Abuses at Florida ICE Detention Center Exposed by Mobile Billboard
Immigrant rights organizations deliver letter to ICE and launch billboard throughout Florida to raise awareness about human rights violations at Baker County Detention Center
MIAMI 鈥 Yesterday, immigrant rights organizations launched a mobile billboard campaign that highlights the abuses occurring at the Baker County Detention Center (Baker). The billboard, showcasing quotes from immigrants detained at Baker, stopped in Orlando and Miami where immigrant rights advocates of the Shut Down Baker Coalition held press conferences, urging for the closure of the facility in Macclenny, Florida. The detention center is operated by the Baker County Sheriff鈥檚 Office (BCSO) through a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).听
The organizations also delivered a letter to the ICE field office in Miami, outlining systemic patterns of abuse and inhumane conditions at Baker. The letter also shares a story of an individual who was denied blood pressure medication without justification and who later collapsed, suffered injuries, required emergency hospitalization and now uses a wheelchair.听
Baker has been the center of multiple听, highlighting a pattern of extreme medical neglect, racist harassment, retaliation, voyeurism, impediments to accessing legal counsel, solitary confinement abuse and other human rights violations.
鈥淏aker has not complied with federal standards regarding solitary confinement. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security听听noted that 鈥榠nappropriate segregation practices at three facilities [including Baker] infringed detainee rights鈥 and that conditions violated national detention standards. Baker staff currently face serious allegations of using solitary confinement in punitive and retaliatory ways, sometimes for months at a time. The United Nations has condemned prolonged solitary confinement as tantamount to torture. No one should be subjected to these degrading abuses in Florida or anywhere else,鈥 said听Felix Monta帽ez, senior staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚听Immigrant Justice Project听in Miami.
鈥淔or too long, ICE and the Baker County Sheriff鈥檚 Office have subjected immigrants at Baker to horrific abuses and conditions, with little to no transparency and it's time to hold them accountable,鈥 said听Silvana Caldera, policy strategist at the ACLU of Florida. 鈥淭hese government agencies have no right to strip people of their dignity and humanity. The federal government has confirmed patterns of inhumane conditions and federal violations and has yet to take action. It鈥檚 time for ICE to permanently end its relationship with the Baker County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.鈥
The mobile billboard amplified the voices of women at Baker who filed a Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaint last year, citing a pervasive pattern of voyeurism by employees charged with their care at the detention center. In February 2023, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security听听and abuse at Baker.
鈥淚t is time for the U.S. government to apply the standards it requires of international partners to its immigration system. How can this country pretend to be a beacon of human rights when it cannot stop horrendous abuses under its branch of the Federal government? Enough is enough. It is hard to believe that continuing violations of their rules and regulations are mere incompetence. After repeated reports and failed inspections, it amounts to sheer cruelty,鈥 stated听Isabel Ruano, campaign organizer with Immigrant Action Alliance.
"Our officials must take responsibility and pressure this administration to shut down Baker now,鈥 said听Maria Bilbao, campaigns coordinator for the American Friend Service Committee of Florida. 鈥淲hile families deal with housing, insurance, health, and education problems, the government chooses these corporations that enrich themselves by keeping immigrants detained in detention centers like Baker. They throw away money that could be redirected to programs that benefit us all. It is time to replace this country's abusive and punitive immigration detention system, and this administration can and should make changes. It's time to close Baker for good, and now."
According to the听, there have already been over 185 complaints filed against Baker. Medical neglect, unsanitary conditions and harassment were among the top reports issued in over 60 percent of all complaints from the facility. The letter delivered to ICE can be found听.
SPANISH VERSION
Abusos en el Centro de Detenci贸n de ICE en Florida Expuestos por Cartel M贸vil
Organizaciones de derechos de los inmigrantes entregan una carta a ICE y lanzan un cartel en toda Florida para crear conciencia sobre las violaciones de los derechos humanos en el Centro de Detenci贸n del Condado de Baker
MIAMI 鈥撎Ayer, varias organizaciones pro-derechos de los inmigrantes lanzaron una campa帽a de carteles publicitarios m贸viles que destacan los abusos que ocurren en el Centro de Detenci贸n Migratoria del Condado de Baker (Baker), en Florida. El cartel, que muestra testimonios de inmigrantes detenidos en Baker, se detuvo en Orlando y Miami, donde los defensores de los derechos de los inmigrantes de la Coalici贸n 鈥淪hut Down Baker鈥 (Cerremos Baker) realizaron una conferencia de prensa instando al cierre de las instalaciones en Macclenny, Florida. El centro de detenci贸n es operado por la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Baker mediante un contrato con el Servicio de Inmigraci贸n y Control de Aduanas de EE. UU. (ICE).
Las organizaciones tambi茅n entregaron una carta a la oficina regional de ICE en Miami, describiendo patrones sist茅micos de abuso y condiciones inhumanas en Baker. La carta comparte la historia de una persona a la que se le negaron medicamentos para la presi贸n arterial sin justificaci贸n y que luego colaps贸, sufri贸 lesiones, requiri贸 hospitalizaci贸n de emergencia y ahora usa silla de ruedas.
Baker ha sido el centro de m煤ltiples听, destacando un patr贸n de negligencia m茅dica extrema, acoso racista, represalias, voyerismo, impedimentos para acceder a asesor铆a legal, abuso de confinamiento solitario y otras violaciones de derechos humanos.
鈥淏aker no cumple con los est谩ndares federales con respecto al aislamiento solitario. Un听听del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU. se帽al贸 que "las pr谩cticas de segregaci贸n inapropiadas en tres instalaciones [incluida Baker] infringieron los derechos de los detenidos" y que las condiciones violaron los est谩ndares nacionales de detenci贸n. El personal de Baker enfrenta graves acusaciones por el presunto uso del aislamiento solitario como medida punitiva y de represalias, en ocasiones durante meses. La Organizaci贸n de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) ha condenado el asilamiento solitario prolongado como equivalente a la tortura. Nadie deber铆a ser objeto de estos abusos degradantes en Florida ni en ning煤n otro lugar,鈥 dijo听Felix Monta帽ez, abogado del听Proyecto de Justicia Migrante听del听Southern Poverty Law Center听en Miami.
鈥淒urante demasiado tiempo, ICE y la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Baker han sometido a los inmigrantes en Baker a abusos y condiciones horribles, con poca o ninguna transparencia y es hora de hacerlos responsables,鈥 dijo听Silvana Caldera, estratega de pol铆ticas de la ACLU de Florida. 鈥淓stas agencias gubernamentales no tienen derecho a despojar a las personas de su dignidad y humanidad. El gobierno federal ha confirmado patrones de condiciones inhumanas y violaciones federales y a煤n no ha tomado medidas. Es hora de que ICE termine de forma permanente su relaci贸n con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Baker鈥.
El cartel publicitario m贸vil amplific贸 las voces de las mujeres en Baker que presentaron una denuncia de la Ley de Eliminaci贸n de Violaciones en Prisi贸n (PREA) el a帽o pasado, citando un patr贸n generalizado de voyerismo por parte de los empleados encargados de su cuidado en el centro de detenci贸n. En febrero de 2023, la Oficina de Derechos Civiles y Libertades Civiles del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU.听听en Baker.
鈥淓s hora de que el gobierno de los EE. UU. aplique los est谩ndares que requiere de los socios internacionales a su sistema de inmigraci贸n. 驴C贸mo puede este pa铆s pretender ser un faro de los derechos humanos cuando no puede detener los horrendos abusos bajo su rama del gobierno federal? Suficiente es suficiente. Es dif铆cil creer que las continuas violaciones de sus normas y reglamentos sean mera incompetencia. Despu茅s de repetidos informes e inspecciones fallidas, equivale a pura crueldad,, afirm贸听Isabel Ruano, organizadora de campa帽a de Immigrant Action Alliance.
鈥淣uestros funcionarios deben asumir la responsabilidad y presionar a esta administraci贸n para que cierre Baker ahora,鈥 dijo听Mar铆a Bilbao, coordinadora de campa帽as del American Friend Service Committee de Florida. 鈥淢ientras las familias se enfrentan a problemas de vivienda, seguros, salud y educaci贸n, el gobierno elige estas corporaciones que se enriquecen manteniendo a los inmigrantes detenidos en centros de detenci贸n como Baker. Ellos tiran dinero que podr铆a ser redirigido a programas que nos benefician a todos鈥.
Es hora de reemplazar el sistema de detenci贸n de inmigrantes abusivo y punitivo de este pa铆s, y esta administraci贸n puede y debe hacer cambios. Es hora de cerrar Baker para siempre, y ahora".
Seg煤n la base de听, ya se han presentado m谩s de 185 denuncias contra Baker. La negligencia m茅dica, las condiciones insalubres y el acoso estuvieron entre los principales informes emitidos en m谩s del 60 por ciento de todas las quejas del centro. La carta entregada a ICE se puede encontrar听.
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