'They're Not Breathing': Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls [View all]
From WIRED
Records of hundreds of emergency calls from ICE detention centers obtained by WIRED—including audio recordings—show a system inundated by life-threatening incidents, delayed treatment, and overcrowding.
On April 28, a nurse at the Aurora ICE Processing Center near Denver called 911. A woman in custody, four months pregnant, had arrived at the facility’s medical unit, bleeding and in pain. As the staff rushed to get vitals, the dispatcher rattled off questions: How old was she? Was the pregnancy high risk? The nurse hesitated: “She just came to us three days ago.”
On 911 audio obtained by WIRED, the dispatcher’s voice cuts in:
“Is there any sign of life?”
“Have we heard a heartbeat?”
“Does she feel any kicking?”
“We don’t have the equipment to do that,” the nurse replies.
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A WIRED investigation into 911 calls from 10 of the nation's largest immigration detention centers found that serious medical incidents are rising at many of the sites. The data, obtained through public records requests, show that at least 60 percent of the centers analyzed had reported serious pregnancy complications, suicide attempts, or sexual assault allegations. Since January, these 10 facilities have collectively placed nearly 400 emergency calls. Nearly 50 of those have involved potential cardiac episodes, 26 referenced seizures, and 17 reported head injuries. Seven calls described suicide attempts or self-harm, including overdoses and hangings. Six others involved allegations of sexual abuse—including at least one case logged as “staff on detainee.”
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At least one serious injury reported this year was self-inflicted: an inmate “beating his head against the wall.” Jesús Molina-Veya, a Stewart detainee, is also confirmed to have died by suicide on June 7.
https://www.wired.com/story/ice-detention-center-911-emergencies/