‘I’m happy … I’m free’: SPLC wins asylum for Nicaraguan man released from ‘black hole’ immigrant prison
Southern Poverty Law Center, March 25, 2022: ‘I’m happy … I’m free’: SPLC wins asylum for Nicaraguan man released from ‘black hole’ immigrant prison
“When they arrived at the southern border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, border officials separated Marco from his brother and forced each into a separate hielera — more commonly known as “the ice box,” where migrants wait in frigid temperatures before being released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“‘I was put in the hielera for six days,’ Marco said. ‘We were given very little food, and it was so crowded that I couldn’t sit, and I couldn’t walk. They gave me an aluminum blanket to use for warmth, but it was freezing — and we were only given one hour to sleep.’
“After the sixth day, Marco – whose name has been changed in this story to protect his identity – was shipped to an immigrant prison in El Paso, Texas, where he remained until he was transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, known as the ‘black hole’ of the U.S. immigration system due to its infamous living conditions and its remote location.”
Additional reading:
The Marshall Project, updated February 6, 2022: Stewart Detention Center
The Atlanta Journal Constitution, February 4, 2022: COVID-19 infections surging in Georgia immigration detention center
The Intercept_, October 23, 2021: ICE Review of Immigrant’s Suicide Finds Falsified Documents, Neglect, and Improper Confinement
