ACLU files complaint against ICE and contractors
Civil Rights group alleges agents and workers retaliated against immigrants who spoke out about conditions in detention facility
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundations of Northern California and of San Diego and Imperial Counties on Thursday filed a complaint against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their contractors. The complaint accuses both of retaliating against eight undocumented immigrants who spoke out about living conditions in detention facilities.
The ACLU claims violated the First Amendment rights of individuals detained at Yuba County Jail in Marysville, Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield, Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, Adelanto Detention Center in Adelanto, and Golden State Annex in McFarland.
It claims when immigrants in ICE custody staged hunger strikes, held prayer vigils, and organized other peaceful protests to call attention to what the ACLU calls the "dangerous conditions and failure of officials to take the necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19," they were punished.
The complaint claims ICE and detention officers "have sprayed protesters with pepper bullets, deprived them of food and medicine, put them in solitary confinement, denied them access to their attorneys, among other abuses."
The ACLU is calling on Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to investigate the immigrants' claims.
Neither ICE nor DHS is commenting on the accusations. You can read the full complaint here.
