MCALLEN, Texas – The Office of Inspector General today issued a report instructing the Department of Homeland Security to immediately alleviate the dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of children and adults in immigration detention facilities in the Rio Grande Valley. This is the second time the agency conducted an investigation following complaints filed by the ACLU of Texas and the ACLU Border Rights Center regarding the mistreatment of migrants at these centers.
Rochelle Garza, staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas, had the following reaction:
“Every human being is deserving of dignity and respect, without exception. Overcrowding people, including pregnant women and children, into standing-room only cells and not allowing them to leave or shower for more than a month violates all standards and rights, and basic human decency. Instead of directing efforts toward humanitarian protection and basic due process rights, the Trump administration is prioritizing cruel immigration enforcement. Congress must hold DHS accountable and ensure that the urgent problems outlined in the OIG report are fixed immediately.”
