February 06, 2010

Immigration Jail Conditions Subpar

"A review of more than 800 pages of inspection reports obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a Freedom of Information Act request shows that inspectors have, in some instances, given positive reviews to facilities with serious problems — ranging from inadequate medical care to poor grievance procedures. In many cases, ICE has required facilities with deficiencies to make improvements, though inspectors often failed to note in subsequent reports whether changes were made."

SUSAN CARROLL in the Houston Chronicle.

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Federal Judge: Prosecute Criminals, Not Border Jumpers

"In an order filed Friday, a federal judge in Austin questioned U.S. prosecutors for seeking criminal convictions in court against some illegal immigrants, writing that the practice "presents a cost to the American taxpayer ... that is neither meritorious nor reasonable."

The order by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks comes as his docket, like others in Texas, is swollen with defendants charged with immigration crimes."

STEVEN KREYTAK in the Austin American-Statesman.

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February 03, 2010

Judge won't dismiss suit over US citizen detention

"A federal judge has rejected a government request to dismiss a lawsuit by a U.S. citizen who was locked up for seven months at an immigration center. 

Army veteran Rennison Castillo claims officials failed to act on his pleas in 2005 to check his military record and Social Security number.

It wasn't until immigration attorneys stepped in that his citizenship was confirmed and he was freed."

MANUEL VALDES for the Associated Press.

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January 26, 2010

Pregnant and Shackled: Hard Labor for Arizona's Immigrants

"Miriam Mendiola-Martinez, an undocumented immigrant charged with using someone else’s identity to work, gave birth to a boy on Dec. 21 at Maricopa Medical Center. After her C-section, she was shackled for two days to her hospital bed. She was not allowed to nurse her baby. And when guards walked her out of the hospital in shackles, she had no idea what officials had done with her child."

VALERIA FERNÁNDEZ for New America Media.

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January 25, 2010

Immigrants often see peril in reporting domestic abuse

"Though Los Angeles County law enforcement agencies and community organizations have made advances in responding to domestic violence in immigrant communities, attorneys and advocates say many victims still face obstacles in reporting abuse and seeking help.

Language barriers, financial dependence and lack of information keep victims from coming forward. And those here illegally worry about being sent back to their native countries.

Many victims do not know that they may be eligible for special visas for victims of crime and domestic violence."

ANNA GORMAN in the Los Angeles Times.

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Fleeing Cartels, Seeking Asylum

"The woman lowered her head and looked away, her shoulder-length dark hair covering her round face.  More than a year had passed since her uncle, a former Mexican state police commander, was kidnapped along with eight soldiers and beheaded by hit men working for a drug cartel.  But she still could not bear to look at the gruesome newspaper photos of the killings her lawyer had just spread on a table."

DANIEL GONZÁLEZ in the Arizona Republic.

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