Ilhan Omar claims Americans accept migrant children being treated 'worse than a dog' because racism

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) claimed Saturday that Americans accept migrant children being treated "worse than a dog" because they are racist.

Speaking at the Netroots Nation conference, Omar alleged the Trump administration, her colleagues in Congress, and Americans in general do not understand why migrants are coming to the U.S., which results in racist behaviors.

"These people are faced with cruel decisions, inhumane decisions, on what they should do to make their children's lives better, and what they should do to make their own lives better," Omar said.

"And instead of us saying here is 'A,' 'B,' and 'C,' we're saying there is zero option. And if you ever think that you have a chance, we're going to treat you worse than a dog," she added. "One of our members said to me, if there were dogs in those cages, every single member of Congress would vote to make sure that all of these cages didn't exist any more."

"So we live in a society and govern in a body that might value the life of a dog more than they value the life of a child who might not look like theirs," Omar claimed.

Omar's comments come amid national debate about what to do in response to overcrowding at migrant detention centers. Immigration authorities say the inundation of migrants has depleted their resources, which has exacerbated existing problems.

Also on Saturday, Omar claimed that she probably loves America "more than anyone that is naturally born."