ICE Detainees Complain Of Continuing Health, Safety Concerns At Louisiana Center- Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th July, 2023) Detainees and their advocates say that an ICE detention center in Louisiana has failed to address long-running problems in the year since immigrant officials promised it would improve conditions, NBC reported.

They said that the Winn Correctional Center, operated by a private company for male immigrants who entered the US from the southern border, still subjects detainees to dirty food and water, limited healthcare even in critical situations, and a constant threat of solitary confinement. In addition, they said immigration authorities have failed to reduce the number of detainees. As of mid-June, more than 1,110 people were detained at the center, an increase of 53% from September according to ICE data.

Advocacy groups filed a complaint in 2021 with the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, calling for it to be closed. In December that year, the office issued a memo with 88 recommendations to ICE, expressing "serious concerns for the health and safety of the detainees" at Winn, and advised closing down the center until they were addressed.

ICE said in March 2022 that it would reduce the guaranteed minimum number of beds at Winn, assign a custody resource coordinator to work with detainees, and closely monitor conditions. In the fall, it said it completed renovations of the roof and bathroom facilities in every dorm.