Weekly The Generation, Year 1, Issue 13
November 28, 2023
Inmates at Stewart detention center in Georgia file complaint alleging mistreatment, medical neglect and retaliation.
More than 200 detainees held at the Stewart detention center (SDC) in Lumpkin, Georgia, are raising their voices against the inhumane conditions and mistreatment they endure daily. In a recent petition addressed to local officials and the Biden administration, organized by Sopheak Pal, an SDC detainee, the petitioners are demanding immediate action.
Pal said, “We’re treated worse than criminals [and] Ice takes advantage of our situation”. “This place is horrible, like the way they treat us … we are all human, and we should all be treated like humans.”
A federal civil rights complaint highlighted the consequences of a mold infestation crisis, with one detainee losing roughly 50% of their vision due to lack of medical treatment. The SDC has also faced accusations of forced labor, leading to a recent settlement reached by attorneys working to restore detainees’ rights.
The petition, which was filed alongside the civil rights complaint reviewed by the British newspaper Guardian, also highlighted Paul’s own mistreatment, including medical negligence.
Pal’s family, originally from Cambodia, fled to Thailand under the Khmer Rouge regime. In 1985, they were granted entry to the United States as refugees seeking resettlement. Pal, a green card holder for over two decades, has been in Georgia ever since. Despite a troubled youth and a nine-year prison sentence, he has been working on his rehabilitation since his release in 2009. In 2015, he graduated from Chattahoochee Technical College and began working as an online clothing reseller. Things went smoothly until June, when Ice showed up at his home and took him in.
Pal told the Guardian he is unsure what prompted Ice to detain him. He had lived without incident for 14 years and renewed his green card three times since his release.
Migliozzi said detainees such as Pal have taken significant risks in petitioning the SDC because detainees are often left in limbo about their case and deprived of updates. Despite the threat of worsening their situation, they chose to take a stand anyway.
Priyanka Bhatt, a senior attorney with Project South, a non-profit advancing racial justice, echoed similar sentiments. Even when groups like hers and FFI voice concerns, she says nothing happens.
Source: The Guardian
