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Diabetic woman detained at Hutto in urgent need of emergency care for improper treatment: Attorney’s request for medical release was denied this morning
(Austin, Texas) — Yesterday Austin advocates launched a campaign demanding the release of Brenda Menjivar Guardado, a young woman from El Salvador who is experiencing serious symptoms related to improper treatment of diabetes by medical staff at the Hutto Detention Center in Taylor, Texas. Read more about Diabetic woman detained at Hutto in urgent need of emergency care for improper treatment: Attorney’s request for medical release was denied this morning
Montgomery County residents protest massive new for-profit immigrant detention camp: Construction begins on first new detention camp under Trump administration
Construction begins on new ICE detention camp.
(CONROE, Texas) — Montgomery County residents rallied yesterday outside the County Commissioners building against the new 1,000-bed detention center being built right next to the existing Joe Corley Detention Center and Montgomery County Mental Health Facility. The White Construction Company has already broken ground on the new facility, called the Montgomery ICE Processing Center according to a sign at the construction site. Read more about Montgomery County residents protest massive new for-profit immigrant detention camp: Construction begins on first new detention camp under Trump administration
The Texas legislative session was ugly, but it wasn’t all bad
June 4, 2017 by Cristina Parker
You’ve heard the bad news about immigration. But there actually are things to celebrate now that an ugly, racist legislative session is behind us. Lewis Conway, second from left, urges lawmakers to close prisons.
Rep. Matt Rinaldi put a lid on an already repugnant legislative session when he told colleagues that he reported protesters to federal immigration agents on Monday. Rinaldi’s mouthing off might hurt SB 4 supporters in court. Read more about The Texas legislative session was ugly, but it wasn’t all bad
Texas Prison Bid'ness:Deaths in immigrant detention centers are on pace to double from last year
May 30, 2017
According to the Daily Beast, individuals locked up in immigrant detention facilities are on pace to die at a rate twice as high as last year.
The Daily Beast was able to obtain records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the government agency that runs the sprawling immigrant detention system. Since the beginning of the 2017 fiscal year, which began in October of 2016, eight individuals have died in ICE custody. Most recently this includes Jean Jimenez-Joseph, who hung himself in his jail cell, and Atulkumar Babubhai Patel, who died of congestive heart failure.
According to the Daily Beast, the number of deaths (eight) in fiscal year 2017 is almost equal to the number in fiscal year 2016 (10), and is on track to double that number. All but one of the deaths this year took place in privately run facilities. Last year, all but two of the deaths occurred in private facilities.
Another issue is the possibilities of prisoners in these facilities committing suicide. Earlier this month, a woman detained at the Karnes Family Residential Center attempted suicide. In a low moment, she believed that her death would allow her children, who are also detained, to be released as they cannot be in the facility without a parent or guardian.
Private prison companies’ scheme to license baby jails fails as Texas legislative session ends
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Despite private prison lobbyists’ best efforts, a proposal that would have licensed immigrant family detention centers as “child care facilities” failed in the Texas legislature this year.
The bills would have granted state officials the authority to issue licenses for immigrant family detention centers under lowered standards. The two family detention facilities in Texas have been at the center of scandals involving medical neglect, sexual abuse, a crayon ban, and multiple hunger strikes. Read more about Private prison companies’ scheme to license baby jails fails as Texas legislative session ends
