Investigation on health conditions in detention centers

The current administration of the US has a strong opinion regarding illegal immigration. Since President Trump took office in 2017, his administration has focused heavily on reducing illegal immigration by increasing border security and “teaching a lesson” to immigrants who managed to cross them and currently reside in the country without legal documentation.

One of the key pieces of the Trump administration is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which carries out massive operations around the country with the purpose of detaining undocumented immigrants and initiating deportation proceedings for them.

On top of that, ICE is also in charge of overseeing immigration detention centers, which are facilities that house hundreds of undocumented immigrants before deporting them. However, ICE does not own all detention centers, but due to current administration policies, border forces had to find for-profit contractors to run these facilities.

Over the past three and a half years, hundreds of activists, immigrant rights advocates and immigration attorneys have stated that these centers do not provide adequate hygiene and health conditions to protect detainees.

That is why the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (belonging to the US House of Representatives) started an investigation in 2019, with the purpose of finding possible medical negligence and lack of hygiene protocols within detention centers of for-profit contractors.

The main findings of the investigation

The investigation called “The Trump Administration’s Mistreatment of Detained Immigrants –
Deaths and Deficient Medical Care by For-Profit Detention Contractors” shows that health conditions in detention centers are not appropriate for immigrants, primarily because:

• Medical treatments are inappropriate and negligent.
• There is not enough space for social distancing, which increases the risk of mass spread of disease.
• Medical care is poor due to lack of trained personnel.
• Hygiene conditions are inadequate.

During 2019, the investigation showed that several immigrants passed away in ICE custody at contractor centers and that medical treatments led to even worse health conditions for people who already had health problems.

In addition to that, because the investigation was also active during the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the North American territory, the House of Representatives requested detailed reports and information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding protocols implemented during the health crisis in immigration detention centers.

The results of the investigation are truly alarming, mainly because they show that the Trump administration pays millions of dollars to contractors, but there is no proper medical care for detained immigrants and several people have passed away due to improper medical procedures.

The committee states: “Immediate changes to detention standards and how those standards are monitored are needed to ensure that immigrants in U.S. custody are treated humanely and consistent with domestic and international legal obligations.”

Motion Law Immigration’s team of experts

Illegal immigration can have quite negative consequences. Legal processes require dedication, but will give you the peace of mind and satisfaction of being able to reside in the US without constant fear of deportation.

Therefore, to fulfill your dreams and build a promising future for your family, we recommend for you to seek reliable experts, who will help you choose the process that best suits your current immigration needs.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.