Some ICE facilities strip-search all immigrants, don’t report “proven” sexual assaults: DHS watchdog

All immigrants entering some detention facilities belonging to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are strip-searched, says the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General.

The watchdog released a report amid nationwide fury over indefinite detention of the “illegal” immigrants.

“Several facilities continue to strip-search all incoming detainees without establishing reasonable suspicion, as required by detention standards,” read the report.

Some also refuse to report sexual assault, taking place inside the detention centers.

“Other examples of repeat deficiencies include facilities failing to notify ICE about alleged or proven sexual assaults,” the watchdog noted. “We also found less egregious repeat deficiencies such as instances where officers open incoming general correspondence without the presence of the addressed detainee or do not allow detainees to participate in recreation for the maximum time required by the standard.”

Tis is while protesters across the country are calling for ICE to be abolished for good as the Trump administration executes its “zero tolerance” policy in tackling undocumented immigration.

As Democrats were throwing their support behind the idea, US President Donald Trump came out in defense of ICE on Saturday, intimidating anyone with such agenda.

“Well I hope they keep thinking about it, because they’re going to get beaten so badly,” Trump told Fox News.

“You know ICE, these are the guys that go in and take MS-13, and they take them out. Because they’re much tougher than MS-13, like by a factor of 10," Trump said, referring to the gang.

Previously limited to some groups on the left, the idea to totally abolish ICE has recently gained momentum among mainstream Democrats.

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was the first senator to speak out.

He called for scrapping ICE on Thursday, arguing that it is “a deportation force.”

New York’s Democratic mayor, Bill de Blasio, and Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren are among other key figures to join the cause.

But according to Trump, “the Democrats are making a strong push to abolish ICE, one of the smartest, toughest and most spirited law enforcement groups of men and women that I have ever seen. I have watched ICE liberate towns from the grasp of MS-13 & clean out the toughest of situations. They are great!”

PressTV-US says it will detain migrant children with parents

The Trump administration says it has the right to detain children and parents caught crossing the US-Mexico border illegally

In a follow-up tweet, the president called on “the great and brave men and women of ICE,” not to “worry or lose your spirit.”

The Republican president has vowed to crack down on immigration but has failed to get his complete agenda through so far.

Since campaigning for the 2016 presidential election, Trump has been accused of stoking racial, ethnic and religious tensions lurking within America.

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