Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Significant Health And Safety Risks' Rampant At Immigration Detention Center, Including Nooses In Cells And Rotting Teeth
The Washington Post: Nooses, Rotting Teeth And Neglect: Inspectors Find Dismal Conditions At California Immigration Jail
Homeland Security inspectors who made an unannounced visit to a private, for-profit immigration jail in California in May found major violations of federal detention standards, including cells with nooses dangling from air vents, detainees losing teeth from lack of dental care and one disabled inmate left alone in a wheelchair for nine days. The infernal conditions are described in a report issued Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security’s office of inspector general, which audited the facility, overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Adelanto, Calif. It has a capacity of 1,940 detainees and is run by GEO Group, which owns and operates 71 federal prisons and detention centers with a combined total of 75,500 beds, according to its website. (Miroff, 10/2)
Los Angeles Times: Nooses In Cells, Rotting Teeth — Report Details Harsh Conditions At Adelanto Immigration Facility
“When we asked two contract guards who oversaw the housing units why they did not remove the bedsheets, they echoed it was not a high priority,” officials with the Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s office wrote in a scathing report made public Tuesday detailing dangerous conditions found at the facility during their unannounced visit. The nooses are just one of many problems posing “significant health and safety risks” identified by federal inspectors at Adelanto, which can house nearly 2,000 detainees as they await the outcome of their immigration cases. (Esquivel and Mejia, 10/2)
USA Today: Federal Inspectors Find Nooses, "Serious Violations" At ICE Facility
In her response to the Inspector General report, Nathalie Asher, executive associate director of ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, acknowledged that she was "concerned" by the findings. She said the treatment of detainees is "paramount" and announced that the Adelanto facility will undergo a more thorough inspection starting Oct. 10. After a summer when much of the country’s attention was focused on the treatment of families and minors temporarily held in chain-linked holding pens along the border, the Inspector General report highlights the treatment of adult immigrants in long-term detention. (Gomez, 10/2)
Arizona Republic: Report: Physicians With Abuse, Criminal Records Examined New Migrants
The agency overseeing the nation's legal immigration system put immigrants and the American public at risk because it has poor controls for verifying that immigrants applying for green cards meet health-related standards, according to a new government watchdog report. The agency inadequately screened doctors who conduct medical health exams of immigrants applying for green cards, an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found. (González, 10/2)
