Advocacy Groups Slam 'Shameful' Deportation of ICE Medical Abuse Survivors
Published on
Friday, November 13, 2020
by Common Dreams
"Congress must investigate and immediately put an end to this injustice," said one attorney.
by Brett Wilkins, staff writer
The advocacy groups representing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement whistleblower who earlier this year revealed horrific abuse of imprisoned migrant women—including forced surgical sterilizations—on Friday condemned ICE's deportation of victims of the coerced procedures in retaliation for speaking out.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported ICE has already deported six women who came forward to report that Dr. Mahendra Amin performed medically unnecessary operations including forced hysterectomies on them, destroying or jeopardizing their ability to have children. At least seven other women who have accused the doctor are also facing deportation, according to their attorneys.
Dana Gold, senior counsel at the whistleblower advocacy organization Government Accountability Project, also represents Wooten.
"By deporting these women, the government is risking—indeed facilitating—the loss of critical witnesses if law enforcement is unable to reach them in a different country," Gold said in a statement. "Like Ms. Wooten, they are now suffering retaliation for speaking up about unconscionable abuses suffered by immigrants in ICE detention in a seeming effort to both punish and hide evidence of medical misconduct."
"We condemn these actions and demand that DHS stop all further deportations of those impacted by this investigation," added Gold, referring to the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE.
More:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/13/advocacy-groups-slam-shameful-deportation-ice-medical-abuse-survivors