Attorney General Anthony G. Brown submitted an amicus brief in support of a complaint in the Baltimore Immigration Court that challenges the conditions of civil immigrant detainees. The petition alleges abuses of fundamental rights and calls for a cap on the amount of time detainees are held in temporary holding cells.
According to the press statement that was sent out on Wednesday, June 18: In order to defend the rights of civil immigration prisoners to adequate, safe, and compassionate detention facilities, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown filed an amicus brief today. The brief was submitted to the District Court of Maryland in D.N.N. and V.R.G. v. Nikita Baker (ICE Field Office Director), a case that aims to improve the conditions under which civil immigration detainees are being kept at the Baltimore Immigration Court.
According to the lawsuit, immigrants are being detained in temporary holding cells at the Baltimore Immigration Court for as long as seven days without access to their attorneys, proper medical attention, food and water, sanitary facilities, or sleeping quarters.
According to Attorney General Brown, no one should be subjected to circumstances that deprive them of their fundamental human rights, such as the ability to obtain necessary medical care, enough food and water, sanitary surroundings, and the capacity to consult with legal counsel. We implore the court to protect the basic rights of those in custody in the Baltimore Immigration Court and to guarantee that they get the decency and consideration that all individuals, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to.
The immigrant plaintiffs’ declarations detail how they were refused access to essential medical care, including HIV, diabetes, and thyroid medication. Detainees are made to sleep on the floor without bedding, and often in cramped quarters where there isn’t enough room for everyone to lie down. The communal restroom is in a public area with no privacy, and the lights in the cells are on all day and all night. Inadequate food and water are given to detainees; a meal frequently consists of just a cup of soup or some beans. Additionally, they are unable to phone their attorneys in confidence. Both the Constitution and ICE’s own guidelines are broken by the way detainees are being treated.
The plaintiffs’ demand for a preliminary injunction was supported by the brief. No one would be allowed to be held in the holding cells for longer than 12 hours under the requested injunction. The brief makes the case that ICE’s actions are against public policy.
Maryland has over a million immigrant residents. The Attorney General is battling to safeguard the rights of all Marylanders, including the immigrant population.
Maryland Attorney General’s website
