NEAR RIOT AT INS DETENTION CENTER Recently, about 20 Haitian ex-convicts caused a melee at the INS Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida. The incident occurred as guards prepared to transfer them to another jail. According to letters and memos written by some of the INS officers involved, there were not enough guards to do the job. They also complain that it took hours for assistance to be provided.
Guards also complained that a supervisor violated security rules by allowing the detainees to use his cell phone to call family members. They say that allowing the use put the guards transporting the detainees at risk by notifying relatives of their pending transfer. They are also concerned about the message it sent – they are worried that other unhappy detainees might take similar actions and expect the same treatment.
Officers were able to end the situation, and the prisoners were later transferred without incident. However, it is just the latest in a series of problems that have been plaguing the detention center. The officer in charge of the center recently and unexpectedly resigned, and it is under investigation for at least two allegations of sexual abuse of detainees by guards.
Immigration attorneys feel that incidents such as this do not happen because the detainees are violent, but because they are being separated from their families and attorneys. In this case, the detainees were being moved to another prison in the north of Florida, resulting in the detainees’ increased isolation, and making it more difficult for them to communicate with lawyers. Many lawyers suspect that the INS retaliates against them by moving clients to locations where they are inaccessible if the attorney raises issues about the case. While difficult to prove, these suspicions do raise serious questions about the way the INS handles its detainees. < Back | Next > Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. | 
