ACLU Urges House Judiciary Committee to Support Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 (9/11/2008)
Legislation is first congressional action to provide basic medical care of immigration detainees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (202) 675-2312, media@dcaclu.org
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after
months of compelling TV and newspaper exposés detailing deficient medical care
and over 60 immigration detention deaths, the House Judiciary Committee is
scheduled to mark up a bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to develop procedures to ensure adequate medical and mental health care for all
detainees held by DHS Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The ACLU urges the House Judiciary
Committee members to vote for H.R. 5950, the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of
2008, introduced by Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).
The following can be attributed to
Joanne Lin, ACLU Legislative Counsel:
“The
Detainee Basic Medical Care Act of 2008 is long overdue. Too many immigration detainees have
needlessly suffered, and even died, as a result of shabby or no medical
care. These accounts have been
documented by The New York Times, The Washington Post, ‘60 Minutes,’ and many
other news outlets. Month after
month we learn of horror stories of detainees who have unnecessarily had to face
amputation, chemotherapy, radiation because ICE repeatedly ignored their cries
for medical help.
“The
bill will set
standards for timely and effective delivery of medical care to immigration
detainees by providing medical screenings and examinations, continuity of care,
and discharge planning. Health care
professionals will be required to make all treatment decisions based on medical
clinical judgments, not on cost-savings to DHS. The legislation will also require ICE to
report detainee deaths to Congress and the DHS Office of the Inspector
General.
“ICE’s
handling of immigration detainees, which includes repeated denials or delays of
medical care, contradicts American values.
The time has come for Congress to take action to halt any more detainee
deaths by ensuring that DHS provide basic medical and mental health care to all
immigration detainees." # # #
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