Since October 2003, 107 immigrants have died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. A New York Times report, based on recently released Freedom of Information Act documents, shows that the federal government tried to hide investigative reports and avoid inquiries into these deaths.
In one of the investigations, an agency investigator concluded that unbearable, untreated pain had influenced the suicide of a 22-year-old immigrant detained in New Jersey. The investigation found that the medical unit was so poorly run that all detainees were at risk. Medical staff falsified the medical log to show that the victim had been given pain medication.
The death and incarceration of immigrants solely based on nationality and citizenship shows that the immigration system is racist to the core. To fight these dehumanizing conditions, activists must fight racist immigration laws, and demand amnesty and equality for all.
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