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 News from Around the Americas | July 2007 
62 Immigrants Die in US Jails: Rights Groups
 Agence France-Presse
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| | Recent news articles unveiled extreme failures in medical treatment that have resulted in at least 62 people dying in ICE custody. |
Sixty-two immigrants have died in US jails since 2004 for lack of medical care, human rights groups told members of the US Congress Monday.
"Deficient medical care in immigration detention is a systematic problem and needs to be adressed," said Tom Jawetz, of the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest US group defending civil rights.
"A serious and growing problem in immigration detention (is) horribly inadequate medical care that leads to unnecessary suffering and death."
Former lawmaker Keith Ellison also testified: "Recent news articles unveiled extreme failures in medical treatment that have resulted in at least 62 people dying in ICE custody," referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of Homeland Security.
ICE routinely detains undocumented immigrants until an administrative judge determines they must be deported, granted asylum hearings, arrested on criminal charges, granted release or their cases are otherwise disposed of.
"The American public deserves these answers," he said.
Michele Garnett McKenzie, a human rights lawyer in Minnesota, told the story of Cynthia Lamah, who requested asylum and was arrested in July 2005 when four months pregnant.
She soon suffered cramps and bleeding, was taken to hospital and ordered to return if she had a relapse.
One week later, a bleeding Lamah asked her jailers to return to hospital, as her doctor ordered.
"Over the course of the next few days, she was told repeatedly that things were normal, given Tylenol, and sent to bed."
"Cynthia's water broke and she aborted in the jail," McKenzie said.
"She was denied permission to be released to attend the baby's funeral."
She was deported, the lawyer told the hearing.
The advocates said that since 1996, the population in the 330 ICE jails has risen dramatically, threatening to overwhelm the system. |
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