Texas Tribune: “The U.S. government late Monday deported a crucial witness in an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual assault and harassment at an El Paso immigrant detention center, the witness’ lawyers said. The 35-year-old woman has been held in the facility, which is overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for about a year and told lawyers about a ‘pattern and practice’ of abuse there, including that guards systematically assaulted her and other detainees in areas that were not visible to security cameras.”
“Several guards ‘forcibly’ kissed her, and at least one touched her intimate parts, often as she was walking back from the medical unit to her barrack, according to her complaint filed with law enforcement agencies. ‘If she behaved,’ she said one guard told her, ‘he would help her be released.’ The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into the accusations after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune first reported them last month. At least two more women have since come forward with similar allegations of assault.”