In response to the Trump Administration’s plan to detain immigrants once again at the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, Amy Fischer, Director for Refuge and Migrant Rights with Amnesty International USA, said:
“It is deeply disturbing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to once again jail immigrants at the Irwin County Detention Center – a facility notorious for human rights violations, subhuman conditions, and systemic medical abuse including non-consensual, non-medically necessary, gynecological procedures.
“Reopening Irwin is a cruel act and a slap in the face to every woman who bravely told their story of abuse in order to force its closure in 2021. Abuses flourished at the Irwin Detention Center, as medical providers and contractors profited off the pain and suffering of those detained inside. By reopening this facility, the Trump administration is doubling down on his anti-immigrant agenda and on a system rooted in abuse and human rights violations.
“The U.S. doesn’t need more immigrant detention facilities, instead they should be shut down for good. Immigration detention tears families and communities apart, perpetuates suffering, and does nothing to keep communities safe. This model is cruelty for cruelty’s sake – and it must end.
“Members of Congress, Georgia officials, and communities across the country must reject this cruel and dangerous plan and hold the Trump administration accountable. Irwin County Detention Center should be shut down for good.”
Background
Irwin County Detention Center’s closure came after brave women and a whistleblowing nurse exposed shocking abuses and invasive, non-medically necessary gynecological procedures conducted without informed consent. Their courage led to national outrage and the termination of ICE’s contract at the facility in 2021.
Contact: [email protected]