ACLU gets kids (ages 1-17) out of Texas detention center

[MissWaverly]

AUSTIN, TX– The American Civil Liberties Union today announced a landmark settlement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that greatly improves conditions for immigrant children and their families inside the T. Don Hutto detention center in Taylor, Texas. Dozens of children were released from the facility with their families as a result of the litigation. The settlement is expected to be approved shortly by Judge Sam Sparks of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

“This is a huge victory not only for the children and families that have been released from Hutto, but for every detainee held at the facility, now or in the future,” said Vanita Gupta, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program. “Though we continue to believe that Hutto is an inappropriate place to house children, conditions have drastically improved in areas like education, recreation, medical care, and privacy.”

The settlement is the result of extensive litigation and mediation in consolidated lawsuits filed earlier this year against Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and six officials from ICE on behalf of 26 immigrant children. The children are between the ages of 1 and 17, and were detained at Hutto with their parents who, in almost all cases, were awaiting determinations on their asylum claims. The ACLU, the ACLU of Texas, the University of Texas School of Law Immigration Clinic, and the international law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP brought the lawsuits.

Since the original lawsuits were filed in March 2007, all of the 26 children represented by the ACLU and co-counsel have been released. The final six children were released days before the settlement was finalized, and are now living with family members who are U.S. citizens and/or legal permanent residents while pursuing their asylum claims.

http://www.aclutx.org/article.php?aid=504

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Great news!!

I met some people at Camp Casey in July who were active in this movement and the stories they told were just horrific. I am very glad to hear these kids were released from this prison.

[MissWaverly]

2. Thanks

I am so glad that these kids got out of there, it was a grim place.

[yewberry]

3. Thanks for the news.

Jailing children for their immigrant status is monstrous, and I really hope that this story spreads.

[MissWaverly]

5. Here's just 1 story from the same article

For the children, the release day was very emotional. Andrea Restrepo, a 12-year-old child from Colombia, had been held in Hutto in a small cell for nearly a year with her mother and 9-year-old sister.

“I feel much better, I feel tranquil, I can do things now I couldn’t do there,” said Restrepo. “I am trying to forget everything about Hutto. I feel free. It was a nightmare.”

I hope everyone hears about this, I have a niece who is 10, I can't picture her spending a year in a
small cell with her sisters 15 and 7.

America is better than this.

[flashl]

4. Great news n/t

[MissWaverly]

6. welcome to DU, Flashl

I remember when we used to say with justice and mercy for all. Surely shouldn't these innocent
children get mercy, they have done nothing wrong.

:-)

[flashl]

8. Thanks

Its part of the new levels of madness.

[MissWaverly]

9. I have nothing against homeland security

there will always be nuts out there, but these are defenseless children who are having
their lives destroyed. This should not be happening.

[burrowowl]

7. Good on the ACLU!

In the US we have Civil Rights, but no Human Rights, I think it is time toget some Human Rights Lawa on the books!

[MissWaverly]

10. well, I thought that we had laws against unlawful seizure

and imprisonment, these kids have been jailed for a year and they are guilty of nothing.

[burrowowl]

11. Since they are not US citizens

they are not protected under Civil Rights Laws.
The US does not have any Human Rights Laws and SHOULD!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

12. It's called the Constitution and The Bill of Rights.

We have them.

Unreasonable search and seizure. Fourth Amendment.

Due process of law. Fourteenth Amendment.

Right to speedy trial, right to counsel.

The Geneva Conventions are supposed to apply here as well.

[MissWaverly]

14. yes, because when you start adding addendums

Bill of Rights does not apply to illegals then suddenly we have a country where the constitution does
not apply to at least 11 million people and then what happens.

[MissWaverly]

13. we should have a special law to protect children

and prevent them from being detained like this, I think this is an outgrowth of the War on Terror,
Mesico never attacked us, Colombia never attacked us, I can see sending them back if they are
illegal but not holding them in prisons.