Trans Woman Dies In ICE Custody

Transgender Law Center (TLC), Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (Familia:TQLM) & Organización Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT) mourn the death of a transgender asylum seeker who died while in ICE custody at the Cibola Correctional Facility. Roxana Hernández a transgender woman from Honduras was only 33 years-old when she died while incarcerated in immigration detention. Although she was processed into the United States on May 13th 2018 it is unclear where & in what conditions Ms. Hernández was held for the five days she was in custody until she was transferred to ICE. It has been repeatedly reported that asylum seekers at the border are held in freezing holding cells often referred to as “hieleras” for days. Ms. Hernández died from medical complications with pneumonia. Isa Noyola, Deputy Director at Transgender Law Center stated, "Paired with the abuse we know transgender people regularly suffer in ICE detention, the death of Ms. Hernández sends the message that transgender people are disposable & do not deserve dignity, safety, or even life.” Flor Bermudez, Legal Director at Transgender Law Center added, “It is alarming that transgender communities continue to face transphobic violence outside & inside of detention walls. This is why TLC’s Trans Immigrant Defense Effort (TIDE) has organized to demand the liberation of transgender women from detention & the end of all detention & deportations. ICE has shown time & again it is incapable of protecting transgender women in detention. Transgender people should not be detained by ICE at all.”
For More Info: transgenderlawcenter.org
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