In a video message that she shot before her arrest and detention, Claudio states she allowed herself to be caught by Customs and Border Protection in an effort to expose the abuses that happen inside immigrant detention centers. Since Claudia has been detained inside the Calhoun County Jail for the past 10 days, she has witnesses numerous due process violations and abuses conducted by ICE officials:
- Due process violations: CBP agents intentionally misinterpreted detainees in order to incriminate them, which is a violation of their due process.
- Forcing detainees to agree to voluntary departure: ICE Liaison, Officer J. Jolin, was seen forcing detainees to agree to voluntary departure. Office Jolin told a detainee that “I can bring in 3 deputies and make you sign it!” in order to compel signature. Additionally, a detainee was locked away in a room ‘until he changed his mind.’ Office Jolin also threatened one man with “20-years in prison if you don’t sign.” These reports corroborate past allegations that ICE officials have forced individuals to relinquish their legal rights.
- Medical abuses. A detainee, Maria de la Luz, developed several health problems in the course of her detention. She has been coughing blood. Maria has also developed ovarian cysts, which are quite painful. Despite requesting medical help four times, she was merely given over-the-counter Advil. ICE agents have told her “why spend money on you when we plan on deporting you?” This is contrary to the Performance-Based National Detention Standards allegedly adopted by ICE in 2011.
- Inaccessibility to filing complaints: Most of the detainees cannot complain to officials as all grievance forms are in English. Additionally, these grievance forms are not readily available and must be requested from an ICE agent.
- Detention of low-priority detainees. Gustavo Corona was detained on April 1st, despite being eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. His detention was also contrary to prosecutorial discretion guidelines, as he was pulled over for driving without a license, and detained despite having no criminal record and substantial family ties to the U.S. After protests from immigrant rights activists, Gustavo was finally released on April 11.
In addition to all of the abuses by ICE, Claudia also found the following issues:
- Out-of-date pro-bono attorney list and toll-free non-profits. When called none of the listed organizations or attorneys would answer their phones. Other detainees complained about the same problem.
- Spanish bible study is not allowed in the same, private, space as English bible study.
- None of the guards speak any language but English.
These cases are not an anomaly but that the Michigan ICE office has a track-record of abusing its power and not following national directives. In April 2011 and again in October 2012, Director Adducci ordered her agents to detain parents outside a local elementary school. In January 2012, Director Adducci refused to grant discretion in the case of Yanelli Hernandez, an undocumented youth from Ohio who had attempted suicide twice while in detention. In July of 2010, Officer J. Jolin, forced detainee, Ivan Nikolav to watch as his mother was stripped searched.
According to TRAC data, since Adducci became Field Director, Michigan ICE has issued over 4,200 immigration detainers; nearly 80% have been against immigrants with no prior contact with law enforcement.
Claudia moved to Tejas from Mexico when she was 16-years old. Two-years ago ICE made the mistake of detaining Claudia’s nephew for 5-weeks. “His getting detained really woke me up and made me realize that this could happen to anyone.” Claudia is an organizer with La Tuya, The Texas Undocumented Youth Alliance. She traveled up to Michigan to help infiltrate and expose some of the harsh treatment dished out by extra aggressive ICE and Border Patrol agents.
The Michigan ICE office has a track-record of abusing its power and not following national directives. In April 2011 and again in October 2012, Director Adducci ordered her agents to detain parents outside a local elementary school. In January 2012, Director Adducci refused to grant discretion in the case of Yanelli Hernandez, an Ohio DREAMer who had attempted suicide twice while in detention. In July of 2010, J. Jolin, forced detainee, Ivan Nikolav to watch as his mother was stripped searched. “It’s one of the worst things that ever happened to me.”
According to TRAC data, since Adducci became Field Director, Michigan ICE has issued over 4,200 immigration detainers; nearly 80% have been against immigrants with no prior contact with law enforcement.
Nearly all of the detainees at the Calhoun Facility are low-priority. Most are detained for driving without a license, as collateral walking to pick their children up from school, or just a passenger in a car. Out of nearly 150 detainees at Calhoun over 70% are the parents of U.S. citizen children. Just in the past week women were deported to make room for nearly 30 male detainees picked up during raids in Grand Rapids.
Everilda, a grandmother and mother to U.S. citizen children, was set to be deported on Friday, April 12th, that is until NIYA organizer Claudia found her. Working with Everilda’s community in Grand Rapids we were able to convince ICE to release Everilda, something they certainly would not have done without the added pressure. If Michigan ICE was following the national directives then Everilda would never have been detained.
A full report coming soon!
