Amnesty International finds “Human Rights Violations” at El Paso Processing center
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- A recent visit revealed widespread human rights violations against detained immigrants according to a report released by Amnesty International on Wednesday.
According to Amy Fischer, the director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International, since the start of the Trump administration, Amnesty International has been sending requests to detention facilities across the country to make sure they following certain standards.
On April 10, El Paso Processing center granted Amnesty International's request and conducted a tour of their facility. Fischer said on the tour they were able to visit dorm rooms, where the saw people sleeping on the floor.
She says most of their concerns came out of interviews they conducted with 27 detainees. "We heard from some about toilets being broken in their dormitories and toilet water sort of flooding into the place where their beds are." Fischer said.
Other cause for concern included overcrowding, unsanitary facilities, inadequate medical care and expired food.
"It was really heartbreaking to have to you know speak to people who were telling about the abuse that they had faced inside. We spoke to a woman who was six months pregnant who said, 'I don't want to have my baby inside this facility. I'm I'm struggling. I can't even I don't even feel like I'm getting the nutrition for this baby to grow inside of me'." Fischer said.
Leticia Zamarripa, a spokesperson with ICE denied all accusations and provided the following statement.
"ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards and to ensure safe, secure, and humane environments. ICE takes allegations of misconduct very seriously – personnel are held to the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and when a complaint is received, it is investigated thoroughly to determine veracity and ensure comprehensive standards are strictly maintained and enforced.
ICE officials will conduct an internal review of Amnesty International’s report to investigate the veracity of the allegations. The day that Amnesty International representatives toured the El Paso Processing Center, no one voiced any questions or concerns regarding the allegations cited in the report. We welcome the opportunity to clarify, further explain or respond to any questions or concerns people touring our detention facilities might have."
