General Info
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“Crossing the Line”: Findings and recommendations |
Report Findings
The human rights violations identified in this report occur at all three stages of short-term custody: in the field during apprehension, in the processing centers, and during the repatriation process. It is the experience of No More Deaths volunteers that migrants suffer this mistreatment on a daily basis. The question is not if these practices are intended outcomes of Department of Homeland Security policy. The dearth of enforceable custody standards and the lack of mechanisms for holding Border Patrol agents who commit abuses to account are directly to blame. Culpability lies with an internal agency culture that accepts and tolerates abuse, as well as with the highest levels of DHS administration.
Presented here are the twelve categories of abuse that constitute the heart of this report, along with a series of cases that illustrate each category of mistreatment. The appendix contains complete documentation of the human rights violations, organized by abuse type and cross-referenced when cases include multiple categories of violation.
The numbers next to the examples below correspond with the full account in the Appendix
Failure to Respect the Basic Dignity of Migrants
- Repatriation of migrants without their clothes or shoes
- Migrants being denied the right to sleep while in custody
- The forced holding of strenuous positions for no apparent reason, other than to humiliate
“You’re a piece of shit.”
3. Alfonso, 27, and Jorge, 34, witnessed an agent kick one man’s legs apart so roughly that his pants ripped. When a woman said, “How can you treat us like that, we’re not from the streets,” an agent said, “You’re a piece of shit.” Another agent told them, “The next time you run we’ll kick your butts and leave you here in the desert.” The agents threw away all of their food and gave their fruit to Border Patrol horses.
Sexually Harassed by Agents
5. Manuel and Liliana, from Oaxaca, reported sexual abuse by the Border Patrol. Border Patrol agents splashed perfume on both of them and grabbed Manuel’s genitals. When Manuel and Liliana asked for water to drink, the agents then threw them water mixed with mud.
Forced to Run in Place
8. A group of 15 was forced to run in place for 30 minutes by Border Patrol agents who told them that they were making them do so to ensure that they would not want to come back. They kicked anyone who stopped, including a 14-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy, and three women.
Made to Roll in Mud
10. Herman’s group was beaten and verbally abused by the Border Patrol, who called them “pendejos” (assholes), “mala gente”(trash), and “mojados”(wetbacks). They were also forced to lie face down in the mud while the agents did paperwork and talked to each other; the agents continued to randomly strike people, telling them that they were making them muddy to make it easier to find them if they tried to come back. Herman’s group was detained overnight and all were covered in mud when they arrived at the migrant center.
Failure to Provide and the Denial of Water in the Field and Processing Centers
- Inadequate amounts of potable water available
- Unsanitary distribution methods
- Denial of water when requested, even by vulnerable populations
- Refusal to provide water in spite of evidence of kidney damage and other serious ailments
One Liter for Eight People
15. A male, age 25, from Chiapas, Mexico, reported that he and his group were only given one liter of water to share between 8 people. He also had severe blisters on his feet, and was sworn at and kicked in the chest by a Border Patrol agent.
Pregnant Woman Denied
16. Alejandra, a woman who was four months pregnant, reported being denied food and water while in Border Patrol custody. She also had four blisters and athlete’s foot.
No Water for Children
20. 34 men and two children were repatriated after being in custody for 24 hours. They were given no food or water.
No Water Received
30. One male, age unknown, was in custody for eight hours and offered no food, water, or medical care before being repatriated at 9 pm. He witnessed the beating of two other migrants by Border Patrol agents while in the processing center.
Failure to Provide and the Denial of Food in the Field and Processing Centers
- Agents throw away migrants’ food, or feed it to their horses in front of them
- Requests for sufficient amounts of food dismissed in processing centers
- Children and pregnant women consistently denied access to adequate nutrition
- Systematic denial of food exacerbates the implications of dehydration, rhabdomyolysis (kidney failure), and other serious ailments common among migrants
Families Go Hungry
36. Five mothers with five young children were apprehended by the Border Patrol as they crossed the desert. They were not given food or water in the desert, on the bus, or in the processing center. Additionally, they were not examined for medical needs despite having spent three days in the desert and having young children with them.
59. Corbita reported that Border Patrol denied her and her daughters, Gaby and Juana, of food while they were in custody from 10 am until 8 am on the following day.
89. A group of 32 migrants including six women and two children were repatriated together. The group included a family of four from Georgia that had spent an entire night in Border Patrol custody and were not given food.
10-Year-Old Deprived
45. A female, age 10, was not given sufficient food or water during the seven hours she spent in a processing center.
Pregnant Women Denied Food
46. A female, age 24, who was also five months pregnant, was denied food by Border Patrol agents, despite her specific requests. When she was repatriated, she reported feeling faint and dizzy.
50. Two pregnant women, ages 22 and 16, were denied food and sufficient water while in custody. They reported verbal abuse by a Border Patrol agent.
78 Hours Without a Meal
47. A male, age 29, was detained for over 78 hours without receiving any food or water.
Food Given, Then Taken Away
78. Eighteen men, fourteen women and three young boys reported that they had been given food, but it was then taken away from them and thrown away.
Failure to Provide Medical Treatment and Access to Medical Professionals
- Medications for pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes confiscated and not returned
- Open wounds, broken bones, and heat stroke go untreated before repatriation
- Blisters that cover entire soles of feet and have become infected, requiring amputation due to lack of care
- Migrants repatriated from hospital emergency rooms wearing hospital gowns and with unfilled prescriptions.
Pregnant Woman Falls, Goes Untreated
103. A pregnant female, age 18, was experiencing pregnancy complications and stomach pain after falling. She had received no care while in Border Patrol custody.
Bounding Pulse Signals Severe Dehydration
106. Three males were given insufficient food and inadequate medical care. One of the males had a painful, dislocated knee, blisters on his feet, a red rash, and an unusually strong and bounding pulse—a sign of serious dehydration.
Blood Pressure Medication Confiscated
107. A male, age 50, reported being ill while in Border Patrol custody for nearly ten hours. Agents confiscated his blood pressure medication and did not return it, even upon repatriation. He was also denied sufficient food and water while in custody.
Fingers Amputated
122. A man, age 21, was repatriated with a serious injury to his hand that cut down to the bone; skin and muscle had been lost. He was told at the health center in Naco, Mexico, that it may have been too late to save his fingers, though if proper medical treatment had been given during the eight hours he spent in custody, the fingers could have been saved.
Repatriated with Cactus Spine Lodged in Eye
123. A man, age 28, was repatriated with a cactus spine in his eye, causing it to bleed. He had been in custody without receiving any treatment for the eye injury. No food and insufficient water were provided.
Migrant Repatriated Delirious, Unable to Walk
129. Mario, age 20, was repatriated with no concern paid to the fact that he was extremely weak and barely able to walk. Upon arrival at the No More Deaths aid station in Nogales, Mario was dizzy, agitated, and delirious, unable to name the country he was in. En route to a Nogales, Sonora hospital, his eyes began to roll back into his head. Prior to being taken into Border Patrol custody, Mario had gone 10 to 15 days without food in the desert.
Coughing Up Blood
141. Lorenzo was repatriated with severe lung problems and blood in his saliva. He arrived at the aid station complaining about pain in both sides of his chest, in his lungs. It hurt when he spoke and the pain reached all the way to his back. He was coughing up blood. He had received no medical treatment while in custody, and was immediately transported to a hospital.
Inhumane Processing Center Conditions
- Holding cells kept at extreme temperatures
- Denial of blankets, or distribution of filthy blankets riddled with cactus spines
- Migrants forced to sleep on overcrowded floors of cells.
Denial of Access to Bathrooms
155. Ninety-five men, twenty-eight women, and four children, ages four to eleven, were reportedly held in Border Patrol custody for four hours after being in the desert for up to three days. Border Patrol agents did not let women go to the bathroom. One man saw an agent choke a twenty-year old male on the bus but could not see the name on the agent’s badge.
Hands Held Behind Heads
156. A man, age 20, reported that he and other people in custody were forced to stand for a long time with their hands behind their heads for no reason.
Rain Soaked in Custody
158. Gabriel, age 42 from Veracruz, reported being denied treatment for potentially cancerous ulcers while in Border Patrol custody. When he was put into custody, he was soaked from the rain and did not receive a towel or dry clothes. He was not allowed to see a doctor, was given no medicine, and just a few crackers. Gabriel said he was dying and felt very sick. Gabriel had walked for a night and a day, trying to get to Kentucky; he had been told by his doctors in Mexico that he had only a short time to live due to his ulcers, and he had come to earn money for his treatment.
Woman Suffers Sexual Harassment in Processing Center
159. Imeldo, age 21, was sexually harassed while in Border Patrol custody. After five days walking in the desert, she was held for two days by the Border Patrol; during this time, a man dressed in civilian clothing asked her to lift her blouse. She was also forced to lie on the floor of her cell.
Mother Refused Blanket for Baby
160. Angelica, age 28, was mistreated while in Border Patrol custody. She and her baby daughter did not receive anything to eat during the 12 hours they were in custody, and Angelica did not receive a blanket.
Verbal Abuse
- Migrants abused by agents using derogatory racial and sexual epithets
- Yelling and screaming for no apparent reason, both in the field and in processing centers
- Often accompanied by physical abuse and threats of violence
“Pendejos”
165. Seven women and a twelve year old boy were in custody for fifteen hours; during this time they were only given juice and crackers in spite of their requests for food. The agents said there was no more food, but that they would “go outside and kill a dog and make a hamburger for [them].” They were also called “pendejos” (assholes) by an agent. Additionally, severe blisters and an infected knee of the women received no medical attention.
Vulgar Response to Food Request
177. 34 men, one woman, and two youth, both age 17, reported being held for about 8 hours and only receiving a little cup of water and crackers. When they asked for food, they were told, “We’re not a FUCKING restaurant!” Several had severe blisters and cramps.
Migrants Threatened with Longer Custody
183. Alberto and Juan reported that a Border Patrol Agent named J. Gutierrez verbally abused two migrants, threatened to hit Juan when he was in pain, called them “pinche madres” and “trash”, and threatened to keep them longer in the processing center. Later, the migrants were given crackers in their cells. The same agent entered the cell and insulted them in the same way, swearing at them for not throwing away the wrappers despite the lack of a trash can. He said they would stay until they cleaned it up, so they all put it in their pockets.
“You’re in my country”
184. Jonathan, age 14, reported being grabbed by his neck and threatened by a Border Patrol agent. The agent said, “Me vale verga que seas menor de edad. Que si seguire con ese comportamiento lo iba arreglar allá atras. Estás en mi pais,” (“I don’t give a shit that you are a minor. If you continue with this behavior we’ll fix that out back. You’re in my country.”) The Border Patrol agent grabbed his neck from behind with one hand and used the other to inspect his body. Jonathan, who is about five feet fall and very thin, was traveling with his aunt Angelica, who witnessed this abuse.
Agent Delivers Blow with Shovel
194. Saul reported that Border Patrol agents referred to him as “motherfucker,” “fat ass,” and said, “If you move we’ll shoot you”. Three other migrants tried to run when they were found; one was chased, caught, and kicked to the ground, while another’s face was rubbed in the sand after apprehension. Saul reported that as agents chased the men, they were yelling that they were going to “kick their ass[es].” Another agent had a shovel with which he hit one of the men in the right eyebrow. This migrant’s eye area became very swollen, and he was examined at the processing center. It is unclear what type of treatment, if any, he received, because he returned looking the same.
Physical Abuse
- Common abuses include agents shoving migrants into cacti, agents striking migrants, the use of chokeholds, sexual assault and the use of standing and sitting positions that are painful
- Used as a tool to instill fear in the victims and those who witness the abuse
- So pervasive that migrants encountered by humanitarian aid workers have been reluctant to have an ambulance called due to a fear of being beaten
Shackled and Isolated
196. Upon asking for food, Oscar was shackled by his hands and feet and placed in a tiny cell without food until they took him out to get information from him.
Woman Sexually Assaulted, Witnesses Dog Attack
200. A young woman, age 17, reported being touched inappropriately while in Border Patrol custody. She was searched by male agents who touched her chest and thighs and reached into her pockets. She was additionally given insufficient water and food and separated from her family at the processing center. Border Patrol agents found them after they had been walking for a week. They were told that if they ran, the agents would order Border Patrol dogs to attack them. The woman witnessed a dog attack a young boy.
Beaten with Batons
207. Two men, age 25 and 28, reported being chased by agents on horseback. They were hit forcefully with batons on the tops of their heads and faces and were red and bloody when they were taken to the processing center. They did not receive any medical attention.
Bloody Urine
217. Paulino, age 29, from Cancún, Mexico, reported being kicked in the stomach two days prior while alone in the custody of three Border Patrol agents. They told him that they did not speak Spanish and denied him medical attention. When Paulino arrived at the No More Deaths aid station, he was crying and reported feeling strong pain. He had swelling in the genital area and blood in his urine and could barely walk, indicating abdominal or testicular injury. The Mexican Red Cross strongly advised surgery, but Paulino had lost his backpack and did not know how he would pay for the bus fare home, let alone the necessary procedure.
Forced to Walk Barefoot
221. Belen, age 22, from Veracruz, Mexico, reported being held at gunpoint by a Border Patrol agent and told to exit a car. The agent made Belen and the others walk barefoot to a Border Patrol truck and confiscated their shoes. The agent called Belen’s brother “asshole” and “son-of-a-bitch.”
Dangerous Transportation Practices
- Lack of seat belts in Border Patrol and Wackenhut vehicles
- Agents that drive at high speeds over rough terrain
- Hazardous overcrowding
- Vehicles kept at extreme temperatures
Nosebleeds from Excessive Heating
251. Juan, age 24, from Mexico City, Mexico, reported that Border Patrol agents turned on the heat in their van so that the high temperature caused Juan and others to get nosebleeds. There were 11 people packed into the back of the van. They could not breathe and were bathed in sweat. The Border Patrol agents did not give them any medical attention.
Excessive Air Conditioning
252. Twenty-eight men, sixteen women, and five children were held for 24 hours and given water but no food. Border Patrol agents were rude to them and while on the bus the air conditioning was on full blast. When the migrants asked that it be turned down, the agents yelled at them to “shut up.”
High Speed Driving
253. A group of migrants, including 15 men, four women, and one child, reported being “treated like animals” by Border Patrol agents. They reported having things thrown at them and being pushed and yelled at. They also reported that the agents drove dangerously fast, causing their heads to hit the sides of the transportation vehicle. They reported not being given food during their detention either.
High Temperature Vehicles
254. A group of 31 men and four women were repatriated to the Nogales port of entry. They reported spending several hours in Border Patrol custody, where they did not receive food or water. They also reported being forced to spend hours in a 108 degree Border Patrol vehicle without air-conditioning. Four had untreated blisters.
Separation of Family Members
- Migrants denied information about the whereabouts of their relatives
- Families held in custody separately
- Repatriated at different times to different ports of entry, making it nearly impossible to reunite
- The Border Patrol lateral repatriation strategy exacerbates these concerns by repatriating migrants to ports of entry other than the closest one to which they crossed
Brothers Separated
259. Luis Fernando, age 24, was chased, along with his brother, by Border Patrol agents. When they dropped to the ground to turn themselves in, a Border Patrol agent grabbed his brother’s head and slammed it into the ground three times, put his foot on his brother’s head, and said “fuck you” several times. While handcuffed and walking to the Border Patrol vehicle, Luis fell—this did not elicit any concern from the agents. Luis and his brother were separated while in custody. He was told that his brother was repatriated first, but did not know to where.
Uncle and Nephew Separated
261. Twelve men and two women were repatriated; after five days of walking they were held for 24 hours and given only water and crackers. The 17 year old nephew of one man was separated from him; one woman was two months pregnant, nauseated and alone with two children; her husband had been killed in the desert previously.
Released Several Hours After Family Members
262. Jacobo was held by the Border Patrol for 36 hours before being repatriated in the middle of the night. He was not given ‘real’ food, only crackers, and provided no medical care; he also was not released with the rest of his family members, who were only detained for 10 or 12 hours. He also reported that Border Patrol agents “usan nombres malas” [use bad names] when referring to migrants.
Underage Siblings Laterally Repatriated
263. Efrain was stopped by the Border Patrol with his sister, Rosa, age 16. In custody, they were separated, even though Efrain and Rosa insisted that they were family. After being in custody for almost two days Efrain was repatriated but denied any information about the whereabouts of his sister. It is unclear if she was taken to Nogales, remained in custody, was selected for prosecution, or was put in the care of the Consulate. It is likely they were repatriated through different ports of entry, as Efrain reported traveling a long distance before being repatriated.
Denied Information about Cousin
264. Arturo was separated from his cousin, Jesus, with whom he traveled. The agents did not permit him to get near his cousin nor to find out any information about his location.
Repatriation of Vulnerable Populations at Night
- Repatriation of women and children after dark, in violation of previous Memoranda of Understanding signed by the U.S. and Mexican governments
- Migrants repatriated in the middle of the night to unfamiliar cities after shelters and other services are unavailable
- Any one already denied food, water, and medical attention is at high risk for being a victim of crime or violence
4:30 am
269. Maria, four other women and two children were repatriated after 6 hours in Border Patrol custody. They were denied access to food, water, or medical care before being repatriated at 4:30 am.
Midnight Repatriation
272. Four men and five women were repatriated in the middle of the night; after four days in the desert, they received only water and freeze-dried beef food packets and they arrived at the aid station with untreated blisters.
Children Returned in the Middle of the Night
275. Seven men, five women and two young boys, were repatriated in the middle of the night.
Women Repatriated After Dark
305. Four women were repatriated to Nogales in spite of the increased dangers to women, children, and vulnerable populations at night.
Mother and 6-month-old Put On the Street
309. Maria and Jesus were repatriated at 12:30 am, along with another woman traveling alone with her 6-month-old baby. She had requested food and a blanket for the child from the Border Patrol; in spite of the fact that the child was visibly shivering, the agents did not respond.
Failure to Return Personal Belongings
- Common belongings unreturned include clothing, money, contact information, and identification
- Identification documents are necessary for migrants to receive social services, to buy bus tickets or to work, and to avoid being detained in their country of origin
- Confiscation of personal belongings often means people lose the few mementos of home brought with them on their journey
Migrant’s Possessions Confiscated
313. A male, age 27, reported that a Border Patrol agent grabbed the Holy medal around his neck, acting like he was going to strangle him. The agent also took all of his possessions except the clothes the migrant was wearing and did not return them. He also was not provided with food or sufficient water.
Teenage Girl’s Backpack Taken
319. A girl, age 14, reported being denied sufficient food and water and witnessed physical abuse by Border Patrol. The Border Patrol confiscated her backpack and left her without a coat to wear. She reported that Border Patrol gave her only water, juice and crackers while she was in custody for a long time. She saw Border Patrol agents hitting people in custody.
Migrant Loses Driver’s License
321. Pastor, age 41, reported that Border Patrol agents confiscated his Mexican identification documents, including his driver’s license, without returning them. They also took his hat, glasses, clothing, and tennis shoes and failed to return them.
Group’s Identification Thrown Away
335. Fifty men reported that the Border Patrol took and threw out their identification documents.
338. Fifteen men, twelve women, and three children, ages one, four and fourteen, were repatriated after being kept for 24 hours in the processing center. Agents took away their ID documents and did not return them upon repatriation.
Failure to Inform Migrants of their Rights
- Forms not provided in a language migrants can read
- Coercion into signing forms under the threat of further criminal penalty
- The failure to inform migrants of their rights to legal counsel and to their Consulate
Consulate Not Informed About Minor in Custody
342. A group of twelve people--three women and nine men--reported being detained for five hours without receiving any food. One of the young men was a minor, and should have been transferred to the care of the Mexican Consulate. Instead, he was repatriated as an adult.
Unaware of Right to Legal Counsel
343. A 19-year-old male reported being kept in a processing center that was extremely cold. Additionally, he did not understand his right to see a lawyer and was not given sufficient food or water.
Agents Refuse to Explain Implications of Document Being Signed
344. A group of three men and nine women were repatriated after being in Border Patrol custody for 16 hours. The agents had thrown away their backpacks and yelled at them; when they told one man to get up and he didn’t, a Border Patrol agent kicked him in the eye with his boot. Two women had untreated blisters and another was forced to sign a document in English that she did not understand. When she asked, the agents refused to tell her what she was signing.
Man Forced to Sign Document Written in English
345. A male, age 21, reported being denied water in spite of his repeated requests. He was also forced to sign papers he did not understand as they were not provided in Spanish, and his belongings were taken and not returned.
Recommendations
Guidelines for the Implementation of Enforceable Standards Regulating Short-Term Border Patrol Custody
In light of the widespread human rights violations that No More Deaths and partner organization volunteers have documented, and in consultation with medical professionals and others with extensive experience providing care to repatriated migrants, the following recommendations for short-term custody standards have been developed. Outlined below are acceptable minimum standards of care, largely organized to correlate directly to the areas of abuse previously mentioned in the report. They are followed by a specific set of recommendations relating to standards of medical care that ought to be available to migrants at all times in the field and in processing centers.
The standards have been designed to be sufficiently concrete to allow for timely implementation; however, they are presented here with the understanding that room remains for them to be updated if and when the needs of migrants change.
Access to Water
- Agents should always have water available in the field. Every migrant who is apprehended should be given an individual bottle of water without having to request it. Electrolytes should be available for any migrant who needs them.
- If migrants are unable to drink, or vomit upon drinking, this is a sign of severe physical distress anda potentially dangerous stage of dehydration. In this case, medical professionals should be called and migrants should be evacuated immediately from the field to a medical facility.
- In the processing centers, migrants must always have unlimited access to water. Every migrant should be able to help himself or herself to water as desired.
- Every migrant should have his or her own cup so as not to be exposed to potential disease. This could be achieved by having water coolers and cup dispensers in each cell or by distributing individual bottles.
Access to Food
- Agents in the field should be provided with basic snack mixes that they should provide to all migrants they encounter, many of whom may not have eaten for days. A simple mix of dried fruit and nuts would provide the appropriate combination of salts, proteins, and sugars.
- As migrants are being processed in the centers, each migrant should be provided with a food pack.
- Meals should be given regularly, to allow for migrants to recuperate. Mechanisms should be in place to ensure that any migrant gets at least one meal while in the processing center, and subsequent meals at set intervals of eight hours. Children and pregnant women should be given additional access to food.
- Meals should be nutritious and simple. A recommended meal would be soup, a ham-and-cheese or turkey-and-cheese sandwich, a banana or apple, and milk. Hot drinks as should be available.
- Processing Center Conditions
- Upon admission, migrants should be informed of their rights in a language they understand, including the right to petition for asylum, to see a judge or attorney, and their right to consular notification.
- Migrants should be able to make telephone calls to legal counsel and to their Consulate.
- Upon admission, migrants should be provided with two clean blankets each. Cells should provide adequate space and facilities for sleeping.
- Migrants should have (and be told) they have access to toilet facilities upon request.
- Migrants should have access to basic toiletries, including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. Diapers and sanitary products should be immediately available upon request. Migrants should be informed that they have this access.
- A female officer should always be present when women or children are in custody at the processing center.
Access to Medical Treatment
- Migrants should be assessed and provided medical care in the field and at the processing centers as detailed below.
- Migrants who receive medical care while in custody should receive full treatment for their conditions (i.e., broken bones should be set; open wounds that need stitches should be stitched) and any prescriptions should be filled prior to their repatriation. All open wounds, including puncture wounds and blisters, should be cleaned and attended to prior to repatriation and as soon as is feasible once the migrant is in custody.
Safe Transportation
- Temperatures in vehicles should be kept in a consistent range in which migrants will be comfortable.
- Transportation should always be at a safe speed that takes into account road and weather conditions.
- Migrants should not be crowded into vehicles. In vehicles with seatbelts, there should be a seatbelt for every migrant.
Humane Repatriation & Deportation Practices
- All removals from the U.S. should take place during daylight hours.
- Family members should be kept together and should be returned together.
- All property must be returned to migrants, including their paperwork, identification, medications, and money.
- All migrants should be fully clothed when deported. This includes the return of any belts, shoelaces, or other items taken from them. Migrants who do not have clothes when they are arrested must be provided with them, including socks and shoes. Migrants wearing wet or otherwise inappropriate clothing should receive new clothing.
- If migrants are asked to sign any paperwork prior to voluntary repatriation, the content must be fully and accurately explained to them, along with the options they may have. Complete copies of the paperwork, in a language that they understand, be provided to the migrant.
- To facilitate family reunification, DHS must provide all appropriate consulates with a complete list of all repatriated and deported individuals on a daily basis, including the port of entry and time of removal.
Independent Oversight
- A Community Oversight Committee must be established to ensure compliance. This committee, including members who are medical and legal professionals in addition to individuals who work in the area of human and migrant rights, must have access to SPCs and Border Patrol/DHS facilities.
Additional Recommendations Regarding Access to Medical Treatment
In the field, before transportation to a processing center, an agent with at least First Aid certification will:
1. Assess for signs and symptoms of dehydration and heat illness:
- disorientation
- nausea and/or vomiting
- muscle cramps
- diarrhea or consumption of contaminated water
- dizziness
- paleness; cool, clammy skin
- shortness of breath
2. Assess for any injury to extremities:
- inability to bear weight without severe pain.
- a limb that is swollen and red
- any open, oozing wound
3. Ask if any woman is pregnant; she will be at much higher risk.
4. Assess if there are any children or people over 50 years old that will be at higher risk.
5. Ask if there is any person with an underlying condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease.
If any of the above is present in the field, an ambulance will be called so a licensed medical provider can conduct a full assessment. Complete information as to the destination and whereabouts of anyone evacuated by ambulance will be provided to family members traveling with that person and to the relevant authorities from the appropriate country.
At every processing center,
- A licensed medical provider will be on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will ask all persons who are to be processed how they are feeling and if they are in need of medical care, as they enter.
- All persons will be assessed by the licensed medical provider, as they enter the center, for signs/symptoms of dehydration and heat illness (this includes nausea and vomiting and other above stated symptoms); injuries to extremities; allergic reactions, rashes, spines/puncture wounds that lead to infection; open wounds; pregnancy; age; and underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Persons on medications and with their medications will be allowed to take their medications on schedule.
- Persons discharged from a medical facility will have their prescriptions filled immediately so they can stay on their medication and will have follow-up while at the center with a licensed medical provider.
Conclusion
The guidelines outlined in this report regard the most basic needs of human beings, and in no way should be considered the pinnacle of human rights protection. Ongoing work must be done to strive for the dignity and justice that constitute the inherent rights of all people. The U.S. government’s failure to uphold these fundamental human rights in their routine practices is disgraceful and completely out of step with international standards.
The border will never be secure while human rights are being trod upon. Border Patrol agents, federal law enforcement officers and the agencies that employ them need to be held accountable for their actions.
While the practices documented in the report clearly reveal the routine violation of human rights in the border region, our concerns extend to the climate of fear currently gripping immigrant communities around the United States. Increasing numbers of migrants encounter equally abusive and negligent treatment in regional processing centers and in ICE enforcement practices. It is critical that short-term custody and detention reform efforts be linked, in order to ensure that fundamental human rights are upheld by all U.S. immigration enforcement bodies.
This report also calls for policy makers to respond swiftly and substantively to the fundamental causes of forced displacement and migration spurred by economic need. Without addressing the economic and social roots of migration, policies based on the strategy of deterrence do not ‘deter’ anyone but rather serve to compound the distressing climate of death and suffering in the borderlands.
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Cialis AU
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