TUCSON, Ariz. - Denial of food and water, sleep deprivation and physical abuse of immigrants in custody. Those are some of the charges leveled at the U.S. Border Patrol in a new report from the Tucson-based humanitarian group No More Deaths. The report analyzes some 13,000 interviews of deported immigrants conducted in Mexican border towns over the past three years.

Study co-author Hannah Hafter says the most common complaint was that little or no food or water was provided to migrants being detained.

"In the cases of people who were held for more than two days, 80 percent of them never got a full meal. They would get things like crackers. Sometimes people would literally get burritos that were frozen thrown on the floor of their cell. We called that 'no food,' because that's really not something that's edible for people."

The Border Patrol issued a statement saying the agency does not tolerate mistreatment of immigrants, and that any complaints will be thoroughly investigated.

Tucson Border Patrol spokesman Mario Escalante says snacks are provided every four hours and full meals for detainees held more than eight hours.

"We have food that we can feed them if they're going to be there past the eight-hour mark. Within that time frame, though, if they ask, say that they're hungry, say that they haven't eaten anything, we provide some sort of meal. There's always water for them in the water fountains that are inside the cells."

Escalante says the Border Patrol takes immediate action when any report of mistreatment is received, whether from an individual or from a consulate office.

The report also cites claims that agents kicked and hit migrants, shoved them into cactuses and leveled racial and ethnic slurs. Hafter says such behavior is the result of an anti-immigrant culture both within the agency and across the nation.

"You have agents saying to migrants very often, 'You are illegal and you don't have any rights.' That's not actually a legal truth in this country, but that is so prevalent, not just on the border but throughout the United States, that it allows this kind of thing to happen."

Hafter says the migrant mistreatment problems identified in the report are so serious and pervasive that new, independent oversight of the Border Patrol is needed.

"We need oversight that is community-based, includes human rights observers and isn't funded through or housed in the Department of Homeland Security."

No More Deaths provides food, water and medical care to illegal border crossers in an effort to prevent migrant deaths.

The full report is available at www.cultureofcruelty.org.




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Advocates for immigrants are pushing back on a bill signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the last few days of the legislative session, modeled on a recent, controversial Texas law.

Senate File 2340 gives local law enforcement officers and judges the authority to deport undocumented immigrants.

Erica Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, argued the bill is an overreach, and said Iowa law enforcement officers are not authorized to enforce it.

"This is a pretty clear intervention into federal territory," Johnson pointed out. "U.S. immigration law is governed by federal law."

Much like the author of the Texas bill, supporters in Iowa blame the Biden administration for failing to slow illegal immigration, so the state has decided to take matters into its own hands.

Johnson contended the bill and other anti-immigrant sentiment during the just-completed legislative session target the very people Iowa, with its dwindling population, will depend on for its future workforce.

"What we need is communities that are safe, where workers have access to dignified, safe workplaces," Johnson emphasized. "The truth of what Iowa's future could be depends on immigrants and immigrant workers in our state, and unfortunately, this law could take us back, away from that possible future. "

Johnson added her organization will pursue legal ways to block the bill from taking effect in July.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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