The Guardian: Record deaths in US immigration custody expose systemic failures
This news report delves into some detail in the deaths in U.S. immigration detention.
The report quotes Congressmember Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) as saying that the deaths across the US are “alarming and incredibly tragic”.
“The federal government is failing miserably either through incompetence or abject cruelty and neglect,” she said.
The story coninues:
"As more are detained, the death toll rises.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) . . . responded.
`There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the last decade, death rates in custody are 0.009% of the detained population,' an unnamed DHS spokesperson said.
DHS did not provide a source for the figure it cited in its response. The statement continued: `As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher standard (sic) of care than most prisons that hold US citizens – including providing access to proper medical care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.'”
DHS also pointed out the criminal histories of some of the detainees who have died. Government data shows that detainees with no criminal histories make up the largest portion of those in ICE detention.
