Posted on 08/06/2018 9:13:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Immigration and prison officials have seized Bibles and other holy books from immigrants detained at a federal prison in California, where they are being subjected to dangerous and inhumane conditions with no freedom to practice their respective faiths, the American Civil Liberties Union says in a lawsuit.
The ACLU said, as part of a coalition of civil rights groups, it has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Prisons for violating the constitutional rights of the roughly 1,000 immigrants detained at the federal prison located in a desert in Victorville.
Prison officials have denied the detained men "one of the few things that might bring them some comfort or peace of mind: the ability to practice their faith," the group said in a Wednesday statement, explaining that they are not being provided religious services or any other means for them to worship and pray.
"By policy, the men are not allowed to worship outside of their cells. Prison officials also have not provided meals that fully comport with their religious beliefs, forcing them to eat food that violates their faith or go hungry," ACLU says.
Their religious items were confiscated, it adds. Citing an example, the group says an immigrant "had his Bible seized and has likewise been unable to procure a replacement."
"These violations of religious rights persist, even though the BOP's and ICE's own regulations recognize the right to engage in these religious practices," the statement notes.
They are "confined indoors for most of the day with little opportunity for exercise or exposure to sunlight," it continues. "Their 'meals' are often inedible: spoiled milk and meat that is infested with worms and maggots."
Officials are also ignoring medical and mental health needs, "an especially dangerous situation for those who have fled persecution or torture in their home countries."
As a result, ACLU says, there have been outbreaks of chickenpox and scabies. "When the men try to seek medical help, they are often dismissed, mocked, and verbally abused by staff who threaten them with isolation and other punishment."
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Riverside, was brought by six detainees on behalf of all ICE detainees for alleged violations of their rights under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment as well as the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and statutory rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
At a Tuesday Senate hearing, a top ICE official said the detention facilities are like "Summer camp."
"These individuals have access to 24/7 food and water," Matthew Albence said. "They have educational opportunities. They have recreational opportunities, both structured as well as unstructured; there's basketball courts, there's exercise classes, there's soccer fields we put in there."
Trump's "zero-tolerance" immigration policy has also been criticized for resulting in the separation of immigrant children from their families. Trump announced an end to the policy in June and a federal judge ordered his administration to reunite the children who had already been separated from their families.
Most of those children have been reunited, but close to 600 are still waiting for their cases to be resolved. For about 400 of the children, their parents are out of the country, likely because they were deported.
In June, about two dozen men from Central America who were being held in a detention facility in Texas after they were separated from their children said they were asked to sign voluntary deportation papers if they wanted to reunite with their kids.
Friday, in response to the Justice Department arguing the ACLU should find those children's lost parents, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to find the parents.
"The reality is that for every parent who is not located, there will be a permanently orphaned child," U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said.
Wednesday, Pro Publica reported on court records showing a staff worker at an immigrant detention facility in Arizona had been charged with sexually abusing eight boys.
There are criminal prison systems in California that refuse kosher foods to Jewish Christians. It’s not isolated to detained immigrants.
It’s been a few years, but I think I recall hearing that Bible’s we’re being eliminated from prisons nation wide. In many cases, missionaries to prisons we’re being eliminated as well. I knew pastors who no longer were able to visit prisoners. The same things occur in public schools. No Bible’s, no proselizing for anybody except for Islam and non mainstream religious cultures.
Also, it’s customary to put adults in prison without their children. Children in orphanages and juvenile detention centers are usually in those facilities without their parents. This is how it is for US citizen who violate the law. And these people who have violated the law by breaking into our country deserve different treatment why?? Because they’re potential Democrat voters???
Corruption knows no boundaries.
Trump Admin. Seizing Bibles, Violating Religious Freedom of Detained Immigrants, ACLU Says
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Anyone really believe the ACLU cares? Even if they do, this is the religious freedom issue that they chose to sound off about? Sheesh
Trump donated money to a half-way house for women who went all the way.
I think (and I believe it is the basis for fake news reporters, reporting fake news), that THAT is the “data” used to formulate the news reports.
RE:”Immigration and prison officials have seized Bibles and other holy books from immigrants detained at a federal prison in California, where they are being subjected to dangerous and inhumane conditions with no freedom to practice their respective faiths, the American Civil Liberties Union says in a lawsuit. “
Bibles?
Good.
The Whoran is a document which denies the American Constitution.
It's not fit to wipe your behind with.
They of course are really talking about korans, not Bibles.
Skimmed over this... I can’t get past the concept of people coming here illegally complaining about treatment.
That and knowing that if the ACLU is involved, it’s very likely 180 degrees counter sanity.
IOW, the ACLU is lying again. Thanks SeekAndFind.
OMG!
I just fell off my chair!
That must be the Russian ACLU, because nothing I can think of domestically would come up with an archaic Constitutional concept like that.
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_adams_391045
as if the ACLU gives a rats-ass dam* about protecting people’s Bibles..... HA!
Korans, for sure
Bibles, not a chance
Are you familiar with the phrase "Facts not in evidence?"
Opinions and conjecture are not arguments and mostly, usually useless.
I doubt Trump is the one booking them.
But the ACLU is perfectly OK with the school taking your kids Bible away.
But confiscated bibles of school kids on school grounds is ok.
Since when does the ACLPuke care about religious liberty and bibles?
Let them be orphans in Mexico.....They still came here totally ILLEGALLY.
DO NOT REWARD BAD BEHAVIOR.....Dr Phil.
Don’t care.
Destroy the ACLU.
Ha! Like the American Criminal Liberties Union CARES about RELIGION!
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