Advocates Fear That DHS Civil Rights Watchdog Has Little Authority To Act On Mistreatment Complaints
In response to one complaint to the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, an attorney received the response: "Please be advised that our complaint process does not provide individuals with legal rights or remedies." The letter bolstered fears among advocates that the office can do little to protect young detained immigrants.
NPR:
Civil Rights Unit Of Homeland Security Says It Lacks Power To Protect Migrant Kids
The children's lawyer was incensed. Her two tiny clients — one of them blind — had been in a shelter for three months, separated from their mother. The family had traveled from Mexico to the United States, reaching Nogales, Arizona, on March 1, 2018. Officials at the border found that the mother, Nadia Pulido, had "credible" reasons for seeking asylum from an ex-partner who, she says, beat her and stalked her after their relationship ended. (Ferriss, Kodjak and Phillips, 8/2)
In other news on the border crisis —
The Associated Press:
HHS: Florida Migrant Child Detention Camp Emptying Out
A Florida detention camp that has housed thousands of undocumented migrant children is emptying out, federal officials said Saturday. Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Evelyn Stauffer said in an email that all children who had been at the facility are now either with family members or at smaller state-licensed centers. The camp has housed about 14,300 undocumented children in total since March 2018, the largest such facility in the country. (8/3)
