Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Issues Statement on Whistleblower Complaint on Massive Health Care Abuse at ICE Detention Centers

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued this statement on the horrific whistleblower complaint filed on behalf of a nurse at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Georgia, documenting an egregious refusal to test detainees for COVID-19 and mass hysterectomies being performed on migrant women oftentimes without consent:

"I am outraged and furious at the recent reporting that an ICE detention center is refusing to test detainees for COVID-19 and performing mass hysterectomies on vulnerable migrant women, reportedly without their consent. This is yet another example of a morally bankrupt federal agency that continues to violate the human rights of migrants, many of whom are women and children."

"These practices are inconsistent with our values as Americans, and I join Speaker Pelosi in calling on the DHS Inspector General to immediately investigate the allegations filed in the whistleblower complaint. We must get to the bottom of this to ensure that ICE is held accountable for their appalling handling of COVID-19 in their facilities and potentially breaching informed consent practices in performing invasive, life-altering procedures without the informed consent of migrant women."

"We must overhaul and reform ICE from top to bottom. We cannot allow it to continue committing these atrocities at the expense of migrants who come to the United States in the hopes of living the American Dream."

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.