Chairwoman Maloney Commends House Passage of H. Res. 1153 Condemning Unwanted Health Procedures

Oct 2, 2020
Press Release

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 2, 2020)—Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued this statement following the passage on a bipartisan vote of H. Res 1153 – “Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent” in the House of Representatives:

 

“I want to thank Congresswoman Jayapal for leading the passage of this important resolution, laying out the terrible history of unwanted, forced medical procedures amid recent allegations of such horrendous actions in ICE detention.  The Committee recently released a staff report showing that medical care in ICE detention, and oversight of that care, have been woefully inadequate for years.  My colleagues and I are now investigating recent allegations of unwanted gynecological procedures performed on ICE detainees in Georgia, and we will not rest until the truth is uncovered and these women receive the care and justice they deserve.”

 

On September 21, 2020, the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Homeland Security launched a joint investigation into whistleblower allegations detailing  medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, and abuse at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia.

 

On September 24, 2020, the Chairwoman Maloney and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee Chairman Jamie Raskin released a staff report with the findings of a 14-month investigation into the Administration’s for-profit contractor-run ICE detention facilities.

 

This report—based on review of thousands of pages of internal documents from the Department of Homeland Security and contractors GEO Group and CoreCivic—found that multiple ICE detainees died in recent years after receiving inadequate medical care.  The report also found that, for years, there have been numerous documented instances of poor sanitation and mismanagement of infectious diseases in immigration detention facilities, potentially contributing to the spread of coronavirus cases in ICE detention.

 

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116th Congress