, is controlling businesses to exercise government power, not to serve and protect. As the author states "lawmakers should tackle the trade and regulatory policies that helped create the current shortage." I wonder how many babies have died or been hospitalized thanks to no formula. How about some reporting here? Any suspicion babies will die due to lack of formula from closing a plant (I've not seen the details of the suspected contamination reported other than the "suspected" biological contaminant)?
Why do they suspect it? Did someone fail to do a test once? No reporting by the FDA, and certainly Abbot Labs won't be contradicting or confronting the FDA about it so they don't piss off the regulators for showing the harm the regulators created.

Further, attacking a desperate mother's arguments because she posted a old photo, is lame. I'd bet she found it easier to get a photo online that looks like her store than actually going to her store. Did anyone validate her local store shelves are devoid of baby formula? Reporters aren't doing their jobs, but at least the author admits the baby formula shortage is real, in the very last paragraph. After disparaging a desperate mother for using an old photo rather than a photo from her store, without checking if it looks similar.

[mtrueman]

The handle Morefreedom is not a good fit. Try Morerestrictions or Morerequirements.

[Dace Highlander]

The writer is correct. Taking the baby formula from the border would have such a small impact on the overall shortage. In much the same way, any one person paying taxes contributes so little to the overall budget that taking their money is wrong. So no one should pay taxes.

[Vesicant]

Boy, Fiona loves her some illegal alien.

Nobody said that giving formula to Americans instead of illegal aliens would "fix" the shortage. But it would certainly ameliorate it. Is that too big a word for you, Fiona? Not to mention that illegal aliens don't belong here, and if we sent them back, we wouldn't be "obliged" to feed them. The answer isn't to guilt us into feeding illegal aliens; the answer is to get rid of the illegal aliens.

>the photo Cammack tweeted that supposedly highlights an empty shelf "right here at home" appeared in a March 11 article from El Paso.

Wut? Last time I checked, El Paso was "right here at home," and that shelf sure looks empty to me. Probably still is. Or is Fiona saying a shortage photo from March is irrelevant because there's no shortage in May? If so, maybe Fiona is Jen Psaki in a clown mask.

[mtrueman]

Giving formula to Americans is not government's responsibility. That's something left to the free market to handle, as any capitalist will tell you. Your 'amelioration' is just a fancy pants word for socialism.

[Naime Bond]

The only thing that sounds dumber or makes less sense than '...undocumented immigrant kids...' is ..... 5 blacks equals three whites...or Separate But Equal...'