Finally, the persistent phone calls, letters, and sit-ins by members of her group have started to pay off. Last month, 22 Democratic members of Congress signed a letter to ICE Director John Morton demanding a "thorough case-by-case review of each individual detained at Broward Transitional Center." The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton.
At the time Deutch drafted the letter, he was unaware of the sexual-assault allegations involving Henry but now, after having viewed the medical documents, says: "That kind of situation is deplorable. It underscores the urgent need for a case-by-case review of all detainees at the center. The reason that such a cross section of my colleagues from around the country signed the letter is because this situation is about more than immigration. It's about human rights and human dignity."
Monica McGivern
Immigration activist Viridiana Martinez infiltrated the detention center, but was released after contacting news outlets about the conditions inside.
Monica McGivern
The family of Samuel Resendiz-Lopez is fighting against his upcoming deportation.
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Moore of ICE refused to comment on the letter beyond saying it's under review in Washington by his bosses, who will make a decision on whether to act on it.
Martinez isn't sure how much longer she'll stay in Florida. The activists had planned to stay only a few weeks. Now they've been here for nearly half a year. Although they get calls every day from detainees in need of help, it's unclear how much more they can do.
If BTC is one of ICE's "model" detention facilities, Martinez can't imagine what's going on elsewhere. But she plans on finding out.
"Others are ready to infiltrate," she says. "This is something we can take to other detention centers, and will."