Immigration Videos Reveal Harsh Treatment of Detainees
January 27th, 2009
“Since the time Thomas Jefferson spoke of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, America has tried to uphold human rights. But today, our immigration laws deny basic due process and human rights to people who live in the US.”
Thus begin two important immigration videos that reveal the reality many immigrants face in the US today.
Juana Villegas from Mexico was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving, for which she was later found innocent.
Because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled. Juana remained shackled in transit to the hospital and while giving birth. She was forced to leave her three children, was never allowed to call her husband, and did not know where her baby was after she left the hospital.
Ali has been living in New York City for 30 years with a green card. He was detained for well over a year in immigrant detention where he witnessed the worst kind of physical abuse and medical mistreatment, including constantly fighting to get his HIV medication. Legislation is pending in the US Congress to ensure adequate medical care by all detainees held by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
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