Sex Abuse Complaints At ICE Facility Often Fall On Deaf Ears: UW Study

TACOMA, WA — A new report filed by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights alleges the ICE detention center in Tacoma has largely failed to respond to “systematic” sexual assault against detainees.

For its report, Calls to nowhere: Reports of sexual abuse and assault go unanswered at the NWDC, the Center for Human Rights studied 63 reports of sexual assault and abuse at the Northwest Detention Center compiled over the last ten years. Researchers found that, though the facility promises to thoroughly and comprehensively investigate abuse allegations, in practice most allegations are simply filed away or ignored outright.

For example, researchers found that, though the facility claims all reports of abuse brought to ICE's attention require a written report to be submitted to ICE’s SEN system, 18 of the 20 sexual abuse filed through the Northwest Detention Center grievance system were never documented in SEN— even though records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show ICE was aware of those incidents.

In one 2017 incident, a detainee reported being sexually harassed by an officer working in the facility, and officially filed a grievance, which was largely ignored, with the major claiming the comments were "just a joke." In another incident, a detained person complained that a health care provider had inappropriately reached inside their underwear. The detainee filed multiple complaints, which were not logged in the SEN system. Instead, officers told the detainee to file for a transfer if they did not wish to see the medical provider again. Other incidents were preliminarily investigated, but investigations were dropped once the involved detainee was deported.

Ultimately, the UW report concludes that, though ICE and facility operators, the GEO group, profess to take claims of assault seriously, in practice most complaints fall on deaf ears.

"What use is elaborate mandated postering to advertise an abuse hotline, if the calls go nowhere?" the report asks. "Of what benefit is a multi-layered, multi-institutional investigatory process, if cases are closed when victims are deported? And what use are sexual abuse-specific audits, if their content focuses on the existence of hotlines, guidebooks, and grievance procedures but fails to examine the extent to which such mechanisms lead to improved practices?"

In a statement obtained by KNKX, the GEO Group said it rejects the reports allegations.

“The Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) has a long-standing record of providing high-quality safe and humane care,” said GEO Group Corporate Relations Manager Christopher Ferreira. “We take all allegations of sexual assault with the utmost seriousness and mandate zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment.”

>> Read the full report from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights.