ADVOCATES SAY WOMEN MOVED FROM INS DETENTION CENTER STILL FACE PROBLEMS

Two weeks after female detainees housed at the Krome Detention Center in Miami were relocated to an area jail, immigration attorneys are expressing their anger that their access to the detainees has been significantly restricted and that the delays could negatively impact their claims for release.  About 60 of the 90 women are seeking asylum.  The other 30 are being deported because of criminal records.  The women were transferred from Krome because of allegations that guards were sexually abusing them.  The allegations are being investigated by the US Department of Justice.

According to advocates and attorneys for the women, former INS Commissioner Doris Meissner promised them that when the detainees were moved from Krome they would either be released or sent to a women’s shelter.  INS spokespeople say that they are not aware of any such promise, and that their first concern was removing the women from Krome. 

Advocates say that they were also promised round-the-clock access to the detainees after they were moved, and that they have not had such access.  The INS agrees that access to detainees is different than that at Krome, but notes that there was not 24-hour access there either.

In a letter to Attorney General Janet Reno, advocates have requested that she do something about the conditions in the jail.  According to the letter, the biggest complaints are that the because the jail only allows collect calls the detainees are limited in their ability to contact others, and attorneys cannot directly call the detainees or even leave messages for them.  Also, it seems that some detainees have had personal effects taken away.  The agency says that it will look into the complaints.