The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of three female immigration detainees who were sexually abused and assaulted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Most of the detainees are there seeking asylum, with the assistance of an immigration attorney, or are awaiting deportation for being undocumented.
According to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the ACLU stated in après conference that there are close to 200 allegations of sexual abuse of immigration detainees since 2007.
The identities of the three women are being kept confidential to protect them from future abuse. The lawsuit alleges that they were abused while being transported from the T Don Hutto Family Residential Center in Taylor, Texas to the airport or bus station near Austin, according to CNN.
Mark Whitburn a senior staff attorney for the ACLU in Texas stated, “Immigrants in detention are uniquely vulnerable to abuse, and those holding them in custody know this. Many do not speak English… and may not be aware of their rights or they may be afraid to exercise them.”
These women have fled their countries to for fear of abuse only to find that they are abused in the U.S. Seeking asylum even with the help of an immigration lawyer can be very time consuming and these women deserve to be protected.
The language barrier also makes it difficult for them to obtain citizenship without the guidance of an immigration lawyer.
