Language

Corroboration of Mistreatment

Submitted July 15, 2005 - 6:33 pm by Jeff Simpson
Two volunteers from the No More Deaths camp near Arivaca were arrested for allegedly smuggling three undocumented migrants and held for two days in the Border Patrol's detention facility in Tucson.  After being released they had an ugly story to tell about life in detention.

From the Tucson Citizen:

2 immigrant aid workers say fellow detainees lived in filth

The experience of being arrested and held in what they say were inhumane conditions while in federal custody has strengthened the resolve of two local immigrant aid workers, who spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday.

...

Immediately after their arrest, Sellz said, the pair spent hours in a processing station hungry and cold. While she was at the Border Patrol's detention facility at 1970 W. Ajo Way, Sellz said people were sharing filthy blankets in cold cells, and she could not get a toothbrush or toothpaste. She said detainees who had been walking for days in the hot desert were crammed into small facilities without the opportunity to shower.

"This is just going to strengthen everyone's resolve. The Border Patrol is not in the business of saving lives," said Strauss, who says he was in a cell with no toilet paper and that some of the detainees were using blankets as a substitute.

None of this comes as any surprise to anyone who has spent any time at all working on these issues.  Allegations of abuse and neglect in detention aren't just common among released migrants, they're universal.

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