Rights Group Files Brief Supporting Migrant Sexually Assaulted In US Detention Center

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st November, 2018) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a press release said they have filed a brief supporting the lawsuit of an asylum seeker who was sexually assaulted by an employee at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement family detention facility.

"The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a lawsuit filed by an asylum seeker who was sexually assaulted when she was 19 years old by an employee of the Berks County Residential Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement family detention facility," the release said on Wednesday.

The case is now on an appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the release said.

The release explained that although the employee pleaded guilty to criminal institutional assault in the US state of Pennsylvania, the defendants argue that they should not be liable for any constitutional violations because the sexual abuse was "consensual."

ACLU Women's Rights Project senior staff attorney Sandra Park said in the release that any sexual activity between detainees and staff is unlawful because of the inherent power imbalance in custodial settings.

She added that sexual violence is a serious and pervasive issue in immigration detention.

ACLU's National Prison Project senior staff attorney Victoria Lopez said in the release that this case shows that there is a need for more robust oversight and accountability measures in immigration detention.