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Immigrant detainees begin arriving at the federal prison in Victorville
Busloads of immigration detainees arrive Friday at the federal prison facility in Victorville.
(
Libby Denkmann / KPCC
)
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Immigrant detainees begin arriving at the federal prison in Victorville
Immigration and Customs Enforcement began placing immigrants detained while crossing the border in federal prisons on Friday, marking the most wide-scale use of such facilities to house immigrants.
More than 1,600 federal prison beds will be used under this plan. The most, 1,000, are located in a prison facility in Victorville.
KPCC's Libby Denkmann reported from outside that prison:
https://twitter.com/libdenk/status/1005194208204898304
Sources tell me 240 immigrant detainees are arriving today out of a total of 1,000 planned. This is a facility where the union representing prison guards has raised red flags about staffing issues - more from earlier coverage by Victorville Daily Press: https://t.co/Z44hgDTYlH
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) June 8, 2018
Derek Loh, attorney w/ Immigrant Defenders Law Center, says they’re getting no word on whether clients will be held in this federal prison at Victorville. “This prison was designed to house convicted criminals. Immigrant detainees are in civil proceedings. They’re not criminals” pic.twitter.com/RriiZOjURb
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) June 8, 2018
Jon Zumkehr, VP of local 3969, the federal prison guard union ‘repping 600 employees at Victorville. They’ve raised red flags with the warden & Bureau of Prisons that staffing is too low. On news of immigrant detainees: “It was a shock. It completely changes things around here.” pic.twitter.com/pWAO7WwCpD
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) June 8, 2018
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