Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Detained immigrants were forced to sit in freezing holding cells without toilets and beds while their lips turned blue and cracked because of the cold, according to a series of lawsuits that makes numerous allegations of abuse against Border Patrol, the USA Today reports.
The suits were filed on behalf of 10 plaintiffs by advocacy groups that says the abuse is all too common.
“I don’t think these are isolated cases,” Melissa Crow, who is representing one of the plaintiffs and is the director of the Legal Action Center at the American Immigration Council, an immigration advocacy organization, told . “The spectrum of cases we’re presenting exemplifies the culture of impunity that has taken hold at CBP.”
CBP declined to comment on the suit but said allegations of abuse are taken seriously.
“We do not tolerate misconduct or abuse within our ranks and we fully cooperate with all investigations of alleged unlawful conduct, on or off duty, by any of our CBP employees and contractors,” Burke said in a statement.
