Migrant detention centers in the U.S. have been under heavy criticism as of late, as reports from locations ranging from Philadelphia to Louisiana have revealed a trend of mistreatment, some of which have met "the definitions of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under international human rights treaties."
Just last week, a group of Venezuelan migrants sued ICE after allegedly being confined for periods ranging from nine to 11 and a half months, claiming that their extended detention violates their constitutional rights to due process. On top of that, ICE has also been put under the microscope after a report by Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Inspector General revealed a pattern of mishandling unaccompanied migrant children.
A recent report by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) has also revealed complaints about inhumane treatment of migrants by authorities extend to the Migrant Operations Center in Guantanamo Bay. Complaints say the migrants held there face inadequate healthcare, deteriorating living quarters, and limited access to confidential legal communication. The report calls for the closure of the facility, citing violations of U.S. legal commitments and human rights standards.
Many of those kept at the facility are Haitian and Cuban migrants who use makeshift boats to try to reach the United States by sea.
"This is in clear violation of the United States' legal commitments and a violation of core values that anyone should have and the U.S. purports to have," said Jose Miranda, a senior staff attorney at the organization who represented a Cuban family featured in the report, according to The Miami Herald.
A spokesperson from the Department of State refuted the report's claims, stating that migrants receive appropriate food, healthcare, and access to recreational activities, along with the ability to work and attend social and religious events "The claim that migrants housed at the Migrant Operations Center (MOC) are 'detainees' and they lived there in 'prison-like conditions and had their rights violated' are false," added the spokesperson.
However, IRAP argues that migrants face a "false choice" between returning to unsafe conditions or enduring indefinite detention. The report highlights the case of a Cuban family, detained at the facility for over a year after fleeing political persecution. While the grandparents were paroled into the U.S. for medical reasons, the rest of the family remained in Guantanamo, with the children unable to continue schooling or receive adequate medical care. The family was eventually resettled in a third country after threatening legal action.
The report also mentions the findings of an investigation from the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which urged the government not to house children in the facility. The watchdog reported that children were kept in the same quarters as adults, in violation of U.S. detention standards.
IRAP has called for Congress to investigate the Migrant Operations Center and for the immediate parole of all current detainees into the United States. The group argues that the U.S. should process asylum seekers in a manner consistent with its human rights obligations.
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