Why the US border facilities are 'concentration camps,' according to historians

• When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called border facilities "concentration camps," she sparked outrage and a huge debate.
• People on both sides of the aisle argued that we should not invoke the memory of the Holocaust to describe the situation at the border.
• However, historians agree that based on the conditions of these border facilities, usage of the term is justified.

There is a system of detention centers at our southern border, housing thousands of asylum seekers from Central and South America. When Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called these facilities "concentration camps," she sparked outrage and a huge debate.

People on both sides of the political aisle spoke out against her comments, arguing that under no circumstances should we invoke the memory of the Holocaust to describe what's happening at our border.

However, historians argue that there's value in describing the detention centers as such. So, what is the definition of a "concentration camp" and is it accurate to use the term in reference to the situation at our border?

This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).