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Today's Top News
Immigrant Deaths Covered Up
Monday, January 11, marks eight years since the Bush administration transferred the first prisoners to the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. Ever since, human rights groups have pushed for the closure of Guantánamo and they’re pushing harder now for the Obama administration to implement its plans to transfer or release detainees and shut the place.
Close Guantánamo and we’ll restore the rule of law and American standing in the world, some human rights advocates say. Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy. Prolonged detention in criminal conditions is not only happening in Gitmo. It’s happening in our immigration system.
In a series of investigations, New York Times reporter Nina Bernstein has been digging for facts since she broke a story back in April about a Pakistani man who died in immigration detention and then vanished from DHS’s records.
There have been, it turns out, at least 107 deaths in detention since the creation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in late 2003. And now new FOIA documents reveal widespread wrongdoing and extensive cover-ups.
Even 107 deaths is an underestimate. According to the story, ICE tries to ship dying detainees home to lower fatality rates – and escape scrutiny — and medical bills. They called it humanitarian release. Talk about ICE and cold.
In at least one case authorities left a man in a coma untreated in his cell for over 13 hours while they tried to persuade his cousins to take responsibility for his care. When Boubacar Bah, 52, died, the local ICE field director recommended flying his body to Guinea to prevent his widow from showing up for a funeral and attracting news coverage.
The high rate of death hidden by a successful culture of secrecy can in large part be blamed on “what some of the agency’s own employees say is a central flaw,” namely allowing ICE to regulate and investigate itself. That’s quite some flaw. Some Bush administration era officials who played a role in the coverups remain in top posts under Obama. Will Bernstein’s reporting stir Congress to act? Only if there’s pressure.
Bernstein’s reporting is exactly the kind of in depth work newspaper owners claim is endangered in the new economy. Now let’s see if it’s picked up. Immigration detention centers exist all over the country. Which local reporters are going to dig into this where they are? Let’s hope it doesn’t take eight years.
- Posted in
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11 Comments so far
Show AllThis is something that needs to be investigated thoroughly. And immediately.
People that are here illegally or for whatever reason a legal immigrant need to be detained they are entitled to expect civil and humane care till there problem is resolved or they are removed from the country.
There is no need to emulate the harshness and abuse of other countries. A lot of this is caused by the damn Republicans privitization of prisons and detention facilities.
I remember we had real problems at the Port Isabel Processing Center near Brownsville, Texas, it was run at the time by Wackenhut Corrections Corporation though it changed its name to the GEO Group about that time. The biggest problem was at T. Don Hutto Residential Center north of Austin. It was a disgrace till it was cleaned up.
This type of criminal behavior cannot be allowed.
Bless Nina Bernstein. Keep digging girl!
Just end The War On Terror. Guantanamo Bay, as horrid as it is, pales in comparison to the number of dead due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There is no need to emulate the harshness and abuse of other countries."
America hasn't been harsh and abusive?
" A lot of this is caused by the damn Republicans privitization of prisons and detention facilities."
That's been a bipartisan effort.
thegreatrockyhill
"There is no need to emulate the harshness and abuse of other countries."
America hasn't been harsh and abusive?"
At our worst we don't come close to how badly other countries treat their immigrant prisoners. Don't even consider getting caught illegally in Mexico or Turkey or Iran or North Korea or many others.
I must admit tyhe Dems have had their dirty hands in it too, but the real push came from GWB and the Republicans. We are still paying more for deregulation of electricity and they practically destroyrd our social agency here HHSC by trying to privitize it (disaster)
And check out some of these private firms involved in running these centers. This is another function that should be done only by government. There are functions that private industry do well, this isn't one of them.
"At our worst we don't come close to how badly other countries treat their immigrant prisoners. Don't even consider getting caught illegally in Mexico or Turkey or Iran or North Korea or many others."
---------------
Do Mexico, Turkey, Iran, North Korea or the many others claim to be a beacon of democracy? Do they invade other countries to spread that 'democracy' to them at the point of a nuke? Do they porport to lead the world on 'human rights'? Do they expect the world to do as they say? Do they go around distabilizing countries and then, when the citizens that make it out alive migrate to that offending country, then imprison them till they die? See, those are the questions you should be asking yourself and not whether it's the Democrats' or Republicans' fault. thegreatrockyhill's point is well taken.
I would simply tell you that we were commenting on the detention of legal and illegal immigrants here.
The other points you raised are a completely different discussion. But I would not fault your other point's for you are correct in differing degrees except for: "Do they go around distabilizing countries and then, when the citizens that make it out alive migrate to that offending country, then imprison them till they die?"
I hardly think we have destablized all the countries our illegal alien visitors have come from, including Mexico. But that also is another discussion which I think will come soon if these fools pursue Amnesty.
Finally a true journalist Nina Bernstein, keep it up I'll be reading more of her work.
"My Country 'Tis of Thee..."
"...a Pakistani man who died in immigration detention and then vanished from DHS’s records.
There have been, it turns out, at least 107 deaths in detention since the creation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in late 2003. And now new FOIA documents reveal widespread wrongdoing and extensive cover-ups.
Even 107 deaths is an underestimate. According to the story, ICE tries to ship dying detainees home to lower fatality rates – and escape scrutiny — and medical bills. They called it humanitarian release. Talk about ICE and cold.
In at least one case authorities left a man in a coma untreated in his cell for over 13 hours while they tried to persuade his cousins to take responsibility for his care. When Boubacar Bah, 52, died, the local ICE field director recommended flying his body to Guinea to prevent his widow from showing up for a funeral and attracting news coverage...."
"Sweet Land of Liberty, Of Thee I Sing..."
"At our worst we don't come close to how badly other countries treat their immigrant prisoners. Don't even consider getting caught illegally in Mexico or Turkey or Iran or North Korea or many others."
Have you read the recent articles here on the sexual abuse that is being permitted in American prisons?
thegreatrockyhill
I have. Here its been mostly about the rape of teens and its been mostly guards involved. Its disgraceful and disgusting. I fault the privitizing of prisons in this instance just as in the case of illegal and legal immigrant detainees.
This is clearly a government function, not one for private industry.
But I will say, even in the regular detention populations, if I had to choose where to be in prison, in most cases it would be here. Though if I had to choose from the better countries, Japan would be my first choice. Their system is terrific.
Another non-surprise. In a country that engages on ethnic cleansing (of natives and/or with oil), enslaves blacks, declares foreigners as 'non-persons,' treats women as doormats and burn 'heathens' at the stake, why should this be a surprise to anyone? It's to be expected, anything else would be unnatural and worthy of news.
"Though if I had to choose from the better countries, Japan would be my first choice."
How about Norway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4L6-0WRfSA