ICE Will No Longer Sedate Deportees
"U.S. immigration agents must not sedate deportees without a judge's permission, according to a policy change issued this week.
Immigration officials have acknowledged that 56 deportees were given psychotropic drugs during a seven-month period in 2006 and 2007 even though most had no history of mental problems. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit over the practice in June.
An internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo issued Wednesday and obtained Friday by The Associated Press said that effective immediately, agents must get a court order before administering drugs "to facilitate an alien's removal."
"There are no exceptions to this policy," said the memo by John Torres, detention and removal director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
PETER PRENGAMAN in the Associated Press.