Transgender immigrant reports suffering months of physical and mental abuse in ICE custody

A Mexican transgender citizen, Monica Renteria-Gonzalez, detained in Louisiana and who identifies as a man, reported having endured months of abuse in ICE custody, a situation that has generated legal demands and the involvement of renowned institutions.

The story, picked up by Newsweek and supported by entities such as the ACLU and Robert F.Kennedy Human Rights, reflects a pattern of mistreatment that combines physical assault, psychological harassment, and forced labor conditions in environments designed for migrant women deprived of liberty.

Accusations that expose a pattern of abuse

The detainee, identified as Monica Renteria-Gonzalez, indicated that the hostility manifested itself in multiple forms, from constant surveillance and harassment to retaliation within the facility by one person in particular: Mario Reyes, the warden's assistant. According to her testimony, the treatment received generated an environment of fear that silenced other LGBTQ+ people in immigration custody.

The allegations are not limited to verbal harassment: three of the four transgender detainees at the center said they were subjected to inappropriate touching, beatings, and denial of adequate medical care. They also described a system of forced labor that required them to perform heavy tasks without safety equipment and with minimal pay, sometimes equivalent to simple snacks. Lawyers and advocates pointed out that these practices had discriminatory undertones. For Sarah Decker, a representative of RFK Human Rights, the work program was designed with a punitive purpose, specifically aimed at punishing those who identified as transgender or part of the LGBTQ+ community. Institutional Response and Opposing Positions In the face of media pressure, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility categorically denied the accusations. DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that detainees receive food, medical care, and access to legal representation. claiming that ICE's standards exceed even those of many state prisons.

Similarly, GEO Group,the private company in charge of the center in Louisiana, called the allegations a political campaign against the immigration detention system. The company defended its protocols and denied any physical or sexual abuse within its facilities.

However, civil organizations maintain the opposite. According to the documentation presented, ICE was aware of the abusive conditions for some time and did not intervene to stop them. Reported reprisals include solitary confinement and physical violence, which, according to advocates, show the depth of the problem.

The legal path and its possible consequences

The complaint was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), a mechanism that allows the federal government to be sued for negligent acts by its officials. The case could move forward in court if there is no official response in the coming months, which would open direct legal proceedings against ICE and those identified as responsible.

Beyond the legal issue, this episode highlights the vulnerability of transgender people in immigration custody. For groups like RFK Human Rights and the ACLU, what happened in Louisiana is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a structural problem that reflects institutional negligence and puts the lives of hundreds of people in detention at risk.

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