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Care at the Immigrant Detention Centers
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Dana Priest and Amy Goldstein's series on medical care in immigration detention highlighted the case of Victoria Arellano (whom The Post referred to as Victor Alfonso Arellano), a 23-year-old transgendered detainee who died of AIDS while in federal custody [front page, May 11]. Human Rights Watch issued a report in December focusing on this case as but one example of the substandard care provided to detainees with HIV and AIDS.
HIV-positive detainees are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and harassment in the 450 detention centers, prisons and local jails used by the Department of Homeland Security. The department keeps no comprehensive statistics on HIV or AIDS cases among detainees and offers them no testing, counseling or education programs.
Human Rights Watch joins other advocates in urging passage of the Detainee Basic Medical Care Act, which is sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). This legislation establishes a threshold of services that the DHS must provide to all detainees.
Equally important, the bill promotes accountability to Congress and to the public for any deaths that occur in immigration detention.
MEGAN McLEMORE
Researcher, HIV-AIDS and Human Rights Program
