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Detained and forgotten Immigration detention centers in California lack oversight and proper care, reports find by AnnA GormAn and AnA B. IBArrA
C a l i fo rni a H e a l t h l i ne
Staff members at immigration detention centers “The standards are so low for these detention in California delayed medical appointments for centers, and they are not regulated the way that they patients complaining of shortness of breath. They should be,” said Angelica Salas, executive director inadequately supervised suicidal youths. And in one of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. case, they failed to refer a patient with dangerously In addition to one-day visits to all of the facililow blood pressure to a physician. ties, Becerra’s Department of Justice conducted These and other health and safety problems more comprehensive investigations of three: the were detailed in two reports released on February Yolo County Juvenile Detention Facility, Theo 26. The reports, produced by state Attorney General Lacey Facility in Orange County and the West Xavier Becerra and State Auditor Elaine Howle, County Detention Facility in Contra Costa County. found that the inadequate medical care, along with Contra Costa County decided last year no longer to other health and safety risks, posed a serious danger house immigrant detainees in its facility. to immigration detainees. The department found a number of health and Becerra and Howle blamed the federal and local safety problems in the centers: governments for failing to oversee the detention Staff at the Yolo facility did not adequately centers, allowing the health and safety violations to address the mental health needs of detainees and persist. “Everyone in this country has constitutional overused psychotropic medications. One youth rights, and everyone at the end of the day, child had been cutting himself but wasn’t put under and adult, deserves to be treated in a a special watch. Providers conducted humane way,” Becerra said at a news superficial medical examinations that conference in San Francisco. failed to rule out serious injuries The U.S. Immigration and Customs or health conditions, including immigrants, who Enforcement is committed to one case in which a detainee stayed an average “ensuring all detainees are complained of testicular pain. treated in a humane and profesA shortage of bilingual medical of more than 50 days, sional manner,” spokeswoman staff compromised the confidenwere held in civil, Lori Haley countered in a written tiality of medical care and made not criminal, statement. “The safety, rights and it more difficult to access care. health of detainees in ICE’s care Unqualified personnel, including detention. are of paramount concern and all detention officers, deputies and ICE detention facilities are subject to licensed vocational nurses, made medistringent, regular inspections.” cal decisions. Dental services were often Haley’s statement didn’t discuss the specific delayed, including one case in which a detainee findings in the reports. needed urgent care for a probable “tooth eruption.” Becerra described his report as an initial look at Other detainees were denied fillings and root canal conditions in the 10 California centers that housed procedures. immigration detainees in 2017, when his review Becerra said the federal government is not began. The centers, overseen by ICE, hold people ensuring its own standards are met. And while some awaiting immigration hearings or deportation. The of the facilities already have made changes, he said federal centers have come under increased scruhe will continue monitoring them to ensure they tiny as President Donald Trump has stepped up adequately address their shortcomings. He didn’t immigration enforcement, with reports of deaths, rule out legal action. abuse and substandard medical care. A separate but equally damning report by the Over the past three years, nearly 75,000 state auditor concluded that California cities that immigrant detainees were housed in the 10 contract with ICE to house immigration detainees California facilities. The immigrants, who stayed are not providing adequate oversight, putting the an average of more than 50 days, were held in detainees’ health and safety at risk. Ω civil, not criminal, detention. The federal Office of Inspector General also This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially examined detention facilities and revealed health independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. An and safety problems such as nooses in cells and unabridged version of this story is available at newsreview.com/ sacramento. “improper and overly restrictive segregation.”
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