Hieleras (Iceboxes) in the Rio Grande Valley Sector: Lengthy Detention, Deplorable Conditions, and Abuse in CBP Holding Cells
The American Immigration Council has released Hieleras (Iceboxes) in the Rio Grande Valley Sector: Lengthy Detention, Deplorable Conditions, and Abuse in CBP Holding Cells, by Guillermo Cantor, Ph.D.
Each year, the Border Patrol—a division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—holds hundreds of thousands of individuals, including women and children, in detention facilities near the U.S. southern border. These facilities are meant to hold individuals for a short time while they undergo initial processing and a decision is made about where they go next, taking into account whether they are adults or children. The holding cells are not designed for overnight or extended detention, and yet the research shows they are routinely used in this way.
This paper zeros in on CBP holding facilities—often referred to as “hieleras”—in the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley sector reports the highest number of apprehensions, including a disproportionately high share of women and minors apprehended and held there compared to all other southwest border sectors.
Using various sources of data, this new report takes a deep look at two aspects of detention in CBP facilities in the sector. First, based on never-before-released government data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, it reveals that individuals are detained for unconscionably long periods of time in facilities that are not designed nor equipped for overnight sleeping.
In addition, analyzing new survey data from the Binational Defense and Advocacy Program (Programa de Defensa e Incidencia Binacional), as well as declarations from a sample of women who were recently detained in the facilities, the paper sheds light on the deplorable conditions of detention that are prevalent in CBP holding cells, including extreme temperatures, overcrowding, and inadequate meals.
KJ