ImmigrationNorth Carolina jail investigated for immigration violations

Published 11 July 2011

A jail in North Carolina is currently under federal investigation on charges that local law officers mistreated detainees held as part of an immigration enforcement program; the investigation comes at the request of the state’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which requested that DHS officials investigate the Wake County jail based on fifty-seven complaints made by individuals detained there in 2009 and 2010; the complaints stem from the 287(g) program which allows local police officers to enforce federal immigration laws

pA jail in North Carolina is currently under federal investigation on charges that local law officers mistreated detainees held as part of an immigration enforcement program.

The investigation comes at the request of the state’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which requested that DHS officials investigate the Wake County jail based on fifty-seven complaints made by individuals detained there in 2009 and 2010.

In response, Margo Schlanger, an officer for civil rights and civil liberties at DHS, notifiedthe ACLU that it would launch an investigation into the prison. In a letter, Schlanger wrote, “The issues you raise are very important to us.”

She was careful to note that the DHS investigation is designed to determine whether the complaints indicate issues that need to be addressed by the agency and not to provide legal remedies or damages for people making the complaints.

Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, who oversees the jail, said he was eager for federal officials to examine the jail and his agency’s conduct

“I have nothing to hide,” he said. “Anybody’s welcome to come here and look at our operation.”

According to Harrison his department is primarily involved in processing people who have been arrested and determining their immigration status.

“We want to make sure that if any of this happened that it doesn’t happen again, but I’m not sure it happened,” Harrison said. He noted that the complaints all date from 2009 and 2010, making it difficult to contact the people who made them, especially if they’ve been deported.

Detainees that filed complaints say that officers verbally abused them, used racial profiling, were excessively forceful, and did not inform them of their rights including the right to a lawyer and to remain silent.

“The cop threw me to the ground and I skinned my knee,” read one of the complaints, with the detainee’s name blacked out. “My shoulder still hurts a little when I raise my arm.”

Other people complained that they were denied interpreters, forced to sign documents they did not understand, and ridiculed by local officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

ICE didn’t give me an interpreter and I didn’t understand very much,” another complaint said. “I told them that I wasn’t understanding but they just laughed and told me to sign. But I don’t read or write well, so the ICE officer signed for me.”

The complaints stem from the 287(g) program which allows local police officers to enforce federal immigration laws. Under the program, participating law agencies are allowed to determine the immigration status of those detained and hold them if they are found in violation of immigration laws.

The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina is also under federal investigation for its participation in the 287(g) program. The Justice Department is looking into complaints that the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office targeted Latinos.