Washington– “Almost complete secrecy” surrounds deportation flights Use full body restraints on board It raises “serious human rights concerns,” a group of 11 Democratic U.S. senators wrote in a letter Thursday to top immigration officials.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide a full report on its air operations and stop using the black and yellow restraints known as WRAP until the agency explains its policies on the device and resolves other questions about its use with immigration detainees.
“I think it’s a big problem,” Van Hollen told The Associated Press. “They want to keep the public in the dark.”
The senators’ letter notes that AP investigation This month, it revealed several examples of ICE using the device on people — sometimes for hours — in deportation flights dating back to 2020. Van Hollen was joined by U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Alex Padilla of California, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and six others.
The WRAP is the subject of several federal lawsuits that liken improper use of the device to punishment and even torture. Advocates have expressed concern that ICE does not track the use of WRAP as federal law requires when officers use force, making it difficult to determine exactly how many people are subject to the restrictions.
“When an organization like DHS doesn’t want transparency, it’s because they don’t want people to know what they’re doing,” Van Hollen said, referring to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency.
In addition to the letter, U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., told the AP in a statement that she is working on a bill to rein in the agency’s use of WRAP.
“ICE’s use of full-body restraints to immobilize detained individuals raises serious concerns about the safety, dignity, and human rights of those under its jurisdiction,” Ramirez said.
DHS did not answer detailed questions from the AP about the use of WRAP. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin previously said ICE’s practices are “consistent with those of other relevant authorities and fully consistent with applicable legal standards.”
The AP found that the Department of Homeland Security has paid the WRAP device’s manufacturer, Safe Restraints Inc., $268,523 since it began purchasing the devices in late 2015, during the Obama administration. Government procurement records show that the Trump administrations were responsible for about 91% of this spending.
ICE will not provide AP with records documenting its use of WRAP despite multiple requests, and it is unclear how frequently it has been used in current and previous administrations.
In addition to reporting on ICE’s use of the device, the AP identified a dozen fatal cases in the past decade in which local police or jailers across the U.S. used WRAP and autopsies concluded that “restraint” played a role in the deaths.
“ICE’s brutal and inhumane tactics continue to put people’s lives at risk across the country,” Ramirez said. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement is acting beyond oversight or accountability. This cannot continue.”
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Mustan reported from Washington, New York, and Deren reported from Los Angeles.
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Contact AP’s global investigative team at investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/.