Family Values
February 9th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
“Feo.” That was the word the nine-year-old child wrote beneath the drawing of his new home. “Feo” - in Spanish, “ugly” - because he can only play outside one hour each day. “Feo” because the food is strange and makes him ill. “Feo” because his mother is pregnant and cries a lot. “Feo” because he has been a prisoner of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) since November. This child, along with his pregnant mother, are among scores of immigrant families from all over the globe currently enjoying a stay at a CCA-run detention center for undocumented immigrants in Taylor, Texas.
The nine-year-old’s mother is “begging me to get her out of this place,” said Barbara Hines, an immigration attorney and professor at UT Law School, earlier today. The woman, Hines said, complains of inadequate pre-natal care and a diet that she says is endangering her soon-to-be born, U.S. citizen child. Hines spoke outside the T. Don Hutto Family Detention Center to a gaggle of press who were there for a long-awaited tour of the 512-bed detention center.
Hines and two attorneys from the ACLU described the facility as inhumane. They said clients have complained of inadequate medical care, especially for pregnant women. “Depression is rampant” among children, said Hines. “Many do not understand what has happened in their lives.” Two weeks ago some residents, including kids, joined in a hunger strike to protest their conditions, said Lisa Graybill, legal director for the ACLU of Texas.
The tour, which I joined, was surreal. Representatives from CCA and ICE led us around the place, doing their best to sell this former prison as more Club Med than Attica. (The woman in charge of education at Hutto extolled the “fun” involved in “sharing cultures in this environment,” as if these immigrants were in a study-abroad program instead of a penal purgatory.)
We were warned before the tour not to talk to the “non-criminal deportable alien families with children,” as ICE labels its inmates at Hutto. The reason given: the “privacy” rights of detainees, especially juveniles. Nonetheless, we were able to view some of the approximately 400 “residents,” including 170 juveniles, from over two dozen countries in their natural habitat: Families eating jello and pizza together in the cafeteria (each meal lasts all of 20 minutes); about 20 children learning computer skills in English in a classroom; parents and their kids chillin’ in the commons area outside their living “pods,” small cells with bunk beds, a sink, and toilet.
We also saw the intake area where new detainees are given an orientation and are issued their clothes (not exactly prison jumpsuits, but definitely institutional), ID badge, and other sundries. Here, kiddies under five get a teddy bear “just to ease them,” said Danny Coronado, a CCA employee. CCA receives $2.8 million each month for operating the facility for ICE. We went outside to the recreational yard to view the playground equipment and hear that the razor wire that surrounds three sides of the facility is coming down soon. Daily classroom instruction has been increased from one hour to four and will soon reach seven to comply with Texas education standards.
Immigration authorities and CCA representatives dismissed all allegations of mistreatment and insufficient medical care. A hunger strike never took place. And no they did not just paint the walls, put up Disney decorations, and bring in artificial plants for our tour as the immigration attorneys say.
After a little more than an hour, the tour was over.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:32 am
was anyone allowed to photograph the facilities? where they allowed to show the immigrants faces without permissiom from the mexican consulate?
February 15th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
In the morning, ICE allowed one cameraman, one print photographer, and one radio journalist with audio equipment into the facility to do their thing. These three shared their footage with all other media.
No faces could be shown, but I don’t know if that has anything to do with the Mexican Consulate.
See: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/us/10detain.html?em&ex=1171256400&en=a6202d1bbefcc2f3&ei=5087%0A
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 pm
thanks for your help. the facilities public info officer, danny coronado, sure is hard to get a hold of. it looks like the photo policies are the same as they are for border patrol (no faces for the undocumented immigrants). the reason i mentioned the mex consulate was because that is who the public info officers at border patrol told me i would need permission from in order to show their faces. by the way, i think i used to live in your room for 9 days. small world. a bit too small. either way, no beef. i appreciate your help. i hope you and your girfriend are doing well. i still think you have the best name ever. thanks a bunch.
jessie