Trans Activities are Under Surveillance

NOTICE

ALL TRANS ACTIVITIES ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE

Percentage of transgender people who have had police interations and report being harassed by the police 34%

36%

38%

29% 18%

White

23%

Latinx

Asian

Indigenous

Multiracial

Black

Transgender people of color are 6 times more likely to experience physical violence from the police compared to White cisgender survivors and victims.

National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

Monica Jones Monica Jones, a transgender woman of color in Phoenix, Arizona, was convicted in April by the Phoenix Municipal Court under the city's controversial "manifesting" ordinance, Section 23-52(A)(3). This law criminalizes behaviors such as waving at cars, talking to passersby, and asking if someone is a police officer, actions which are considered constitutionally protected under free speech rights, including the expression of one's gender identity.

Jones stated, "The officer who arrested me profiled me as a sex worker because I am transgender, I am a woman of color, and I live in an area that is perceived to be low income."

During Jones' trial, the arresting officer testified that her presence in a neighborhood he deemed "known for prostitution" and her attire—a described "black, tight-fitting dress"—led him to believe she was manifesting intent to engage in prostitution. Despite Jones identifying as a woman, the officer repeatedly misgendered her in both his verbal testimony and written report, highlighting broader issues of misidentification and discriminatory policing practices.

ACLU. (2024, June 27). Arrested for Walking While Trans: An Interview with Monica Jones. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/arrested-walking-while-trans-interview-monica-jones

Juan Evans Juan Evans, a black trans man, experienced severe harassment from police officers in East Point, Georgia, on October 23.

Pulled over for speeding and lacking his wallet, Evans identified himself with his birth name and social security number. After disclosing his transgender status, an officer demanded to search his genitals, which he refused. Arrested and taken to the station, Evans was threatened with forced genital searches, called "it" and "a thing," and outed in front of other detainees.

Upon his release without charges, Evans shared his experience in a video produced by the Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaP Co), which advocates against police harassment of trans and gender-nonconforming individuals. Evans resolutely stated that he would not be humiliated into submission. A protest ensued, with 50 demonstrators marching from the East Point Police Department to City Hall, demanding an apology from the police and calling for sensitivity training.

East Point Mayor Jannquell Peters issued a apology to Evans, not fully resolving the issue. Evans continues to seek an apology directly from the officers and policy changes to prevent future incidents. SNaP Co remains committed to advocating for these changes, stressing that such harassment is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of discrimination.

Kellaway, M. (2014, November 2). Watch: Georgia trans man called 'it' by police pushes for end to harassment. *The Advocate*. https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/11/02/watch-georgiatrans-man-called-it-police-pushes-end-harassment

Transgender immigrants are frequently caught at the intersections of the immigration and criminal justice systems with troubling outcomes both in terms of their ability to stay in the United States and for how they are treated by the system.

68% 20%

LGBT asylum seekers were detained, despite the fact that 70% of all cases were to be considered for release.

Sexual Assault cases reported in ICE Detention Facilities involved transgender detainees despite the fact transgender detainees are less than 10% of all individuals detained overall

According to another investigation by the Center for American Progress, ICE documents showed that between October 2013 and October 2014, 104 immigrants told ICE they were afraid of being put in detention because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. 66 Of these, 81 were placed in detention anyway. Even when bond is available, since the ability of an individual to pay is not taken into account bond amounts are often set far too high for detainees to afford, resulting in transgender people remaining in detention for months, even years, simply because they are too poor to post bail.

Movement Advancement Project. (n.d.). A legacy of injustice: The U.S. criminalization of migration. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.lgbtmap.org/file/lgbt-criminal-justicetrans.pdf

Alexis Alexis, a transgender woman from Guatemala, embarked on a harrowing journey to seek safety in the United States in August 2019, fleeing severe violence and persecution due to her gender identity. Upon arriving at the U.S. border, she faced immediate mistreatment from CBP agents who ignored her pleas for water and subjected her to ridicule and physical abuse. Detained in the "hielera," a notorious holding facility known for its harsh conditions, Alexis endured freezing temperatures, inadequate food, and discriminatory treatment.

Transferred to a GEO-operated detention center in San Diego, Alexis continued to confront discrimination, being housed with male detainees despite her identity as a woman. She recounted instances of coercion and threats from guards, highlighting the pervasive abuse and lack of respect for her gender identity.

Throughout her detention, Alexis never had the opportunity to present her asylum case before an immigration judge, instead being processed through federal court proceedings that overlooked her asylum claims and prolonged her detention unnecessarily.

Despite deportation threats and challenges, Alexis persisted with the support of legal advocates, eventually returning to the U.S. after a period of uncertainty in Guatemala. However, her re-entry was met with further detention and ongoing legal battles, leaving her in limbo regarding her asylum status.

National Immigrant Justice Center. (n.d.). One suffers a lot of discrimination in detention: Alexis's story.

Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/one-suffers-lot-discriminationdetention-alexis-story-0

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