Inspections find ‘significant issues’ in ICE detention

Story highlights Watchdog: "We identified problems that undermine the protection of detainees' rights" Unannounced inspections found "significant issues" at four facilities, report says CNN — Long waits for medical care, possible misuse of solitary confinement and inappropriate treatment of detainees were among problems inspectors found at several US immigrant detention facilities, a government watchdog says. The report details findings about treatment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at five facilities across the country: Stewart Detention Center in Georgia, Santa Ana City Jail in California, Hudson County Jail in New Jersey, Otero County Processing Center in New Mexico and Laredo Processing Center in Texas. Among the report’s findings: • Delayed medical care: “Some detainees at the Santa Ana City Jail and Stewart Detention Center reported long waits for the provision of medical care, including instances of detainees with painful conditions, such as infected teeth and a knee injury, waiting days for medical intervention,” the report says. At times, “language barriers prevented detainees from understanding medical staff.” • Possible misuse of solitary confinement: The report identified violations of ICE detention standards in the way several facilities separated detainees from the general population, a practice officially known as disciplinary or administrative segregation.