The complaint and an accompanying declaration by Wooten “document recent accounts of jarring medical neglect at ICDC, including refusal to test detained immigrants for COVID-19 who have been exposed to the virus and are symptomatic, shredding of medical requests submitted by detained immigrants, and fabricating medical records。” “In addition, this complaint raises red flags regarding the rate at which hysterectomies are performed on immigrant women under ICE custody at ICDC。”
面对指控,2020年9月15日,ICE就针对欧文县拘留中心的指控举行了新闻发布会,一名高级医疗官员发表了一份声明,强烈驳斥并否认了举报信的大多数指控,称自2018年至今,只有两名女性因治疗原因而被转到该中心接受子宫切除手术。
ICE还声称,“坚决致力于保护所有被拘者的安全和福利。”
此外,在回应有关新冠疫情处理不当的指控时,该机构发言人表示,流行病学家一直在跟踪疫情,定期更新防控协议并予以指导。
A top medical official with ICE released a statement “vehemently” disputing the claims, saying only two women have been referred for hysterectomies from the facility since 2018。
ICE also claimed that the agency is “firmly committed to the safety and welfare of all those in its custody。”
Besides, ICE said in the statement: “Since the onset of reports of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), ICE epidemiologists have been tracking the outbreak, regularly updating infection prevention and control protocols, and issuing guidance to ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) staff for the screening and management of potential exposure among detainees。”
针对该事件,美国国会众议院议长佩洛西在一份声明中直言,如果举报中所描述的骇人听闻的情况属实的话,这将是对人权令人震惊的践踏。