Sexual Abuses in US Immigrant Detention Facilities

With the recent discussions in lass about illegal immigrants, I found this article interesting because it shows how United States citizens violate international human rights when dealing with detained illegal immigrants. There have been cases across the United States of sexual violence against those held in immigrant detention facilities. Most cases are female detainees being sexually violated by male workers in the facilities.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found that the most disturbing part about these sexual assaults was that they were not committed in one or two facilities, but instead they are happening all over the country. (Clink this link to view the map. click) Cases have been found in 22 out of the 50 states, with Texas having the largest reported abuses with 56 allegations. Virginia has 7 allegations against it, specifically at the Rappahannock Regional Facility and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. The fact that cases are happening at the Hampton Roads jail makes this story hit home more.There has been an increase in immigrants without documentations in the United States resulting in 250 facilities and about 30,000 detainees in each facility. Mexicans make up the largest population in the facilities with more than 60 percent.

You hear about sexual abuses against inmates in other countries but you may not think that it happens in almost half of the states in the US. This article does raise an important question. Are illegal immigrants guaranteed the same rights as citizens of the United States because the undocumented immigrants have entered the country in an illegal way? I believe that this is not an accuse for illegal immigrants to be abused. Illegal immigrants are still human and should not be sexually abused because they broke a law. However, there are other arguments that once someone breaks the law they may not be guaranteed the same rights as others who abide by the law. I believe that this article deals with the violation of liberty and security of a person. When women are in a jail there security should not be at risk, especially from officers that are taking advantage of them. I also believe that this violates humane treatment when detained or imprisoned. These women are being raped, inappropriately touched, and some even fear for their lives.

Do you believe that these women should still be guaranteed their human rights even though they entered into the United States illegally?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/19/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-aclu?newsfeed=true