An Immigrant Rights Groups Reports Claims of Beatings, Racial Slurs, and More Against Somalians by Guards at a Texas ICE Facility
In a report released on March 22, 2018, an immigrant rights group made claims of abuse against prisoners from Somalia by guards at a private prison facility under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The accusations are based on interviews with 30 men now held at a Robstown, Texas, facility. The men say that while detained briefly at the West Texas Detention Facility in Sierra Blanca, possibly as many as 80 African immigrants were subjected to abuse. Immigration judges had ordered that most of the men be deported. They say they were physically beaten, subjected to racial slurs, and denied medical treatment. In addition, they claim the beatings were unprovoked, one man was handcuffed while allegedly beaten, and another of the prisoners claims that a guard groped him.
Complains have been filed with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Interviews of the 30 Somalian prisoners were conducted by the Texas A&M School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic; the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, which is based in San Antonio; and the University of Texas School of Law Immigration Clinic.
Officials with ICE said that the allegations are being looked into. There was not an immediate response from the officials with the company that operates the detention center, LaSalle Corrections.
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