SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A child-development specialist who worked inside the facility told the AP that she saw children with broken bones and bruises that they said were caused by abuse from guards. (Photo: Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center)
'Abu Ghraib for Eighth-Graders': Allegations of Immigrant Children Being Tortured at Virginia Detention Facility
"This is outright torture."
Jun 21, 2018
"Beaten while handcuffed."
"Locked up for long periods in solitary confinement."
"Strapped...to chairs with bags placed over their heads."
These are among the many shocking allegations leveled against a Virginia detention facility by immigrant children as young as 14-years-old, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing the first-hand accounts and sworn statements of abuse victims detailed in federal court filings.
"Whenever they used to restrain me and put me in the chair, they would handcuff me," recounted one Honduran immigrant who was sent to the facility when he was 15-years-old. "Strapped me down all the way, from your feet all the way to your chest, you couldn't really move... They have total control over you. They also put a bag over your head. It has little holes; you can see through it. But you feel suffocated with the bag on."
A child-development specialist who worked inside the facility told the AP that she saw children with broken bones and bruises that they said were caused by abuse from guards. It is unclear whether any of the children alleging rampant abuse at the facility were detained as a result of the Trump administration's so-called "zero tolerance" policy.
Responding to the AP's reporting in a tweet on Thursday, Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm wrote simply, "This is outright torture."
Kelly Weill, a reporter for The Daily Beast, described the Virginia facility as "Abu Ghraib for eighth-graders."
According to the AP, many of the immigrant children detained at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center--which is located in Staunton, Virginia--were arrested after federal immigration officials accused them of being gang members.
"But a top manager at the Shenandoah center said during a recent congressional hearing that the children did not appear to be gang members and were suffering from mental health issues resulting from trauma that happened in their home countries--problems the detention facility is ill-equipped to treat," AP reported.
The appalling allegations against the Virginia detention facility come as President Donald Trump continues to use dehumanizing language to describe immigrants fleeing violence in their home nations and conflate undocumented immigrants and those seeking asylum with violent gang members.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump accused Democrats of wanting undocumented immigrants to "infest" the U.S.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
"Beaten while handcuffed."
"Locked up for long periods in solitary confinement."
"Strapped...to chairs with bags placed over their heads."
These are among the many shocking allegations leveled against a Virginia detention facility by immigrant children as young as 14-years-old, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing the first-hand accounts and sworn statements of abuse victims detailed in federal court filings.
"Whenever they used to restrain me and put me in the chair, they would handcuff me," recounted one Honduran immigrant who was sent to the facility when he was 15-years-old. "Strapped me down all the way, from your feet all the way to your chest, you couldn't really move... They have total control over you. They also put a bag over your head. It has little holes; you can see through it. But you feel suffocated with the bag on."
A child-development specialist who worked inside the facility told the AP that she saw children with broken bones and bruises that they said were caused by abuse from guards. It is unclear whether any of the children alleging rampant abuse at the facility were detained as a result of the Trump administration's so-called "zero tolerance" policy.
Responding to the AP's reporting in a tweet on Thursday, Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm wrote simply, "This is outright torture."
Kelly Weill, a reporter for The Daily Beast, described the Virginia facility as "Abu Ghraib for eighth-graders."
According to the AP, many of the immigrant children detained at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center--which is located in Staunton, Virginia--were arrested after federal immigration officials accused them of being gang members.
"But a top manager at the Shenandoah center said during a recent congressional hearing that the children did not appear to be gang members and were suffering from mental health issues resulting from trauma that happened in their home countries--problems the detention facility is ill-equipped to treat," AP reported.
The appalling allegations against the Virginia detention facility come as President Donald Trump continues to use dehumanizing language to describe immigrants fleeing violence in their home nations and conflate undocumented immigrants and those seeking asylum with violent gang members.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump accused Democrats of wanting undocumented immigrants to "infest" the U.S.
"Beaten while handcuffed."
"Locked up for long periods in solitary confinement."
"Strapped...to chairs with bags placed over their heads."
These are among the many shocking allegations leveled against a Virginia detention facility by immigrant children as young as 14-years-old, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing the first-hand accounts and sworn statements of abuse victims detailed in federal court filings.
"Whenever they used to restrain me and put me in the chair, they would handcuff me," recounted one Honduran immigrant who was sent to the facility when he was 15-years-old. "Strapped me down all the way, from your feet all the way to your chest, you couldn't really move... They have total control over you. They also put a bag over your head. It has little holes; you can see through it. But you feel suffocated with the bag on."
A child-development specialist who worked inside the facility told the AP that she saw children with broken bones and bruises that they said were caused by abuse from guards. It is unclear whether any of the children alleging rampant abuse at the facility were detained as a result of the Trump administration's so-called "zero tolerance" policy.
Responding to the AP's reporting in a tweet on Thursday, Freedom of the Press Foundation executive director Trevor Timm wrote simply, "This is outright torture."
Kelly Weill, a reporter for The Daily Beast, described the Virginia facility as "Abu Ghraib for eighth-graders."
According to the AP, many of the immigrant children detained at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center--which is located in Staunton, Virginia--were arrested after federal immigration officials accused them of being gang members.
"But a top manager at the Shenandoah center said during a recent congressional hearing that the children did not appear to be gang members and were suffering from mental health issues resulting from trauma that happened in their home countries--problems the detention facility is ill-equipped to treat," AP reported.
The appalling allegations against the Virginia detention facility come as President Donald Trump continues to use dehumanizing language to describe immigrants fleeing violence in their home nations and conflate undocumented immigrants and those seeking asylum with violent gang members.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump accused Democrats of wanting undocumented immigrants to "infest" the U.S.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy