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‘Terrorized’: Report Details Conditions at Child Detention Centers

By immigrationprof

Chiled detention

A girl from Central America rests on thermal blankets at a detention facility run by the U.S. Border Patrol. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Alfonso Serrano for Colorlines reviews a detailed report on conditions in child detention centers.  hew writes:

Frigid cells with foul-smelling drinking water. Children given rotten food and forced to sleep on concrete floors. No showers or clean clothes for days. Overflowing toilets in “dog houses.” These are just a few of the things detained children highlighted about the facilities where they were held.

“It was cold, very cold. I only had a t-shirt so I pulled my hands inside my t-shit to try to keep warm. There were no mattresses. We slept directly on the floor,” said Justin, a 13-yer-old immigrant from El Salvador. “I haven’t been able to call my father since I was locked up. I want to tell him where I am, and I want to talk to him.”

Justin’s description of United Staets detention centers, and testimony from interviews with 200 other immigrant children and adults, are part of an extensive report filed in federal court this week in Los Angeles by the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

Dozens of pro bono lawyers and interpreters interviewed the immigrants at several Southwest centers run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in June and July.

KJ

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