January 10, 2012 - National Immigrant Justice Center

Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) applauds U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Michael Quigley (D-IL), and 26 other members of Congress for holding the Obama administration accountable for sexual abuse against immigrants in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The representatives sent a letter on January 9 to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) – often referred to as the congressional watchdog – calling for an investigation into the incidence of rape and other forms of sexual violence against immigrants detained at DHS-contracted private prisons and county jails. The letter cites a series of civil rights complaints submitted by NIJC to DHS in 2011. Continue reading...