Gmail - 'Gitmo Jr.-Gate?' -"Our new investigation found that many immigrants and asylum seekers have been arbitrarily detained for months or years and treated inhumanely.
Support our campaign to hold the U.S. government accountable for these human rights violations.
Dear Kathy,
We told you this week about the case of 'Mr. N.,' a Buddhist monk, who sought refuge in the United States after being tortured in Tibet, and instead was detained for 10 months. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann called U.S. immigration detention practices 'Gitmo Jr.-gate.' Help us fix this broken, cruel detention system.
Unfortunately, Mr. N. is just one of countless individuals unjustly detained. Juana Villegas, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was arrested last July by the police for a minor driving offense in Nashville, Tennessee. After her arrest, authorities discovered that she was an immigrant from Mexico and transferred her to a county jail so that she could be picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Two nights later, Juana went into labor and was moved from jail to a hospital. She was shackled in the ambulance, while in her hospital bed, and again immediately after delivery. She even remained shackled to walk from her hospital bed to the bathroom, although there was never any reason to suspect that Juana was a flight risk or that she posed a danger to others.
Family visit at detention center
Please make a tax-deductible donation to Amnesty International's campaign
to pressure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Congress to mandate that detainees are treated humanely and receive due process while in custody.
These detentions—which cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars each year—often violate both U.S. standards and international human rights laws.
In Amnesty's new report Jailed Without Justice, our researchers discovered that tens of thousands of people are languishing in immigration detention, including immigrants, asylum seekers, torture survivors and even some U.S. citizens. Detainees can remain in immigration detention for years without ever receiving a court hearing to determine whether their detention is warranted and they are often treated inhumanely while in custody.
I'd like to tell you that Juana's case isn't typical. But, our researchers identified numerous stories similar to hers—where detainees have been housed in criminal facilities, excessive shackling is the norm, and medical needs are often ignored.
Your gift today will help
ensure that every detained asylum seeker or immigrant is treated humanely and receives a prompt custody hearing.
Our own government is mistreating many immigrants and asylum-seekers fleeing torture, religious persecution, or civil war. Many are sent to prison with no access to lawyers or medical care, and detained far away from family and support systems. You and I cannot let this stand.
Your tax-deductible contribution of $35, $50 or $100
can help support Amnesty International's new campaign to hold the U.S. government accountable for these serious human rights violations.
Thank you for your continued commitment to defending human rights.
Sarnata Reynolds Sincerely,
Sarnata Reynolds"
