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  • October 31, 2020

Seeking Asylum: Finding Assault, Torture, and Mistreatment

Immigrants detained in Ursula Detention Center | June 17, 2018 | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Immigrants detained in Ursula Detention Center | June 17, 2018 | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Maria Obregón

Maria Obregón

WARNING: This article contains a detailed description of a sexual assault story.


Raquel’s husband is killed while at work. Days after his death, a group of men go to Raquel’s home with weapons and order everyone to drop down to the ground. They threaten her, and tell her that they will kill her family if she investigates her husband’s death. Months later, she receives a phone call threatening her again. She also notices she is being followed and watched. As all of this occurs, she does not contact the police because the police in her home country are corrupt. Feeling persecuted by the frequency of the threat and their ability to kill her, especially after killing her husband, Raquel decides to leave for the U.S., so she can escape the impending violence and the relentless threats that make her live in constant fear while working to support her children.1

She leaves her home country in Central America and makes her way to the U.S. This is not an easy trip, especially since she is a woman traveling by herself, and one being smuggled by a ‘coyote,’ who “smuggles Latin Americans in exchange for a high fee.”2 ‘Coyotes’ often “abuse women physically or mentally.”3 They also kill either women or men “just to get what they want”4 if these women or men do not have enough of the money needed before and after they attempt to cross. These are not the only risks Raquel is taking while traveling. Many of the women who do the same as her, “go missing or get sold to cartels instead of completing the journey into the U.S.”5

A truck and a Border Patrol vehicle in U.S.-Mexico Border | January 11, 2017 | Courtesy of Anthony Albright/Flickr

Thankfully, Raquel finally arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border. She enters the U.S. without inspection, alongside others and the ‘coyote’. After a few more days of walking through the desert, many of the migrants are captured by U.S. immigration officials. Raquel, two others, and the ‘coyote’, are able to escape. They continue walking through the desert, but she eventually becomes too tired. While they are taking a break, Raquel is captured and arrested by immigration officials. Everyone else runs and escapes. She is taken into detention.6

Raquel goes through different detention facilities, but is finally transferred to T. Don Hutto Residential Center, that is located in Taylor, Texas. The amount of time it takes for her to arrive there since she was captured is unknown. When she arrives to Hutto, she is interviewed by an immigration official. The immigration officer interviews her to decide whether her story and her fear of persecution are credible. This is standard for immigrants in detention centers who ask for asylum in the United States, hoping to withhold their removal. The purpose of this interview is not to send non-citizens back home, but instead to asses whether they can “establish a credible fear of persecution or torture if returned to their home country.”7 The conclusion of Raquel’s interview is that she passed the credible fear interview. From there, Raquel’s bond is posted and approved, and she is able to pursue an asylum claim.8

The day for Raquel to leave the Hutto detention center has come. An ICE officer walks Raquel to the van that is going to take her to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. She gets in the van and he locks her in a metal cage, then hands the keys to the driver. Before the driver and Raquel leave, the ICE officer tells Raquel that the van “would not stop and the door would not open until she arrives to the airport.” Then they leave. After some time driving, the driver gets off the road and stops the vehicle. He then gets out and opens the door, unlocks the cage, and signals Raquel to get off the van and to raise her hands. She does as told. The driver then begins to touch her all over. He is speaking English, while also touching himself. Next, he shoves anything that is on the floor of the front area of the van and gestures her to lay down on her back. She refuses. He then walks to the back of the van and pushes her things off the seat in the cage and signals to her to get back in, so she does. The driver then follows her. Raquel tells him she will report him if he continues assaulting her. He pushes her into the van. She cries, thinking she is going to die. Raquel also thinks about how she should have stayed in her home country if this was how her life was going to end because at least she would have had more time with her children. The driver gets in the cage with her. She yells at him, telling him to stop because if he did not, she would tell someone. He finally stops, goes back to the front of the van, and drives to the airport.9

Raquel jumps, and runs out of the van as soon as she arrives to the airport. She is crying when an airport worker sees her. He comes up to her and asks why, to which she replies that the driver was touching her all over her body. The worker then calls others, and they all go to talk to her. One of the men speaks Spanish, and he translates everything. They tell her what happened is wrong, they ask for her information, and tell her that she will be getting a call from someone. Raquel then gets on her flight and leaves to another location in the U.S., where she will be living until her hearing.10

Weeks later, Raquel receives a call from ICE. They want her to identify the man who attacked her. ICE officials then go to visit her, so she is able to identify the man. She tells them who it was, and they tell her they will fire him, so “he couldn’t hurt anyone else.” Before they leave, they give Raquel a list of free immigration lawyers, but when she calls, no one answers, and no one calls back, even though she leaves messages telling them she is “desperate” and “didn’t know what to do.”11

She is left traumatized, afraid of everyone, both men and women, especially if they get close to her or touch her. She also cries every night, has a difficult time sleeping, and sees the man who hurt her every time she closes her eyes. On top of that, she “felt dirty all the time” and “took two showers every day.”12 Raquel left her home in Central America to escape violence and the death threats she was receiving, and instead of protection and safety, she found abuse and degradation in the United States.


Sadly, Raquel is not the only one who has faced this type of abuse while in ICE detention. Between 2012 and March 2018, there were 1,448 allegations of sexual abuse filed with ICE, and in 2017 alone, there were 237 allegations.13 Also, according to documents obtained by the ACLU, “sexual abuse allegations have come from nearly every state in the nation that houses an immigration detention facility.”14 Women and girls in detention are more prone to this kind of abuse because they are a smaller population of those detained.15 Another reason is that guards and staff hold power over the people detained, therefore “any lack of accountability… leaves women vulnerable to danger of sexual assault.”16

Women detained in Ursula Detention Center | June 17, 2018 | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

While some sexual assault cases are reported, investigations indicate that many are not. They are usually under-reported in these immigration detention centers because people are afraid of retaliation, social isolation, language barriers, and due to the fact that they know that these allegations are not seriously investigated.17 Mark Whitburn, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas explained that many of the detainees “may not be aware of their rights or they may be afraid to exercise them.“18 The reason for this is because they are unsure of what the outcome will be, and many believe that if they report the abuse, they will be even more likely to be returned to their home countries.19 Detainees also do not know how to report these incidents because they are never taught how.20

Women detained in Ursula Detention Center | June 17, 2018 | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

From January 2010 to July 2016, the Department of Homeland Security received 33,126 complaints of sexual and physical abuse, but they only investigated 570 of those.21 This signals that these cases are not important to them. Another issue is that when people report these abuses, they are often not given the resources needed. Claudia Leiva Deras tells the ACLU that she “didn’t receive a physical examination, STD testing, mental health care or counseling.22 Claudia also states that she was told that immigration does not pay for those things, and she only received a Tylenol from them.23 In addition, those who face this type of abuse while in detention have no way of telling somebody who they do trust because their families often live far away, and their immigration status may block them from visiting.24 Not only that, but telephone calls are limited and cost money. Telephone companies establish contracts with facilities and they charge detainees as much as $5 for calls.25 Further, 84 percent of those detained do not have any legal representation.26 This shows how people do not get any help to actually get justice for what happened to them. Now, in some instances, even if women have legal representation, they still do not get the help needed. The reason being because jail facilities fail to give women the chance to have a private telephone conversation with their lawyers, therefore, they cannot tell their lawyer of the incident until they are able to meet in person, which can often take months.27

Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act in 2003 to prevent and protect people against sexual assault while in detention all over the country, but it took the Department of Homeland Security until 2014 to finish regulations to implement this.28 Though that is the case, even with the regulations, the Department of Homeland Security’s standards “do not protect immigrants in all detention facilities because the agency has taken the position that those requirements can only apply when the agency enters into new contracts or renews or modifies old ones.”29 In addition, in 2017, ICE requested destruction of sexual assault records ranging from 20 years to the National Archives and Records Administration.30 The National Archives and Records Administration provisionally approved the proposal, claiming that the records “do not document significant actions of Federal officials.”31 As Victoria López from the ACLU mentions, having this proposal approved would be would be a terrible action towards the people who have faced sexual assault while in detention because having a “record of ICE’s actions, its policies and investigation can be an important step toward vindicating” the rights of those who have gone through this.32

Risking one’s life to seek asylum in the United States can pale in comparison to the continued abuse, prolonged detention, and the grim prospects of human rights violations suffered by the women in ICE custody while simply trying to survive. Many of these women fled their countries because the police and their governments failed to protect them and often partake in their persecution. Yet the United States’ rhetoric has so dehumanized immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, that many of them find similar patterns of human rights violations at the hands of agents and contractors working for the U.S. Government. Thankfully, organizations like the ACLU, RAICES, as well as others provide legal representation for abused immigrants and asylum seekers. If you know someone who faced abuse in ICE detention please help them reach out for legal representation.

  1. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  2. Rosa Robledo Martinez, “The Consequences to Conquer Freedom: The Perilous Journey of Female Migrants across the U.S. Mexico Border,” StMU History Media, https://stmuhistorymedia.org/the-consequences-to-try-and-conquer-freedom/. ↵
  3. Rosa Robledo Martinez, “The Consequences to Conquer Freedom: The Perilous Journey of Female Migrants across the U.S. Mexico Border,” StMU History Media, https://stmuhistorymedia.org/the-consequences-to-try-and-conquer-freedom/. ↵
  4. Rosa Robledo Martinez, “The Consequences to Conquer Freedom: The Perilous Journey of Female Migrants across the U.S. Mexico Border,” StMU History Media, https://stmuhistorymedia.org/the-consequences-to-try-and-conquer-freedom/. ↵
  5. Rosa Robledo Martinez, “The Consequences to Conquer Freedom: The Perilous Journey of Female Migrants across the U.S. Mexico Border,” StMU History Media, https://stmuhistorymedia.org/the-consequences-to-try-and-conquer-freedom/. ↵
  6. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  7. “Requesting Asylum at U.S. Border? What to Expect at Credible Fear Interview,” NOLO, https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-happens-credible-fear-interview.html. ↵
  8. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  9. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  10. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  11. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  12. “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention – Raquel’s Story,” ACLU, accessed September 19, 2020, https://www.aclu.org/other/sexual-abuse-immigration-detention-raquels-story. ↵
  13. Victoria López and Sandra Park, “ICE Detention Center Says It’s Not Responsible for Staff’s Sexual Abuse of Detainees.” ACLU, (2018). http://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/ice-detention-center-says-its-not-responsible. ↵
  14. “Documents Obtained by ACLU Show Sexual Abuse of Immigration Detainees is Widespread National Problem,” ACLU, (2011). https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/documents-obtained-aclu-show-sexual-abuse-immigration-detainees-widespread-national ↵
  15. Megan A. Carney, “Border Meals: Detention Center Feeding Practices, Migrant Subjectivity, and Questions on Trauma.” Gastronomica 13, no. 4 (2013): 38. doi:10.1525/gfc.2013.13.4.32. ↵
  16. José D. Villalobos, “Promises and Human Rights: The Obama Administration on Immigrant Detention Policy Reform.” Race, Gender & Class 18, no. 1/2 (2011): 159. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23884873. ↵
  17. Altaf Saadi, Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, Caitlin Patler, Jeremias Leonel Estrada, and Homer Venters. “Understanding US Immigration Detention: Reaffirming Rights and Addressing Social-Structural Determinants of Health.” Health and Human Rights 22, no. 1 (2020): 189. doi:10.2307/26923485. ↵
  18. “Documents Obtained by ACLU Show Sexual Abuse of Immigration Detainees is Widespread National Problem,” ACLU, (2011). https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/documents-obtained-aclu-show-sexual-abuse-immigration-detainees-widespread-national. ↵
  19. “Documents Obtained by ACLU Show Sexual Abuse of Immigration Detainees is Widespread National Problem,” ACLU, (2011). https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/documents-obtained-aclu-show-sexual-abuse-immigration-detainees-widespread-national. ↵
  20. Sandhya Bathija, “The Administration Must Act: Immigrants in Detention Deserve Equal Protection from Sexual Abuse.” ACLU, (2018). https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/administration-must-act-immigrants-detention-deserve-equal. ↵
  21. Saadi, Altaf, Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, Caitlin Patler, Jeremias Leonel Estrada, and Homer Venters. “Understanding US Immigration Detention: Reaffirming Rights and Addressing Social-Structural Determinants of Health.” Health and Human Rights 22, no. 1 (2020): 189. ↵
  22. Sandhya Bathija, “The Administration Must Act: Immigrants in Detention Deserve Equal Protection from Sexual Abuse.” ACLU, (2018). https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/administration-must-act-immigrants-detention-deserve-equal. ↵
  23. Sandhya Bathija, “The Administration Must Act: Immigrants in Detention Deserve Equal Protection from Sexual Abuse.” ACLU, (2018). https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/administration-must-act-immigrants-detention-deserve-equal. ↵
  24. Susanna Snyder, “Looking through the Bars: Immigration Detention and the Ethics of Mysticism.” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 35, no. 1 (2015): 169. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24615162. ↵
  25. Susanna Snyder, “Looking through the Bars: Immigration Detention and the Ethics of Mysticism.” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 35, no. 1 (2015): 169. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24615162. ↵
  26. Sandhya Bathija, “The Administration Must Act: Immigrants in Detention Deserve Equal Protection from Sexual Abuse.” ACLU, (2018). https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/mass-incarceration/administration-must-act-immigrants-detention-deserve-equal. ↵
  27. José D. Villalobos, “Promises and Human Rights: The Obama Administration on Immigrant Detention Policy Reform.” Race, Gender & Class 18, no. 1/2 (2011): 158. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23884873. ↵
  28. Victoria López and Sandra Park, “ICE Detention Center Says It’s Not Responsible for Staff’s Sexual Abuse of Detainees.” ACLU, (2018). http://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/ice-detention-center-says-its-not-responsible. ↵
  29. Victoria López and Sandra Park, “ICE Detention Center Says It’s Not Responsible for Staff’s Sexual Abuse of Detainees.” ACLU, (2018). http://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/ice-detention-center-says-its-not-responsible. ↵
  30. Victoria López, “ICE Plans to Start Destroying Records of Immigrants Abuse, Including Sexual Assault and Deaths in Custody.” ACLU, (2017). https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/ice-plans-start-destroying-records-immigrant. ↵
  31. Victoria López, “ICE Plans to Start Destroying Records of Immigrants Abuse, Including Sexual Assault and Deaths in Custody.” ACLU, (2017). https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/ice-plans-start-destroying-records-immigrant. ↵
  32. Victoria López, “ICE Plans to Start Destroying Records of Immigrants Abuse, Including Sexual Assault and Deaths in Custody.” ACLU, (2017). https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/ice-plans-start-destroying-records-immigrant. ↵

Tags from the story

  • ACLU, Border Patrol, ICE, Immigrant Detention, immigration, Prison Rape Elimination Act, sexual abuse, Sexual Assault, U.S.-Mexico Border

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Maria Obregón

Maria Obregón

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This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. Avatar
    Haik Tatevosyan 21 Feb 2021 Reply

    Great article and amazing idea to bring this topic to our attention. It’s very disappointing to see that some people get treated very poorly such as this article describes them to be. I love how straight forward and genuine the facts were, no sugar coating or anything of the sort. Excellent way to develop credibility!

  2. Avatar
    Sherisa Orozco 14 Feb 2021 Reply

    This article shares light on a big problem that many immigrants face. The article explains the many different challenges that people face. It’s interesting to read and devastating to acknowledge the suffering that goes on. The article shares the light on what really goes on and the danger of seeking asylum in the U.S. Very organized article on this delicate topic.

  3. Avatar
    Nathaniel Tran 8 Feb 2021 Reply

    To know that these people are already trying to run away from something or someone like Raquel is and for them to just have to go through so much in order to try to get to the US is just so heartbreaking. I’m glad this article was written so that many more people know about these kinds of tragedies. I hope people are able to sympathize with Raquel’s story.

  4. Avatar
    Alaina De Leon 7 Feb 2021 Reply

    This article brings light to very real and sad reality for those who are involved. Coming from a state that faces immigration problems and although sad instead of dwelling on that fact it needs to be fixed. Systemic issues are deeply rooted in our society due to a pattern of injustice and social constructs. This article was able to bring just one story into light but like many others, Raquel’s life has been changed.The abuse is heartbreaking and should not have a place in anyone’s life.

  5. Avatar
    Alexandria Garcia 28 Nov 2020 Reply

    This is such a sad story. I was never so aware of how many people were sexually assaulted while seeking asylum in the US. I was also not aware at how dangerous it can be in other countries and how may families are threatened by the men that visited Raquel. Her personal story was a great addition to this article, for awareness and context.

  6. Avatar
    Genesis Vera 25 Nov 2020 Reply

    This was such a heart breaking story but I am glad someone is telling it. I think what makes this article so strong is the fact that the author tells a real sexual assault story. The author does not try to sugar coat it at all and I think that is very important. Overall, I think this article was unique and offered important information.

  7. Avatar
    Victor Rodriguez 17 Nov 2020 Reply

    Coming from El Paso, Texas, I know the importance of immigrants and their necessity to come in search for better opportunities and quality of life. I am aware that there are many instances where immigrants get mistreated and abused. Your article mentions all those abuses and instances where compassion is not being considered. It is heartbreaking to see all the abuses and the harsh situations these people go through. We are a country that should open up and accept those people seeking help. Many of these people are desperate because their native country does not have any opportunities and there are many challenges they face. People should treat these people with dignity and with all the respect they deserve.

  8. Avatar
    Andrew Gallegos 16 Nov 2020 Reply

    It’s so sad how they treat people. We are all human beings just because there from somewhere else doesn’t mean they are any different or need to be mistreated. This article is so heartbreaking and touching and talks about how these adults get treated towards ICE.

  9. Avatar
    Allison Grijalva 15 Nov 2020 Reply

    Hi Maria! Thank you for writing this article and telling the story of Raquel. This was very real, and authentic in the accounts of something very horrific that happens far more than we know or is reported on to the public. It is so sad that when people coming from violence and difficult situations, they are often met with the same at the borders of the United States. It is a deeply rooted issue that goes beyond any administration, and something that people must be held accountable for. Thank you for sharing her story and doing so with such respect and grace!

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