Julie Myers, assistant director of DHS published an op-ed piece in the Washington Post. in which she defended the agency while describing what she believes as competent care for those in detention. She is saying that ICE needs to be represented with "balanced" views. Of course it is fair to present different sides of the problem. But the Washington Post and the NY Times are not debating the quality of care in DHS detention centers. These newspapers are exposing inhumane treatment of detained immigrants. This is not a debate, it is a exposé of something very detrimental to our society.
My response to Myers' statements:
Myers: ICE did not create the detention or detainee health-care systems but, in fact, inherited the procedures of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS).
Response: Myers appears to be implying that her agency is less responsible for bad medical treatment in detention centers because DHS "inherited the procedures' and detention heath-care systems.
Myers: Psychologists and social workers have managed a daily population of more than 1,350 seriously mentally ill detainees without a single suicide being committed in the past 15 months.
Response: Perhaps none in the past 15 months (that have been reported), but suicide is still a very serious threat to the well-being of detainees. See WP article on suicides in detention.
Myers: [DHS has] national detention standards that are comparable to or surpass industry standards in their commitment to detainee health and comfort.
Response: The WP has a document that highlights actual DHS dollar savings when medical care is denied. This document shows DHS imitating the policies of HMOs, generally known for paying doctors not to treat (the care they don't give), versus the care they do give. Click here for details.
Myers: ICE detention facilities are open to those outside the agency. We routinely conduct tours for members of Congress, representatives from nongovernmental organizations and the media.
Response: from the ACLU: In March, 2008 U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, Jorge Bustamante was denied entrance to New Jersey's Monmouth County Correctional Institution and Texas's Hutto immigration detention center, a converted prison According to ACLU the "U.S. has a history of blocking international experts from access to controversial detention facilities." For the complete ACLU report click here.
Myers: Readers should know that ICE does not tolerate malfeasance or malpractice. Instances of improper behavior will be immediately and vigorously investigated; if necessary, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.
Response: If this is true, then why are there repeated incidents of ICE misrepresenting themselves as police, why are they entering homes without warrants, and verbally abuse people being interrogated (among many other inappropriate behaviors)? See ACLU statement requesting the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the DHS.
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