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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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LGBTQ+ migrants fleeing persecution have reported being subjected to physical and verbal abuse while in U.S. custody, with some being driven to self-harm, left with hives or experiencing panic attacks.
A new report from a coalition of immigration and human rights groups focused on a group of LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive migrants who detailed abuse at the hands of Customs and Border Protection and ICE staff, as well as fellow inmates.
Of the 41 surveyed, a third reported sexual abuse, physical assaults or harassment while they were being held. Many said they were trying to get away from such attacks in their home countries.
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"I want this report to help people understand the hidden reality of immigration detention centers," Ariel Urrutia, a gay man living with HIV detained at four different detention centers over the course of a year, said in a press release.
"In the outside world, they're presented as humane, but for me, they were like a lion's den. I still have nightmares about what I went through there."
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The report, co-written by the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), Immigration Equality and Human Rights First, states that, once they crossed the border, respondents found themselves in situations which exacerbated past traumas.
One example of such abuse came in April, when a transgender woman reported being housed with men, one of whom frequently masturbated in front of her. It took complaints from others before any action was taken.
Other reports included attempted suicides and self-harm as a result of abuse not being dealt with by immigration officials.
Killian, a trans man, said that his first attempt to take his own life came after suffering at the hands of jail staff. He was then placed in solitary confinement for 10 days.
"[T]hey took away my clothes, even underwear," he said in the report. "They put me in a shirt that they put on crazy people. The worst abuse is taking my clothes away without my permission."
Kilian reported that he attempted suicide again, but staff at the detention facility didn't take him to see a mental health professional.
"They wouldn't care unless I killed myself," he added.
A trans woman, Zoe, described how ICE officers told her that the only way she could be protected from harm was to spend 22+ hours in isolation each day.
"When you complain, they put you in the punishment cell," another trans woman told the organizations.
Around half of those surveyed for the report said they have spent time in solitary confinement, while most of those living with HIV said they had struggled to access medical care while in custody.
"LGBTQ+ people frequently come to the United States fleeing severe violence and danger. Instead of providing refuge and safety, the United States subjects them to conditions in immigration detention facilities that aggravate their past trauma, neglect their medical needs, and expose them to discrimination and violence," NIJC Director of Policy Nayna Gupta said in a press release.
"Thanks to the brave group of immigrants who shared their experiences for this report, we better understand the rampant and systemic nature of these human rights violations."
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Newsweek reached out to CBP and ICE for comment on the report Friday morning.
CBP has a number of policies outlined on its website, which state that the authority takes its role in protecting civil rights and liberties seriously, and that it has policies in place to investigate complaints.
ICE also states similar objectives on its website, outlining that it aims to provide "a safe and secure environment for noncitizens in ICE custody".
Those behind the report argue that CBP and ICE are "incapable" of safely detaining LGBTQ+ or HIV-positive people, and want to see immigration detention phased out entirely.
Other recommendations include stronger guidelines for immigration staff on protecting people like those surveyed, the termination of contracts for prison companies violating their human rights, and passing legislation that would decommission all detention facilities for migrants.
"No human being should endure such mistreatment and neglect, and for people already marginalized due to their LGBTQ+ identity or HIV-positive status, these conditions have proved to be particularly dangerous," Christina Asencio, director of research and analysis and refugee protection at Human Rights First, said in a press release.
"Our report underscores the necessity for immediate action to ensure the safety and dignity of every person who seeks safety in the United States."
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