(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement in response to a whistleblower complaint filed by a nurse at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility holding immigrant detainees. The report alleges extreme medical neglect at the facility and details how the facility refused to test detainees for COVID-19 and performed a large number of hysterectomies on unsuspecting women.
“This chilling report offers a painful reminder that some of the darkest chapters of our country’s history are still echoing today, and should shock the conscience of every soul in the nation. If confirmed, these allegations amount to nothing less than human rights abuses under the Trump Administration’s watch.
“It is inexcusable to deny anyone necessary medical attention, and utterly immoral to force unnecessary, life-altering medical procedures, like a hysterectomy, upon them. The treatment of women described in this report is heartbreaking and monstrously inhumane.
“Such an appalling report of neglect and abuse by our government must not go unanswered. We need the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General to conduct a swift, thorough review of this report and issue recommendations to ensure this never happens again-which the Department should immediately implement. We cannot allow this."
