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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Migrants in U.S. detention are being forced to pay for sanitation products and are waiting "weeks" for medical appointments at an ICE detention center, according to an advocacy group operating at the border.
The claim is the latest in a string of allegations of abuse and neglect at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in southern California.
Otay Mesa has come under scrutiny due to chronic understaffing, inadequate medical care and a "pattern of medical neglect."
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A spokesperson for CoreCivic, the private corrections company contracted by the U.S. government to run Otay Mesa, denied the claims: "The individuals in our care have access to free sanitation and hygiene supplies, and they have access to medical professionals every day."
A spokesperson for ICE also denied the allegations and told Newsweek: "Personal hygiene items are available at no cost to the detainees. They are available on the hygiene carts in each living area."
Priscilla Merida, managing attorney at Al Otro Lado, told Newsweek her clients feel "dehumanized" and are treated like "criminals" at Otay Mesa.
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"The consensus when I speak to them is that it's very dehumanizing. They are treated like criminals. Even though many of them may not have a criminal history," she said.
Merida claimed her clients are subjected to dehumanizing language and slurs at the hands of CBP officers and prison staff, as they were referred to as "w**backs" and "illegals."
Merida said migrants at the facility have been subjected to poor living conditions and overcrowding and are forced to buy essential items such as soap when there are shortages.
"One of my clients signed up for an appointment in the morning; they put their name on the list to see the medical staff, and he was not called until two weeks later, which is concerning." She said she has heard complaints about public health concerns stemming from a lack of adequate sanitation and hygiene products.
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A recent study of medical care in immigration detention facilities shows that 95% of deaths in ICE detention centers could have been prevented. The report released by the American Civil Liberties Union in June examines 52 deaths from 2017-2021.
Otay Mesa had its first death reported in ICE custody due to COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic.
Migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border are not prescribed adequate medication, which leads to her client's conditions worsening, Meridia claimed. One client suffering from a head injury and experiencing bleeding from his ears and nose was prescribed ibuprofen.
"I have had clients who are living with HIV, where medication and treatment are not being provided promptly."
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Meridia is calling for a more humane approach to immigration policy to avoid cases of medical neglect and abuse.
Meridia said, "We see individuals of color are treated like commodities. Black and brown bodies are treated as indispensable. Everyone is entitled to seek asylum. However, the treatment of them and how they're processed is not the same. People from Eastern European countries and white in appearance are more likely to be paroled and released."
Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the ACLU's National Prison Project told Newsweek ICE detention is "dangerous" and "neglectful".
"Charging detained people for basic sanitation products strips people of their basic dignity, and delaying medical care for weeks endangers the health and lives of people held in detention," Cho said. "ICE detention has led to dozens of preventable deaths in recent years, and Otay Mesa has a particularly extensive record of dangerous detention conditions."
An ICE spokesperson said: "When detainees arrive at the Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC), part of the initial intake process is each non-citizen is provided comprehensive medical screening. Initial health screenings include non-citizens prior medical history, addressing current medical issues, and information about access to health care providers while at OMDC.
"Additionally, non-citizens can sign up for sick call and cases are triaged by the medical unit based on emergent, urgent and or routine. These are Performance Based Detention Standards timeframes. Additionally, non-citizens requiring specialty care are seen based on the scheduling of the outside specialist office."
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