Agents Need Judge's Okay To Drug Deportees
Lawsuit Prompts Immigration And Customs To Rethink Sedation For Deported Aliens
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Immigration officials have acknowledged that 56 deportees were given psychotropic drugs during a seven-month period in 2006 and 2007 even though most had no history of mental problems. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit over the practice
An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo dated Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press on Friday said effective immediately, agents must get a court order before administering drugs "to facilitate an alien's removal."
"There are no exceptions to this policy," said the memo written by John Torres, detention and removal director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
To get a sedation order from court, officials must show deportees have a history of physical resistance to being removed or are a danger to themselves.
"The directive is consistent with ICE's commitment to maintain safe, secure, and humane conditions for those in our custody," said spokeswoman Virginia Kice, who verified the memo's authenticity. "Medical sedation will only be considered as a last resort."
The ACLU sued the agency in June to stop the practice, alleging it could constitute torture and violates the Bill of Rights and federal laws regarding the medical treatment of detainees.
The lawsuit, which is still pending, came after a handful of immigrants in Southern California claimed to have been drugged while the government attempted to deport them.
Senate testimony last year revealed that 33 of 56 deportees involuntarily given psychotropic drugs had no history of psychological problems. They were given the medicine because of "combative behavior," said Julie Myers, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



That, around 12 thousand years ago, those who are now Native Americans came onto this continent and encountered a race of aborigines that were here even before them and they slaughtered them all. There are 12,000-year-old mass graves all across the country containing the skeletons of men, woman and children most of which have had their skulls bashed in. There also existed a small breed of horse that was hunted to extinction.
The problem with human kind is that we have one foot still in the cave and the other foot now on the moon.
Ha ha, I may be a little inebriated, but I do know that you are the only person in the world who thinks that there are "12,000-year-old mass graves all across the country containing the skeletons of men, woman etc. etc.". Where are these sites. I, along with the rest of people in the world, am totally unaware of their existence. Please enlighten us all. Thanks.
On the other hand, handcuffs and leg chains don''t allow you to be just a whole lot combative.
The real answer is to stay on your side of the border until you have the right to come into this country legally.
Posted by MichelleM99
Anyone is free to leave....bye.
Mentions NOTHING of being a danger to others. You dont hve tobe deemed mentally ill to hurt or kill another person. 95% of the murderers we have in prisons ARENT DEEMED MENTALLY ILL. These ppl are here ILLEGALLY WHICH MAKES THEM CRIMINAL. Why are we allowing or gov''t to treat them better than we treat our very own citizens? I am so sick of this kind of garbage sucking up my tax dollars, while my friends/neighbors are losing there homes and jobs. Kick the criminals out of the Gov''t, and the illegals out with them.
And leave you behind? God forbid. There must be some way to deport the likes of you. Hmm. You wouldn''t mind taking some psychotic drugs would you?
Bush does not need anything to spy on Americans, but needs the ACLU''s permission to subdue a criminal prior to deportation!
You are already drugged and don''t even know it.
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Posted by rudy654 at 08:39 PM : Jan 12, 2008
Put me down for two to Cancun. I''ll administer the rum and coke myself.
Bush does not need anything to spy on Americans, but needs the ACLU''''s permission to subdue a criminal prior to deportation!
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Posted by tucanofulano at 09:04 PM : Jan 12, 2008
+ report abuse
Why is it you Fascist can never see beyond you own self gratification? That''s probably why you fools vote for the likes of Larry Craig...ya think? These people come from the nation that is OUR neighbor to our south. We have a major PR problem here folks and it''s costing us BIG TIME. We have NO allies anymore and THIS is the reason. The Fascist think they can let their cowardness show and no one will notice I guess. Deport them YES, drug them NO! America DOESN''T do things like this... Well except for Southern Nazi''s but they do not represent America.
Posted by skyk at 10:30 AM : Jan 13, 2008
And, if my neighbor ILLEGALLY entered my home, I would do whatever it takes to remove them. If that includes tranking them, then so be it.
Yet ANOTHER Chertoff wet dream realized...
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Good God. What is WRONG with this country. Has our government been taken over by sadistic sociopaths. This is disgusting beyond belief. I want our borders secured, and illegal immigration stopped, but this is horrible. I can not believe the level of immorality in this adminstration.
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Posted by gunnerv1 at 08:18 AM : Jan 14, 2008
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So what you are saying is that Bush was not aware of what is going on in his administration.
**Senate testimony last year revealed that 33 of 56 deportees involuntarily given psychotropic drugs had no history of psychological problems.""
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This was "last year." Of course I know he never read a book or a newspaper, but you think news of this might have drifted by his office.
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by michellem99-2009
January 15, 2008 12:25 AM PST
- Yes.
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