Exclusive: Homeland Security inspector general found filthy and disturbing conditions during unannounced visits at ICE facilities in 2018. A report details open packages of raw chicken leaking blood and bedsheets referred to as nooses hanging from vents.
The kitchen at one facility was in such poor shape -- with open packages of raw chicken leaking blood over refrigeration units -- that the kitchen manager was replaced while the IG inspection was ongoing.The report describes conditions at facilities last year, but it comes amid a worsening situation along the US-Mexico border, where the number of migrants crossing the border illegally has surpassed previous years.
"[W]e observed detainee bathrooms that were in poor condition, including mold and peeling paint on walls, floors, and showers, and unusable toilets," the report reads.Other issues raised include spoiled food, lack of provisions, like lotion, that is required for detainees, and strip searches with no documented justification. The report notes that ICE detainees"are held in civil, not criminal, custody, which is not supposed to be punitive.