WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich issued the following statement on the death of Johana Medina Leon, a transgender woman who was held in ICE custody at the Otero County Processing Center:
“Our staff has toured the Otero County Processing Center and raised concerns about the treatment and conditions for transgender and other LGBT individuals in detention at the facility. At no point during the visit did the OCPC or ICE officials inform our staffs that a transgender individual who had been in U.S. custody had fallen ill, and was admitted to the hospital for treatment for serious medical issues. We believe that ICE should be fully transparent and publicly disclose all relevant information regarding this tragic and disturbing situation, and we continue to push for humane treatment for asylum seekers and for real solutions to this humanitarian crisis.”
