Colombian lawmaker denounces migrant detention conditions in the US: We're dealing with a humanitarian crisis'

"I found an extremely serious situation. We are dealing with a humanitarian crisis of our fellow Colombians who are being illegally detained by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement], and it is creating an even worse situation, deteriorating their physical and mental health."

"They prefer to die in their own country. Many told me, Look, I don't care if I have to go back after coming here to seek asylum, knowing I have an open case, but I still want to go back. I don't care if they kill me, as long as they kill me in my own country."

"We need to find alternatives to get the people who are there out of the conditions they're in."

Carmen Felisa Ramirez Boscan, a Colombian congresswoman representing citizens abroad, visited a detention center in Montgomery, Alabama, where she interviewed detained Colombian migrants. She documented complaints of inadequate medical care, urinary tract infections, poor food, appalling conditions, and lack of due process. One 70-year-old woman reported being transferred in chains shackled at the neck, hands, and feet. Ramirez Boscan characterized the situation as a humanitarian crisis and illegal detention by ICE. She requested President Gustavo Petro declare a state of emergency to expedite deportation proceedings and sought international support for a verification mission. Detained migrants expressed preference for deportation, stating they would rather return to Colombia despite risks.

Read at english.elpais.com