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A BuzzFeed News investigation discovered that the Biden administration is holding immigrants at Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, that government investigators say has “a culture and conditions that can lead to abuse, mistreatment, and discrimination.” In November, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties delivered the investigators’ warning to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials documenting the presence of mold and pests, problems with medical care, and other issues at the jail. A Nov. 17 report recommended for ICE stop putting immigrants in the facility until conditions are improved. BuzzFeed News
In other national immigration news…
Mexican Woman Shot in Head By Border Patrol Says She’s Looking for Justice
Attorneys for Marisol García Alcántara, a Mexican woman who was shot in the head by a Border Patrol agent and survived, filed a claim against the U.S. government. García Alcántara was shot shortly after arriving in Nogales, Arizona, over the summer. “I am looking for justice. I want an apology from that person and help for medical care and medicine because I can’t work,” she said. The bullet entered her head above her left eye and left fragments in her brain, which put her at risk of seizures. García Alcántara said that a half-year later, she still suffers from loss of memory, dizzy spells and headaches. The Guardian
Organizations File Civil Rights Complaint Against Texas Border Arrest Program
On Wednesday, 10 civil rights organizations filed a Title VI complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against Texas’ Operation Lone Star program, which arrests migrants for trespassing. The complaint alleges the program, started by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, is “unlawful, racist and xenophobic system of state immigration enforcement in Texas.” The organizations also sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the DOJ to launch a formal investigation to terminate federal funding granted to Texas agencies and counties complying with the program. Border Report
Migrants Overwhelming Border Patrol in Yuma
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data revealed that Border Patrol arrested almost 22,000 migrants crossing the border in Yuma, Arizona, in October, marking a 1,200% increase from January. Thousands of migrants disembarked in Yuma for the last few weeks, overwhelming facilities and stressing resources in the area. Unlike other migrant upticks, these individuals are largely part of middle class families, highlighting the economic and political instability in Latin America. According to Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls, the Biden administration is expected to send over 100 agents to Yuma to help at the border. CNN
How Will Biden’s Spending Bill Help Dreamers?
Being a student during a pandemic was hard enough, Yohali Mendoza, a 23-year-old college student, said. But being undocumented made dealing with the pandemic even more difficult. Yohali and her brother Angel Mendoza both lost their jobs and couldn’t apply for stimulus checks due to their status. Without income, they had to drop their classes at Baltimore City Community College in spring 2020 and haven’t been able to return. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion legislative package could change this for undocumented students protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by letting them access financial aid. The Washington Post
