[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4400-H4401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                        ICE SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

  (Ms. GARCIA of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the 
inhumane treatment of immigrants at detention centers around the 
country.
  Recently exposed documents paint a gruesome picture of ICE custodians 
abusing the practice of solitary confinement on immigration detainees. 
Often these detainees have not violated rules or shown dangerous 
behavior, but, in some instances, are being held in isolation because 
they are disabled or because they identify as gay.
  Even under ICE's own guidelines, solitary confinement is a serious 
step that requires careful consideration of all alternatives. Yet, ICE 
is using this practice as a tool of first resort, not last resort. One 
detainee noted that the strain of the isolation made him lose his mind.
  These reported cases reveal what we already feared: that this 
administration is committed to widespread abuse of human beings simply 
because of who they are and where they come from.
  Mr. Speaker, I learned at an early age that we are all God's 
children. This is not the way to treat God's children.

[[Page H4401]]

  

                          ____________________