ICE Accused of Dropping Released Detainees in Unfamiliar Cities Without Support
Immigrant advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of a controversial tactic: dropping off released detainees in unfamiliar cities late at night without essential support. According to human rights volunteers, federal agents have been leaving individuals, even those ordered released by judges from the Otay Mesa Detention Center, on the streets of San Ysidro. These detainees often lack charged phones, money, food, or any assistance to get home. One released detainee, Perez, a Guatemalan national, described being handcuffed, loaded into a van, and left at the San Ysidro Transit Center around 10 p.m., despite having no connections in San Diego. Advocates, like Brinkley Johnson of the Pope Francis Center, criticize this practice as cruel and unnecessary, arguing that it deliberately disregards the dignity of individuals.
