Documents Reveal Abuse Of Migrant Border Crossers By US Officials - Report

Documents Reveal Abuse of Migrant Border Crossers By US Officials - Report

More than 160 internal reports document "jaw dropping" allegations of physical, sexual and other abuses of asylum seekers by US border authorities, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) More than 160 internal reports document "jaw dropping" allegations of physical, sexual and other abuses of asylum seekers by US border authorities, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday.

"The conduct of border and immigration officers reported in these records is jaw-dropping. These internal government documents make clear that reports of grievous abuses - assaults, sexual abuse, and discriminatory treatment by US agents - are an open secret within DHS (Department of Homeland Security)," Human Rights Watch Associate US Director Clara Long said in a press release explaining the report.

In addition to allegations of physical and sexual abuse, the heavily redacted documents obtained by Human Rights Watch under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), also include reports of due process violations, harsh detention conditions, denial of medical care and discriminatory treatment at or near the US-Mexican border, the release said.

In one example cited, the records show that a supervisor in the San Francisco Asylum Office communicated the following internally at DHS:

"AO (asylum officer) (redacted) brought a serious matter to our attention just now: one of the applicants she interviewed today has a young child who was sexually molested by someone we believe to be a CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or Border Patrol Officer. They were apprehended by Border Patrol, sent to the Ice Box (a border holding cell), then this occurred: the young girl was forced to undress and touched inappropriately by a guard in the Ice Box wearing green, with the nametag (redacted)."

The documents do not record how DHS responded to the allegations, prompting HRW to question whether serious charges reported internally are being effectively investigated, the release said.

Last month, Human Rights Watch provided DHS with summaries of 11 cases of abuse detailed in the documents, with a request for information about any investigations or disciplinary actions arising from the allegations. DHS has yet to respond, according to the release.