14 Female Migrants Sue US Immigration Services for Abuses

A class-action lawsuit was filed by 14 women against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), and Georgia's Irwin Immigration Detention Center (ICDC) for "non-consensual and invasive gynecological abuse".

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A complaint was also submitted to Georgia's Medical Council in order to request the license revocation of gynecologist Mahendra Amin who is accused of performing surgeries on the victims without their consent.

So far, eight Mexican women have testified, among them a victim named Jane Doe 25, who noted that almost half of her left ovary was removed, thus letting her on the verge of sterility.

Likewise, another accuser called Jaromy pointed out that she was not only the victim of an invasive surgical procedure but she was also raped by another detainee. 

The plaintiffs noted that those women who remain in detention have suffered some kind of retaliation for joining the complaint. A legal team led by litigator Andrew Free is in charge of the case, while Columbia University Law School will lead the legal strategy of the lawsuit which consists of 30 testimonies.

Several civil organizations have documented that at least 57 women of different nationalities were allegedly subjected to surgical abuse at ICDC administered by private company LaSalle Corrections under a contract with the ICE.

"The Mexican Consulate General in Atlanta continues to offer consular assistance to the Mexican women affected in this case and collaborates with lawyers and civil society organizations to ensure that their human rights are respected," Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.