INS MOVES TO DEPORT VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Over a year ago, a number of detainees at the Krome Detention Center outside of Miami began making allegations that they had been sexually abused by guards at the facility.  In the wake of the allegations, female detainees were moved to a local jail, and an investigation into the claims was opened.

Now the INS is in the process of deporting a number of the alleged victims.  On June 4^th a Haitian man who claimed he was sexually assaulted was deported, and plans are in the works to deport two female victims.  The deportations have been met with outrage by advocacy groups, who note that the victims have fully cooperated with investigators.  According to the INS, the investigation into the Haitian man’s claim was closed, and he had not proved his allegation of abuse. 

So far the investigation has led to one conviction, with an officer who was accused of raping a detainee pleading guilty to having sex with her.  Advocates, especially the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, which has led the calls for an investigation into conditions at Krome, are worried that the investigation has been cursory at best.  They note that a number of detainees were told they would be interviewed a second time, but never were.  Also, three investigators are no longer working on the case.  The INS has not issued any statement on the deportations, but does say that the investigation is continuing.

Along with the fact that once a person is deported, they are no longer available to assist investigators, advocates are concerned that the victims are being deported when they are eligible for a special visa for battered women that was created last year.  Advocates argue that they should not be deported until regulations for this visa are implemented and the women allowed to apply for it. 

These are not the first allegations of sexual abuse at the Krome Detention Center.  In 1990, similar claims were made.  An investigation did not result in any disciplinary actions, in large part because investigators decided that unless the incident was witnessed by a third party, no charges would be filed.  A number of guards who were investigated in 1990 were accused in the most recent allegations. 

A report on the conditions women detained at Krome was published last year by the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children and is available online at http://www.theirc.org/wcrwc/reports/womenscommission-krome-10.00.PDF.  

Previous stories on women at Krome carried in Siskind’s Immigration Bulletin can be found at http://www.visalaw.com/00jun1/13jun100.html, http://www.visalaw.com/00jun2/17jun200.html, http://www.visalaw.com/00aug1/16aug100.html, http://www.visalaw.com/00sep1/3sep100.html, http://www.visalaw.com/00dec3/5dec300.html, http://www.visalaw.com/00dec5/13dec500.html, http://www.visalaw.com/01jan2/13jan201.html, and http://www.visalaw.com/01apr1/15apr101.html,