人兽性交

After five months locked away at Irwin County Detention Center, Alejandra Garcia Zamarron grew panicked when she saw a familiar face arrive at the immigrant prison. It was her sister, Maytee Garcia. And she, too, was now being held at Irwin.

Once the siblings locked eyes, Alejandra began to weep.

鈥淚 was shocked,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was devastating, and I was devastated for my mother; both of her daughters were gone.鈥�

Hilda 鈥� Maytee and Alejandra鈥檚 mother 鈥� had fled the violence of Ciudad Ju谩rez, Mexico, with her daughters in 1999. Alejandra was 12. Her sister was only nine months old.

Hilda made a home for the girls in Dalton, Georgia, where they have lived for almost 20 years.

But in November 2017, Alejandra, 32, found herself locked up almost 300 miles away at Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia. In May 2018, Maytee was forced to join her.

Confined to a tiny room packed with over 100 women, they leaned on each other for support as the Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI) 鈥� a project of the 人兽性交 that provides pro bono legal counsel to those facing deportation proceedings in the Southeast 鈥� worked to secure their release.

A hard life

In Dalton, Alejandra worked to support her three children 鈥� all of whom are U.S. citizens 鈥� while Maytee attended Morris Innovative High School. She played the position of striker on the soccer field and aspired to become a teacher. She loved working with children. She also had a fianc茅, Antonio, whom she adored. Maytee was working her way toward the American Dream, getting an A in every subject along the way.聽

But for Alejandra, life hadn鈥檛 been as simple.

Throughout the years, she had not only suffered domestic violence and abuse, but also sexual assault. Her burdens sometimes felt too big to bear. Sometimes the pain was too deep.

On a January night in 2018, Alejandra had a few drinks to distract herself from memories that plagued her. She needed a break.

But that break turned into an arrest for public drunkenness.

Unfortunately, it wasn鈥檛 Alejandra鈥檚 first encounter with the police; she had been charged before, which left her hesitant to renew her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application, even though she was eligible.

After her arrest, she was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor per an attorney鈥檚 advice. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swiftly whisked her away to Irwin County, where she was locked up on Jan. 6, 2018, before learning the awful truth of her plea deal.

Under immigration law, her misdemeanor became an aggravated felony 鈥� an even worse charge for those facing immigration court.

Deceived and detained

With Alejandra locked up, Maytee did her best to comfort her mother through her sadness. It was a lonely time for Hilda.

But on the night of her graduation, she decided to celebrate at a party with Antonio and a few friends. Eventually, the party drew the attention of neighbors, who called the police.

Maytee was arrested and charged with underage drinking. She was taken to the local sheriff鈥檚 department, where an officer informed her that ICE had a hold on her. Instead of being released, she would be transferred to federal custody once out of jail.

鈥淚 thought my life was over,鈥� Maytee said. 鈥淚 thought I was going to Mexico, and I was scared 鈥� really, really scared.鈥�

After waiting over four hours in an empty room, an official finally entered and handed Maytee a document, telling her it was a 鈥渞eally important paper.鈥� He said that it wasn鈥檛 a deportation paper, but that if she 鈥渨anted things to be easier,鈥� she had to sign it.

So she did.

As she waited in jail for three days, she relied on the official鈥檚 promise. When ICE arrived, they searched her before handcuffing her and shackling her feet.

鈥淭hey treated me like a criminal,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey treated me like I had killed someone.鈥�

ICE then took her to Atlanta, where no one mentioned anything about releasing her. Instead, she was transported to Irwin County.

鈥淚t was a trick,鈥� Maytee said of signing the document.

Once inside, she saw Alejandra.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 cry because I had already cried the past three days,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was happy to see her, but I was extremely scared.鈥�

Unlike a person facing criminal charges, detained immigrants are not guaranteed an attorney at government expense. Because their charges are civil in nature, they are allowed an attorney 鈥� but they must cover the cost. For many detained immigrants, such as Maytee and Alejandra, this isn鈥檛 an option.聽

However, SIFI decided to take on the sisters鈥� cases, and SIFI Lead Attorney Elizabeth Matherne was able to secure Maytee鈥檚 release in two months. Because Maytee had access to counsel, she was 10-and-a-half times more likely to succeed in her case, according to research.聽

鈥淭he immigration court system moves so quickly, and the laws are so complex that most people, no matter how bright they are, cannot successfully navigate it,鈥� Matherne said. 鈥淲e are so happy to have secured a bond for Maytee in a jurisdiction where most bond requests are denied, and 98 percent of asylum applications are denied. Maytee will now be able to continue her fight to stay in the U.S. from outside of a detention center.鈥�

Although grateful for her release, Maytee鈥檚 experience has left wounds 鈥� wounds that have forever changed her.

鈥淚n there, you see all of these mothers and young girls, some of whom have been in the U.S. their whole lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat hurts is that they don鈥檛 even have a chance. I鈥檓 lucky to be in America still. These mothers鈥� children don鈥檛 have their mom or their dad, and they鈥檒l be broken by all of this.鈥�

As soon as she is able, Maytee intends to apply for DACA. Until then, she remains haunted by her experience at Irwin County.

鈥淚 never thought it would affect me this much,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 cry a lot, I have anxiety. I don鈥檛 go out anymore, because I鈥檓 scared of every cop I see.鈥�

The mere thought of going back to Mexico 鈥� a country she has no memory of 鈥� also terrifies her.

鈥淚鈥檇 probably be dead if I go back,鈥� Maytee said. 鈥淚 hear people talking about it, and I know I would suffer because there are a lot of gangs.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 like a chicken house鈥�

Alejandra鈥檚 fight for justice, however, was not yet over.

For months after Maytee鈥檚 release, she remained locked inside of Irwin County, where she says she and her fellow detainees were 鈥渢reated like slaves,鈥� and that 鈥渄ogs have more rights than them.鈥�

Alejandra said the guards would threaten everyone by saying they had the White House on speed dial. Most of the detainees couldn鈥檛 understand the threats; they didn鈥檛 understand English.

But Alejandra understood.

鈥淭his is not right,鈥� she said during an interview from Irwin County in September 2018. 鈥淓ven though we don鈥檛 have a Social Security number, it鈥檚 not right. I have rights as a human being. I鈥檓 not a criminal, but in here, everyone is treated worse than that. There鈥檚 a lot of injustice in this place. It鈥檚 like a chicken house.鈥�

When trying to sleep, the guards 鈥� despite constant protests and complaints 鈥� would slam the metal door to the crowded room open and shut, causing the walls to vibrate and echoing with a loud boom. On nights when she did sleep, she had recurring nightmares.

鈥淚 dream about being deported, about running from the police and being kidnapped,鈥� Alejandra said.

During waking hours, she was allotted one hour outside. There is no shade to save them from the hot Georgia sun during the summer months, which meant the women were left to gather on the makeshift volleyball court and endure the heat.

For meals, Alejandra was fed a bland assortment of vegetables, soggy rice and meat. She called the meat, 鈥渕ystery meat,鈥� because no one knows if it鈥檚 chicken, beef or pork 鈥� only that it鈥檚 black in color.聽

However, food was not the worst part of Alejandra鈥檚 long detention. She鈥檒l never be able to forget the moment when a guard yelled to her, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 give a damn about your kids.鈥�

An unhappy ending

With her sister held prisoner at Irwin County, Maytee continued to pray for Alejandra鈥檚 release.

鈥淚 just really hope she鈥檒l get out of there,鈥� she said during an interview in September 2018. 鈥淚 know it鈥檚 affecting her a lot. She鈥檚 been going through a really hard time in her life, and I just want her to be strong. I don鈥檛 want her to suffer.鈥�

But despite desperately fighting to stay in the U.S. where she could raise her three children and be with her sister and mother, at the end of 2018, almost one year after she arrived at the immigrant prison, Alejandra was ordered deported back to Mexico 鈥� a country she hadn鈥檛 seen or visited in almost 20 years.

鈥淎lejandra鈥檚 immigration case ended in a way all-too-familiar to those who fight daily in the Atlanta Immigration Court,鈥� Matherne said. 鈥淚f due process and constitutional protections were functioning as most Americans believe them to be, Alejandra would never have been convicted of a crime, nor would she have been summarily removed from her children and family to a country she doesn鈥檛 even remember.鈥�

Maytee is heartbroken. So is her mother, Hilda. They鈥檝e tearfully prayed that she will be safe.

鈥淲e all feel so alone,鈥� Maytee said. 鈥淲e feel like no one cares about us, that no one cares immigrants.鈥�

Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters