No More Death’s testimony focused on the findings of the organization’s 2011 report, A Culture of Cruelty, which followed from 15,000 interviews over five years with individuals recently repatriated to Mexico.  The report concludes that the 30,000 documented instances of mistreatment and abuse in Border Patrol custody reflect an institutional culture of cruelty and impunity within the agency.  Furthermore, the report concludes that existing custody standards are inadequate and are not subject to the oversight necessary to ensure their implementation.  Petitioners before the commission raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency and independent oversight within the Department of Homeland Security which permits and encourages agent misconduct, civil liberties violations and systemic patterns of negligence, mistreatment and abuse.

No More Deaths’ testimony before the Commission was supported by a number of other petitioners including the Southern Border Communities Coalition, the Latin America Working Group, the Women’s Refugee Commission, the ACLU of New Mexico and the National Immigration Forum.

For further details, read No More Deaths volunteer Geoffrey Boyce’s piece on “The Other Hearing in Washington“ and view the full video of No More Death’s testimony before the Commission.

When picked up for “driving under the speed limit,” Anna spent time in Border Patrol custody, experiencing “acrid rot, the scent of bodies crammed like cattle, bodies empty of food, wet with fear…no room  to sit, to lie down.”  Illustrating that Anna’s experience is no aberration, the article draws from No More Death’s Culture of Cruelty report, citing the 30,000 instances of abuse documented by volunteers including denial of food and water, threats, physical violence, torture, dangerous repatriation practices and family separation.  For individuals like Anna, Border Patrol’s systemic pattern of mistreatment, abuse and negligence has real and often severe consequences.

Read the full article for the rest of Anna’s story and to learn more about Border Patrol’s destructive impact on immigrant families.

This incident highlights the lack of oversight and accountability within Border Patrol that permits extreme and systemic violations of the rights of detainees to continue unabated. As a Nogales International articles points out, “if Canales had been indicted sooner, or if he had been assigned to desk duty as the investigation proceeded, he wouldn’t have shot Castro in November 2010.” By refusing to hold its agents accountable for their actions, however abusive or negligent, Border Patrol creates a climate of impunity that in turn encourages agents to flaunt basic standards of human rights and dignity. In this case, federal charges are being filed far too late to have protected Mr. Castro Romo, and many others, from the violence and brutality that pervade the ranks of Border Patrol.

Read the full Nogales International story for more details of this incident and Border Patrol’s culture of impunity.

Nonetheless, ICE and CBP recklessly disregard the safety of the detainees in their custody through a variety of deportation practices that needlessly jeopardize the health, safety and lives of deportees. Lateral repatriation, the practice of deporting people far from where they originally crossed the border, often separates family members and unnecessarily exposes deportees to dangerous environments in unfamiliar cities. Despite the constant threat of severe and pervasive cartel violence, U.S. authorities continue to deport increasing numbers of people through the states of Tamaulipas and Coahuila, areas considered to be cartel strongholds. In addition, with frightening regularity U.S. authorities deport individuals - including women, men and children – after dark when they are most vulnerable.

For more information, view the full CNN report and see No More Death’s fact sheet on lateral repatriation.

The concerns seen repeatedly include: untreated open wounds and severe heat illness, confiscation or denial of needed medications for pre-existing conditions, and deportation directly from the hospitals without filled prescriptions or documentation.

Forms if physical abuse reported by interviewees included being punched, kicked, bitten by Border Patrol dogs, pushed down hills or into cacti, and being shoved forcefully against walls or vehicles.

Through the Immigrant Detention Advocacy Project, the ACLU of Arizona has worked for two years to document civil and human rights abuses in immigration detention centers in Arizona. Based on 115 face-to-face interviews with detainees held in Eloy and Florence, Arizona, the 36-page report, “In Their Own Words: Enduring Abuse in Arizona Immigration Detention Centers,” is the most comprehensive report documenting the experiences of immigrants detained by the federal government in the state.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains 3,000 men, women and children in Arizona on any given day. The detained immigrant population in Arizona makes up 10% of immigrants detained nationwide with Arizona having the third largest number of people in ICE custody. It is estimated that approximately 440,000 people will be detained by immigration authorities nationwide this year.

Full report

Executive summary

Executive summary (Spanish)