[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 176 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E954-E957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONDEMNING UNWANTED, UNNECESSARY MEDICAL PROCEDURES ON INDIVIDUALS 
                  WITHOUT THEIR FULL, INFORMED CONSENT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SYLVIA R. GARCIA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2020

  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include these 
transcriptions of letters I received from my visit to the Irwin ICE 
Detention Center for the Record. The first letter was signed by 24 
detained women. The second one is from another detainee. I am also 
including text from a drawing I received during the visit that is 
asking for compassion and mercy.


  Letter No. 1 Signed by 24 Women from Irwin County Detention Center--
                           Spanish Transcript

       fHola! rComo estan? Nosotros estamos mal. Si estamos mal, 
     porque nadie en estas condiciones puede decir que esta bien. 
     Yo queria decirles un bonito discurso. Pero le voy a hablar 
     con la verdad y con el corazon. rPor que habeis tardado tanto 
     en venir? Si desde hace tiempo pediamos a gritos ``AUXILIO''. 
     Ustedes no saben todo lo que hemos sufrido. Alguien debe de 
     pararlo. Alguien debe de responder por esto. Si nos tienen 
     encerradas, nos han separado de nuestras familias, los jueces 
     nos han negado todo. rPor que nos castigan mas? Mandandonos 
     con un ``loco'', despiadado que mutila cuerpos. Y nos 
     deportan para que nadie diga NADA y no se portan para que 
     nadie denuncie NADA. Alguien debe de parar esto. Alguien 
     deberia de responder por esto. Y que no venga ICE y quiera 
     limpiarse las manos si son ellos quienes lo ``autorizan''.
       Ustedes no saben el trauma psicologico y la indignacion que 
     sentimos al ver tantas mujeres ``operadas''. Las hemos visto 
     llorar

[[Page E955]]

     del dolor porque su estomago esta inflamado, porque la 
     cirugia se les infecto. No les dieron tratamiento, ni 
     medicamento despues de la cirugia. En ocasiones nos ha tocado 
     servir de enfermeras y auxiliarnos unas a otras. La mayoria 
     de las que se le practico esa cirugia no entienden que esta 
     pasando con su cuerpo, ni que hicieron en su cuerpo. Le vamos 
     a hacer un estudio le ``dijeron'' y las habeis enganado. 
     Porque una sala de cirugias no debe ser una escuela. La 
     escuela la habeis pasado antes. Me han referido 5 ocasiones 
     donde el doctor Mahendra G. Amin de pies, cintura y manos nos 
     llevaban encadenadas. Y conmigo tambien iban 2,3,4 mujeres 
     mas en las mismas y peores condiciones porque ellos ya 
     estaban operadas. Yo no he visto ni una cirugia que no se 
     haya infectado. Que nosotros seamos inmigrantes no le da el 
     derecho para que practican y mutilen nuestro NO cuerpo. 
     Nosotras tambien tenemos derecho a decir NO. Si la salud es 
     un derecho universal que todo ser humano tiene. Mira tambien 
     a estas otras mujeres que estan en la misma situacion, no 
     entendemos que le han hecho a nuestro cuerpo y estamos aqui 
     ahora.
       [Redacted]
       y otras que decidieron permanecer anonimas, por miedo a 
     represarias. ffPor el amor a Dios!! y por humanidad. Esto 
     debe de parar ya. Esto debe de parar Ahora. Que no nos 
     enganen, porque la casa se ve ``limpia''. Que nos las enganen 
     porque huele a pintura fresca. El piso esta limpio. Pero 
     cuando ustedes se vayan. La casa asi seguir seria sucia. 
     Porque siempre ha estado sucia. rY quien va a limpiar las 
     heridas del alma! rY quien nos va a ayudar a sanar las 
     heridas de nuestro cuerpo cuando ustedes se vayan se vayan?
       Vengan a ci y miren estas mujeres como estan. Miren estas 
     mujeres como estan. Miren en lo que les han hecho! Que no los 
     enganen porque cuando ustedes se vayan las maltratos y 
     castigos van a seguir. Pero alguien debe de correr el riesgo 
     y debe decirlo [Redacted] Esto debe, pero de parar ``ya.'' 
     Esto debe parar ``Ahora.'' Este centro de MUTILACION debe ser 
     cerrado. y pedimos ``LIBERTAD''. Necesitamos un adecuado y 
     confiable tratamiento medico. No nos dan la medicina que 
     necesitamos. No estan atendiendo correctamente nuestras 
     enfermedades. Habemos mujeres con enfermedad de GRAVES y 
     otras que tambien se estan enfermando. Por Humanidad 
     Liberennos.'' Firmada por 24 mujeres.
       Haaaa, y pensaron que ya habia terminado pues no aparte de 
     los terribles procedimientos ginecologicos, pedimos por la 
     persona con condiciones de salud grave y por las que ahorita 
     se estan enfermando porque aqui usted viene con una 
     enfermedad y se le desarrolla diez. pero todo lo que usted le 
     dice a la enfermera dice ella que es mentira, estas 
     mintiendo, usted no tiene nada. ``Las enfermedades no 
     esperan. Cada dia abundan mas y mas y mas aqui que casi nunca 
     hay medicina, pero cuando viene visitas, El ogro se convierte 
     en princesa, y todo parece un cuento de hadas, pero cuando 
     las visitas se van comienzan para ``nosotras las pesadillas'' 
     porque todo vuelve a dar a la realidad que estamos viviendo 
     aqui en Irwin. ``una pesadilla'' ``Libertad para todas.'' 
     ``Por Humanidad Liberennos.''


  Letter No. 1 Signed by 24 Women from Irwin County Detention Center--
                           English Transcript

       Hi! How is everybody? We are not well. Yes, we are not 
     well, because no one in these conditions can say that it is 
     okay. I want to give you a nice speech. But I will say truths 
     and from the heart. Why did it take you so long to come? 
     Since it has been a while since we cried for HELP. You do not 
     know everything we have suffered. Someone should stop it. 
     Someone should answer for this. If they have us locked up, 
     they have separated us from our families, the judges have 
     denied us everything. Why do they punish us more? Sending us 
     to a ``crazy man'', ruthless who mutilates bodies. And they 
     deport us because no one is saying ANYTHING. And they deport 
     us because no one is denouncing ANYTHING. Someone should stop 
     this. Someone should answer for this. Do not let ICE come and 
     wash their hands if they are the ones who ``authorize'' it.
       You all do not know the psychological trauma and the 
     outrage we feel when we see so many women that have been 
     ``operated'' on. We have seen them cry from the pain because 
     their stomachs are inflamed, because the surgery infected 
     them. They did not given them treatment nor medicine 
     afterward the surgery. Sometimes we have had to be nurses and 
     help one another. The majority of the women who have received 
     that surgery do not understand what is happening to their 
     body, nor what they did to their body. They ``told'' them 
     they were going to perform a study and they had deceived 
     them. Because a surgery room should not be a school. We have 
     already attended school. I have been referred 5 times to 
     Doctor Mahendra G. Amin. We were taken with our feet, waist, 
     and hands chained. And with me came along 2, 3, 4, more women 
     in the same or worse conditions because they had already been 
     operated on. I have not seen one surgery that has not been 
     infected. Just because we are immigrants does not give them 
     the right to practice and mutilate our bodies. We also have 
     the right to say NO. If the right to health is universal that 
     all humans have, look at these other women that are in the 
     same situation, we do not understand what they have done to 
     our bodies and we are here now.
       [Redacted]
       And the others decided to remain anonymous for fear of 
     retaliation.
       For the love of God!! And for humanity. This should stop 
     now. This should stop now.
       They should not deceive us, because the house looks 
     ``clean''. They should not deceive us, because it smells like 
     fresh paint. The floor is clean.
       But when you all leave, the house will continue to be 
     dirty, because it was always dirty.
       And who will clean the wounds of the soul?! And who will 
     help us heal the wounds on our body when you all leave?!
       Come and look at how the women are. Look at what they have 
     done to us! Do not let them deceive you because when you all 
     leave the mistreatment and punishments will continue. But 
     someone should run the risk and should say it [Redacted] This 
     should stop ``now''. This should stop ``now''. This 
     MUTILATION center should be closed, and we ask for 
     ``FREEDOM''. We need adequate and reliable medical treatment. 
     They do not give us the medicine we need. They are not 
     correctly looking after our ailments. We have women with 
     serious illnesses and other that are also sick. For Humanity, 
     Free Us.
       Signed by 24 women.
       Haaaa, and you all thought that this had ended but, no. 
     Besides the terrible gynecological procedures, we ask for the 
     people with serious health conditions and for the ones that 
     are beginning to get sick because if you come with an illness 
     and it will spread tenfold. But everything you tell the 
     nurse, she says it is a lie, that you are lying, that you 
     have nothing.
       ``Sicknesses do not wait. Every day they become more and 
     more and more numerous here that there is hardly any medicine 
     but when visitors come, the ogre changes into a princess and 
     everything looks like a fairytale. But when the visitors 
     leave. ``nightmares begin for us'' because everything goes 
     back to reality for us living here in Irwin. ``A nightmare''. 
     ``Liberty for all''. ``For Humanity, Free Us''.


    Letter No. 2 from One of the Detained Women--Spanish Transcript

       Yo [Redacted] quiero espresarme [expresarme] por ese medio 
     ya ke [que] en 8 meses de estar en este sentro [centro] de 
     detension [detencion] no ecido es cuchada [no he sido 
     escuchada] por nadie y lla [ya] que tenemos la oportunida[d] 
     de que alguien nos escuche [.] yo pido que por fabor [favor] 
     sean enbestigado [investigando] todo lo dicho de este sentro 
     [centro] lla [ya] que en este lugar [h]emos pasado tanta 
     atrosidades [atrocidades.] asido [ha sido] muy cruel lo que 
     [h]emos sufrido dentro de esta detencion de irwin [Irwin.] 
     este lugar paresiera [pareciera] un lugar de tortura solo por 
     ser personas indocumentadas [.] nomeresemos [no merecemos] 
     ser maltratados de esta manera porque como serer [ser] 
     humanos meresemos [merecemos] un trato dindo [digno] de ser 
     respetados como persona [.] pero alpareser [aparecer] y por 
     lo que e [ha] pasado aki [aqui] no tienen corazon de una 
     persona [.] No [h]ay como comparar estar persona que los 
     [h]an [h]echo tanto dano barbar[o] y sicologico [psicologico] 
     y en ocasiones fisico porque solo que teyeben [te lleven] con 
     esas cadenas atada de pies manos y sintura [cintura] al 
     medico astar [estar] tres o cuatro [h]oras de aki [aqui] por 
     que [porque] lo evivido [he vivido.] lo ostoy [estoy] 
     espresando [expresando] el dia q [que] de el mes de junio por 
     fin me yebaron [me llevaron] al doctor [.] me yebaron [me 
     llevaron] ese dia a las 3 de la manana [.] yo niciquiera [ni 
     siquiera] era savia [sabia] porque despues del mes de abril 
     que avia [habia] mandado juecues [h]asta ese dia me yamaron 
     [llamaron.]
       yo me sorprendi pero como siempre aqui no te permiten 
     preguntar nada porque si pregunta[s] es peor el castigo y el 
     maltrato de los ofiliole [oficiales]. pues me yeberoron 
     [llevaron.] yege [llegue] al lugar [.] mi sorpresa fue que 
     aporte de estar desde las 3 de la manana enserada en un 
     cuarto aki [aqui] de la detencion todo el dia sin comer [.] 
     luego llego a ese luga[r] por cierto te esperas [h]asta que 
     te avisan si ya pueden entra[r] mientra[s] te asen peror 
     [hacen peor] [h]asta [h]ora y medi[a] dentro de la combi y en 
     la parte de atras de la clinica [.] no se porque pero desde 
     ese momento yo me pregunte que es esto [.] [h]asta parese 
     [parece] un lugar clandestino [.] luego te avisan a los 
     oficieles qu[e] ya pueden entra[r.] ni siquiera te quitan los 
     [las] esposa[s,] ni te [esplican] explican que ban [van 
     hacer,] al menos yo avia pedio [habia pedido una] pastilla 
     para el dolor de mi vientre y no me dijeron nada mas que 
     yevarme [llevarme] ase [a ese] lugar don[de] te asen [hacen] 
     firmar unos papeles [.] luego ye dicen ocucrto te en esa 
     camia [.] ni siquiera te disen [dicen] [scribbles] Barroser 
     ginecologo [.] o yo soy el jinicologo [ginecologo] noda te 
     acuestan y luego te introdosen al adentro de nuestro vientre 
     en menos de 5 minutos [.] el me dijo [``]tienes quiste entros 
     [adentro de semanas,] te yegan [llegan] los resultado[s]y si 
     no te ban atraer [van a traer] de nuevo [.] yo me sorprendi 
     por yerara [ya era] 5 anos en el pais y des[de] el 2014 me 
     chequeo en el sentro [centro] de solo de mi condado y nunca 
     yo
       [tuve] un tratamiento sicolojico [psicologico] porque los 
     an [han] maltratado tanto que nuestro[s] cuerpo[s] esta[n] 
     todo el tiempo nervioso[s] de los gritos de como tiran los 
     [las] puerta[s] casi en tu cara [.] dia y noche los oficiales 
     te maltratan de una manera que tenemos que umiyarnos

[[Page E956]]

     [humillarnos] para que no los [nos] griten [.] pedimos ropa 
     interior y los [nos] traen usada de otras persona[s]. eso no 
     es corecto [correcto,] ponerse ropa interior usa[da] pero exo 
     [eso] te la tiran si lo quieres [,] bueno [,] y si no [,] se 
     yeva [las llevan] nde nuevo todo lo que les pides [.] ellos 
     os ofensa [nos ofendan.] les pedimos cosas para aser [hacer] 
     la limpiesa [limpieza] y los disen [nos dicen] que no [h]ay 
     [,] que ICE no tiene [.] pedimos mas cories y tanvien disen 
     [tambien dicen] que pongamos decoes y [h]asta 5 decues 
     [h]emos puesto y no los In no dan poro eyos [ellos.] 
     nosotro[s] somos como unas cucaracha[s] de la puerta [.] te 
     grita[n] [``]chao chao[''.] que es la comida [,] eso es el 
     nombre de una comida de per[r]o [.] tanvien [tambien] si no 
     te pones en la fila [,] te dejan sin comer o si estas en la 
     degadera ellos [ellos] no les importa[n] nada [.] luego si 
     les per[des] tu comida [y] les pregunta y les dise que 
     estaba[s] en el chower [ducha,] nos disen [dicen] que ICE no 
     tiene comida para estar dando [.] no los [nos] dan nada ni 
     para banarte [.] este lugar es terible [terrible] y los 
     persenos que trabajan aqui desde el mes grande [h]asta el mes 
     pekeno [pequeno.] durante un peso el corone[l] Bidos [.] esto 
     asido [ha sido] peor porque siantes [visitantes] venian 
     achekear [a checquear] [scribble] semas abril ya no entran 
     aqui a porque disen [dicen] que les podemos contagiar eyos 
     [ellos] gritan cuando [the rest is cut off because photocopy]
       Sali con quisti [quiste] en mis obarios asido [ovarios. ha 
     sido] ter[r]ible [.] que emos [hemos] pasado aqui todas las 
     mujeres [.] al menos cada mes yebon [llevan] 6 a 7 mujeres al 
     ginecologo y la mayoria son operadas porque tienen quitis 
     dise [quistes, dice] el ginecologo [.] aparte de eso, te 
     opera[n] y ni siquiera te dan una benda [Band-aid] o una 
     postilla [.] yo he tenido que cuidar a mis companeras que 
     fueron operadas en ese lugar y con ese jinecologo 
     [ginecologo.] el maltrato comiensa [comienza] desde que te 
     saca porol el medico [.] cuando regresan de alla de la 
     clinica no puedan ni dar los pasos [.] vienen con su vientre 
     [h]erido y inflamado a [y] los buelvan [vuelven] a meter aqui 
     como un per[r]o sin bolvellas [volverlas a chequear.] a los 
     tres dias de [scribble] satres que joros te dan una taylenol 
     [Tylenol] 250 [.] eso el [es] una burlo [burla] porque asto 
     yorande [hasta llorando] el fuerte dolor de las sirujias 
     [cirugias,] nosotros las companeras les ayudamos a banarlas y 
     de las pastias [pastillas] que compramos en la comisaria [,] 
     de esa tomamos [.] por fabor [favor] ya no mas [.] [scribble] 
     tan[ta] cruelda[d] con nosotros que sentimos un gran dolor 
     porque ya no sabemos como bamos [vamos] a regresar con 
     nuestras familia[a] despues de todo estos [esto] que [h]emos 
     vivido en este ter[r]ible luga[r] gde. Bamos [Vamos] a 
     nesesitar [necesitar]estas ansido [han sido] mis companeros 
     que yo evisto [he visto] subir estas situaciones de sirujias 
     [cirugias] y que [h]an salido con quistes en los ovarios 
     segun el medico todos salimos con kistis [quistes] y si no 
     [,] otros enfermedes [enfermedades] en nuestro vientre [.] 
     como es pocible [posible] que todas salgamos enfermos de de 
     nuestro vientre [.] eso no puede estar pasando [.]
       [Redacted]
       Estas persona[s] son los que a mi me costa a verlas visto 
     en este sentro [centro] de detencio [detencion] subril 
     [sutil] sirujias [cirugias] y con quistes en su vientre claro 
     y por supuesto yo algunos vafucto deportados a su paises asi 
     en esa condicion [.] an cido [Han sido] troutas los casos que 
     [h]emos [hemos] vivo en este lugar [.] necesitamos ser 
     liverados [liberados] de este lugar [.] Nesecitamos 
     [Necesitamos] ser liverados [liberados] de esta tortura [.] 
     Somos madre[s] con nuestro[s] hijos aya [alla] afuera yorando 
     [llorando] pregunter no moma [.]
       Por fabor [favor] tenemos nuestro corason [corazon] des 
     trosado [destrozado] sin nuestro[s] hijos tanto tiempo y sin 
     saver [saber] asta [hasta] cuando [.] Por fabor [favor] 
     nuestro[s] hijo[s] son de esta pais [,] este es su nacion [,] 
     no los pueden separar de nuestros hijos [.] Por fabor [favor] 
     yo soy madre de 5 hijos que me necesitan [.] Para mi es duro 
     escuchar su bos [voz] soyosa [solloza] disiendo [diciendo] 
     mama cuando yegas [llegas] y so sin poder darles una repuesta 
     positiva [.] Por fabor [favor] escuchenos necesitamos estar 
     con nuestro[s] hijos [.] Por fabor [favor] no tengo mas que 
     pedir ke [que] nos liberen de esta luga [lugar] tan terrible.


    Letter No. 2 from one of the detained women--English Transcript

       I, [Redacted], want to express myself through this medium 
     since it has been 8 months that I am in this detention center 
     [.] I have not been heard by anyone and now we have the 
     opportunity for someone to listen to us [.] I beg that please 
     they get investigated for everything that happens in this 
     center since that in this place we have experienced many 
     atrocities [.] This has been very cruel what we have suffered 
     inside this detention in Irwin [.] This place seems to be a 
     place of torture only for undocumented people [.] We do not 
     deserve to be mistreated in this way since we are humans we 
     deserve decent treatment to be respected like a person [.] 
     but it appears and for everything that has happened here that 
     they do not have the heart of a person [.] There is no way to 
     compare the person who has done such barbaric and psychologic 
     harm and on occasions physical because they would take you 
     with chained feet [,] hands [,] and waist to the doctor for 
     three or four hour from here because I have lived it [.] I am 
     voicing the day in June when they finally took me to the 
     doctor [.] They took me that day at 3am [.] I didn't even 
     know because after the month of April they had sent me until 
     that day they called me [.]
       I was shocked but like always here they do not allow you to 
     ask anything because if you ask the punishment and 
     mistreatment is worse from the officials. Well they took me 
     [.] I arrived at the place [.] my surprise was where I was 
     since 3am inside that room here in the detention all day 
     without eating [.] later after arriving at that place for 
     sure you wait until they tell you if they can enter while 
     they make you worse until half an hour inside of the bus and 
     in the back of the clinic [.] I don't know why but from that 
     moment I asked myself what is this [.] it even appears to be 
     a secret place [.] later they notify you to the officials 
     that you can enter [.] they do not even take off your 
     handcuffs nor do they explain what will they do at least I 
     had asked for a pill for the pain in my stomach and they did 
     not say anything except take me to that place where they make 
     you sign papers [.] later they tell you lay on that bed [.] 
     they do not even tell you you're going to see the 
     gynecologist [.] or I am the gynecologist. Nothing. they lay 
     you down and enter the inside of our stomach in less than 5 
     minutes [.] he told me that you have cyst inside for weeks 
     the results will arrive and if not they will bring you here 
     again [.] I was surprised because it has been 5 years in this 
     country and since 2014 I have checked at the center in my 
     country and I never had a psychological treatment because 
     they have mistreated us so much that our bodies are always 
     nervous from the yelling from how they throw the doors almost 
     in our face [.] day and night the officials mistreat you in a 
     manner that we have to humiliate ourselves for them not to 
     yell at us [.] we ask for underwear and they give us used 
     ones from other people [.] that is not correct to put used 
     underwear but that is what they throw at us if you want it 
     good and if not they take it again . . . new is all we ask 
     [.] they offend us [.] we ask for things to clean ourselves 
     with and they tell us that there is nothing that ICE does not 
     have it [.] we ask for more [cories?] and they also say that 
     we should wear twelve and up to 5 times we have put on[...] 
     we are like cockroaches at the door [.] they yell bye bye 
     what is the food that is the name of the dog food [.] also if 
     you do not get in line they let you go without eating if you 
     were in the shower [.] they do not care at all [.] later if 
     you lose out on food and ask and say that you were in shower 
     they say that ICE does not have food to be giving out [.] 
     they do not give us anything to shower with [.] this place is 
     terrible and the people who work here from the biggest person 
     to the smallest person [.] during a weighing the colonel 
     Bidos [.] this was worse than the visits that would come to 
     check . . . since the weeks in April now you do find them 
     here because they say we can contaminate them they yell [the 
     rest is cut off because photocopy]
       I got a cyst on my ovaries [.] it has been terrible what 
     has happened to all the women here [.] at least every month 
     they take 6 to 7 women to the gynecologist and the majority 
     are operated on because they have cysts says the gynecologist 
     [.] apart from that, they operate on you and do not even give 
     you a Band-aid or a pill [.] I have had to take care of my 
     fellow mates that have been operated on in this place and 
     with that gynecologist[.] the mistreatment begins when they 
     take you to the doctor [.] when they return from there from 
     the clinic they cannot even walk [.] they come with their 
     stomach lacerated and inflamed and they return them here like 
     dogs without checking on them [.] by three days of . . . they 
     give you a Tylenol 250 [.] that is the a joke because even 
     while crying the strong pain of the surgeries us the mates 
     help each other to shower or with pills that we buy from the 
     police station we take those [.] please no more [.] so much 
     cruelty for us to feel such great pain because we do not know 
     how we will return to our families after everything we have 
     lived through in this terrible place. . . We will need this 
     has been my mates that I have seen enter in those surgery 
     situations and have left with cysts on their ovaries 
     according to the doctor we all come out with cysts and yes 
     other sicknesses in our stomachs [.] how is this possible 
     that we all get sick in in our stomachs [.] this cannot be 
     happening [.]
       [Redacted]
       These people are those that are tough to see in this 
     detention center [.] subtle surgeries and cysts in their 
     stomach sure and of course some in those conditions are 
     deported to their countries in that condition [.] it has been 
     so many the cases that we have lived in this place [.] we 
     need to be freed from this place [.] We need to be free from 
     this place [.] We are mothers with our children outside 
     crying asking for their mom [.]
       Please we have our hearts shattered without our children so 
     much time and without knowing until when [.] Please our 
     children are from this country this is their nation you 
     cannot separate us from our children [.] Please I am the 
     mother of 5 children who need me [.] It is tough for me to 
     hear their sobbing voice saying mama when do you come back 
     and I cannot give them a positive answer [.] Please listen to 
     us we need to be with our children [.] Please I have nothing 
     else to ask except to free us from this terrible place.


                Drawing--Spanish and English Translation

       Clemencia y misericordia
       Compassion and mercy

[[Page E957]]

  

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