For Immediate Release
July 31, 2024
Contact:
Arianna Rosales, arianna@nipnlg.org
Washington, DC–Today, the National Immigration Project, Free Them All VA Coalition, and Detention Watch Network submitted a civil rights complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) on behalf of four individuals impacted by inhumane conditions and abusive treatment, including the use of pepper spray in enclosed units, at the Farmville Detention Center (Farmville) in Farmville, Virginia.
The complaint sheds light on the reckless use of pepper spray in March 2024 at Farmville following a conflict between two detained individuals. According to the testimony of detained individuals who submitted the complaint, pepper spray was directly deployed against at least three people, including one individual suffering from asthma who approached guards to communicate his medical vulnerabilities and request accommodation. As a result of the decision to use pepper spray in an enclosed area with poor ventilation, detained individuals across two dorms reported suffering from burning sensations in their eyes and throats that left their throats raw and their eyes running. Detained individuals were forced to endure these conditions for hours. Consequently, several individuals required medical assistance following this incident. The complaint details violations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Performance-Based National Detention Standards which stipulates mandatory policies and practices detention facilities must follow.
Describing the use of pepper spray, Mr. Marlon Ian McDougall, an asthmatic complainant placed in solitary confinement after passing out because of the excessive amount of pepper spray and “blocking” a door with his unconscious body, said “the incident was terrifying and harmful to so many of us who are detained in subpar conditions at Farmville.” Mr. Vaughn Johnson, a complainant detained for nearly a year at Farmville, stated, “It is not fit for a human being to be in here.”
Along with detailing the harmful use of pepper spray, the complaint details several other detention standard violations, including violations of sanitation and overcrowding, solitary confinement, and religious rights, and COVID-19 mismanagement issues. The complaint urges the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to promptly investigate these matters and report its findings by September 30th – and, given the long and well-documented record of abuse at Farmville, the complaint also calls for the permanent closure of the detention center.
“This abusive treatment documented in this complaint adds to a long and damning track record of abuse and mistreatment at Farmville Detention Center. We urge officials to consider this track record for what it is: proof that Farmville Detention Center must be shut down immediately to prevent any further abuse and suffering,” said Amber Qureshi, Staff Attorney at the National Immigration Project.
“Over the years it has been proven that incarceration and its brutality cause irreparable damage to our communities. The state does not take responsibility for all the trauma, violence and death it causes through detention, which is not necessary and does not bring benefits to the community, but does line the pockets of a few at the cost of the lives of thousands of families. We demand the immediate release of all those inside and the definitive closure of the Farmville detention facility. Our communities deserve to be free and treated with dignity, humanity and respect,” said Beatriz Batres, a member of the Free Them All VA coalition.
“For many years, people detained at Farmville have bravely exposed the horrific conditions at the privately run detention facility. Let us be clear: lives are in jeopardy when people are in ICE custody. Simply put, people navigating their immigration case should be able to do so with their families and loved ones — not behind bars in immigration detention. The Biden Administration must shut down Farmville and release people from detention immediately,” said Nery Lopez, Senior Organizer at Detention Watch Network.
###
The National Immigration Project (NIPNLG) is a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who are driven by the belief that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. We litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those most impacted by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported. Learn more at nipnlg.org. Follow NIPNLG on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @NIPNLG.
Free Them All VA is an abolitionist coalition centered around amplifying the organizing of those incarcerated in Virginia detention centers, jails, and prisons. Our demand to free them all has no asterisk. All means all. @FreeThemAllVA on social media.