UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet says she is "shocked" by US treatment of immigrants and refugees

"In

most of these cases, immigrants and refugees embarked on dangerous journeys with their children in search of protection and dignity and away from violence and hunger," Bachelet said in a statement published Monday.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations ( UN), Michelle Bachelet , is "shocked" by the conditions in which the United States are keeping migrants and refugees detained, including children, said his office in a statement on Monday ( 8).

"As a pediatrician, but also as a mother and former head of state, I am deeply shocked that children are forced to sleep on the ground in overcrowded facilities without adequate access to health care or food, and poor sanitation," said Bachelet .

The US president, Donald Trump , made the crackdown on immigration one of the pillars of his government and his re-election campaign for 2020.

Democrat, opposition, and civil rights activists who visited immigration detention centers along the US-Mexico border described a nightmare scenario marked by overcrowding and inadequate access to food, water, and other basic necessities.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general posted photos of immigrant shelters in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, with twice as many people for whom they were built.

"In most of these cases, immigrants and refugees embarked on dangerous journeys with their children in search of protection and dignity and away from violence and hunger," Bachelet said.

"When they finally believe that they have arrived safely, they can be separated from their loved ones and locked up in unworthy conditions. This should never happen anywhere."

The deprivation of adult liberty should be a last resort measure and last as long as possible, with legal safeguards and conditions that comply with international human rights standards, he said.

Holding a child, even for short periods and in good condition, can have a serious impact on their health and development, Bachelet added.

"Border control ... should not be based on narrow policies aimed only at detecting, detaining and deporting irregular immigrants quickly."