Detention center. Asking for ve been help for months about a painful condition or perhaps you had no medical complaints at all. Woken up early in the morning. And re put in shackles taken to a general practitioner. A general practitioners but a guychologist. Gynecologist performs ultrasounds, inserts tools, even own hands into your body ithout any consent or lubrication. You are in pain. You do not know what is being done to you. Feel violently sexually assaulted. You have a ells you major problem. Cysts that must be operated on that simple examination he did. You dont want surgery and you so. Say give you a ill shot instead. Because you are scared you take the shot. But you dont know what it is. Havent been told what it is. Have no idea that in fact this is a shot that is injection contraceptive that temporarily prevents you from children and can have other serious side effects, bleeding. Now, you are bleeding. You are scared. You dont know what is happening. You go back to see the he tells you, d this is why, he said, you must surgery. You have doubts. You want a Second Opinion but you cannot have a Second Opinion and its either this or you will never get any again. Detention. You are in you finally, perhaps, in some ases agree to the surgery thinking you are just having cysts removed. You find outup and hat you have had a full or partial hysterectomy. Tubes has fallopian been removed or perhaps some ther surgery that you werent expecting. Imagine that someone has just away or severely haveomised your ability to children without ever telling your consent for what they are doing. R. Speaker, that is why we are here today, to vote on house to condemn 153, nwanted, unnecessary medical procedures conducting conducted without their full, ensure the sent, to healthy presence of women at the Detention Center nd to mandate i. C. E. Compliance. The story i just described is just one of the many stories we heard from women who are either currently or formerly irwin county e ocilla, center in georgia. Please understand that 90 of the people detained at this are completely unrepresented by any attorney. All detention facilities, irwin has been plagued with covid. Here report not eceiving adequate p. P. E. And there have been multiple cases of covid. This horrific story emerged through a whistleblower two weeks ago, a few attorneys are representing the women ave brought forward more stories. Independent gynecologists have eviewed the available medical records. The New York Times launched an independent investigation asking ndependent gynecologists to review the records of seven women who were able to obtain files. Edical and what they found is deeply disturbing. He doctors noted that the gynecologists, quote, seemed to consistently recommend surgical ntervention even when it did not seem medically necessary at the time and nonsurgical were ent options available. End quote. Mr. Speaker, i seek unanimous consent to enter into the record the september 29 new york saying rticle immigrants were pressured into unneeded surgeries. Withoutker pro tempore objection. Ms. Jayapal this is about full or partial sterilization and a of consent from the patient. Lets be very clear. Even if a procedure or test is doctor y necessary, a must have informed consent from their patient. Den 10ante most basic of medical ethics. Members of , 10 congress visited the Detention Center and we spoke directly to the women. Shock and r pain and horror about the irrepairable them thats been done to and their futures. I have here letters from dozens detailingt the center some of these things that they have seen and experienced, including these unnecessary procedures. To bring their voices directly into this chamber, let me read them. Ne of a woman married to a u. S. Of her and with children own. My experience here has been full of fear and terror. Began when i asked for medication for abdomen. Taken to e when i was the gynecologist, he didnt explain nothing and just told me to lay down and inserted and said i had a cyst the size of a nail. Say injected and didnt for what and said the results would be here in three weeks. Back. , i would come when everything thats been happening has come to light, i thanks to aken back god because if not, i would have had surgery. Simple. Olution is it mandates that a real even igation must happen, just this morning, we had to once again ensure that a woman ho had the surgery done to her was not, once again, arrested. Let these women heal as we let this investigation speediest manner. This resolution sends a message to forprofit Detention Centers everywhere. Stand by and aallow this way. At people a shameful history of medical buse targeting black people, indigenous people, people of color, poor people, people with for medical procedures without consent. To the women at irwin, those to have been released and those who have lready been deported, you are brave and resilient. You should know that the united with the gress, passage of this resolution, is aying to you, we see you, we hear you, and we will not stop fighting for you. Thank my colleagues and coleads of this resolution, kuster, atives annie Sheila Jackson lee, sylvia arcia, and lois frankel, for introducing this resolution with me that has the support of 225 also thef congress and womens caucus for their tremendous attention to this the ution, as well as Congressional Hispanic Caucus with elped lead the codel the judiciary committee. Yesge my colleagues to vote on this resolution, and i reserve the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from washington reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Mcclintock thank you, mr. Speaker. Chief of staff is a former naval captain who commanded the carrier u. S. S. Constellation in the 1990s. The e asked him, whats most important thing he learned during his distinguished naval the first he said, reports are always wrong. Why id urge my friends on the other side of the aisle await a step back and the investigations that are now under way to determine exactly irwin ppened at the county Detention Center. Retrospect pear in to behaved while prematurely and foolishly. Resolution affirms allegations that women detained by i. C. E. For the crime of crossing the border underwent unwanted, unnecessary procedures, including full or partial hes recollect ed his recollectries and others performed without their consent. Or well, if thats true, its appalling and those responsible fully be held accountable. I. C. E. Director said precisely that on september 18. E said, quote, the recent allegations by the independent contracted employee raised some concerns that deserve to be investigated thoroughly. I. C. E. Welcomes the efforts of both the office of inspector as well as the department of homeland securitys parallel review. Former prosecutor, individuals found to have violated our policies and should be held accountable. F theres any truth to these allegations, its my commitment to make the corrections necessary to ensure that we to prioritize the health, welfare, and safety of detainees, end quote. Of course, this resolution makes acknowledgment of his statement or of the investigations that are now way. The reality is that at this oint, we do not have all the facts. We dou know that the complaint f which instigated the allegations, did not contain testimony from a single woman a his recollectry while hysterectomy while held t the irwin county detention facility. E know that i. C. E. Has performance based standards which includes high standards for womens medical care. That the 2019 thirdparty inspection, nacamoto group, found the irwin county detention met the National Detention standards. We know that on september 18, press reported, and i quote, the a. P. s review not find evidence of mass in a ectomies as alleged omplaint by the nurse at the Detention Center. Thats the associated press. We know that on september 22, reported ngton post that since 2017, only two women immigration custody were referred to the county hospital hysterectomies and i. C. E. Eports there may have been there. The hospitals calls the claims heard demonstrably false. His words. September 15 the Washington Post reported that the lawyer that filed the of the on behalf proillegal immigration post to the Washington Post she did not speak to anyone who had a forced terilization and said she included the allegations in the report with the intention of an investigation into whether or not the claims were true, unquote. Whether or not the claims were true. We are going to find out. And once we have all the facts, we can make rational decision abouts what to do. But this resolution simply assumes thells the allegations are true and condemns the institution as if they were true t calls for indefinite postponement for the deportation of any illegal immigrant in this facility that has any medical procedure which i assume would include routine medical screenings. I would ask the house this very simple question, wouldnt it be better to let the investigation take its course, have all the facts laid out before us, and then take appropriate actions . If the allegations are true, every bit of the indignation expressed in this resolution, and by my democratic colleagues, would be justified. And a united Bipartisan Congress would demand answer command redress and reform. But if the allegations are found not to be true, this house, that is already plumbing the depths of public ridicule, will once again have diminished its credibility and moral authority to speak out on this or any other issue. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california reserves. The gentlewoman from washington is recognized. Miss jay with a paul ms. Jayapal i yield two minutes to my friend from rhode island, mr. Cicilline. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from rhode island is recognized for two minutes. Mr. Cicilline mr. Speaker, for most of the past century the United States has led the world in the promotion of human rights. People from all over the world have long come to america seeking refuge and a better life. In our best moments, we welcome them with open arms. Yet under the trump administration, immigrants have been met with great hostility. On his watch, children have been separated from their families and endured unspeakable trauma in d. H. S. Custody. In the past few weeks new and horrific allegations have emerged about the use of forced sterilization on immigrant women by i. C. E. Allegations so sear joust and sickening that they demand a so serious and sickening that they demand investigation. Immigrant women received unnecessary hysterectomies, reports were destroyed, and migrants were not tested for covid19. In the words of one immigrant held at the facility, i quote, when i met all these women who had surgeries, i thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they are experimenting with our bodies, end quote. Mr. Speaker, these allegations are horrifying. If true, they are gross violation of human rights and a violation of the most basic ethics that medical professionals are sworn to uphold. Whats more, it is a long history of forced sterilizations like the procedures found in these allegations being used against people of color, religious minorities, prisoners, individuals with disabilities, and other vubblenerble communities. Such procedures are not only wrong, but they rise to the leff of gross human rights abuses. Thats why its important these shocking and staggering allegations be investigated now and anyone who participated in such abuses be held fully accountable. I want to end by thanking all of my colleagues for particularly my friend, congresswoman jayapal, a champion for human rights here and around the world, someone who led this effort and authored this bill to condemn forced medical procedures on individual without their full and informed consent. Thank her for her leadership and this powerful message we are sending to i. C. E. And the world we will not tolerate this behavior. With that i urge my colleagues to support the resolution. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Mcclintock i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california reserves. The gentlewoman from washington is recognized. Ms. Jayapal mr. Speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, my good colleague who is on the delegation with us, mr. Johnson. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from georgia, mr. Johnson, is recognized for two minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I rise in full support of this resolution offered by my colleague, my dear colleague, ms. Jayapal, and others. Thank you for your hard work. Halloween is getting close, but its halloween every day at the irwin county Detention Center. Many of the Police Officers just outside the facility when we arrived were not marrying masks, and it was only the day before our visit that detainees were issued masks. Prior to that, many had worn the mask they had had on when they were first booked into the facility many months ago. Some had been wearing old panties as masks. But the Horror Stories were the experiences these women told of being subjected to gynecological surgery intrusions into their body absent their informed consent. As these women spoke, their eyes revealed the horror of what had been done to them. Many clutched or rubbed their midsections, still in physical pain, as they recounted what they had been through and the mental and physical pain they still endure after being traumatized by dr. Amin. The irwin county Detection Center is managed by a forprofit corporation. That industry stock went through the roof when trum was elected. Hes delivered on their investment and its been open season on detainees ever since. These companies rake in billions in taxpayer dollars to house, clothe, and feed detainees. Some of the women had been issued deportation orders. Six, eight months, even a year ago, but they are still being detained and taxpayers foot the bill so the corporations can maximize huge profits. They profit by paying slave wages to detainees to cook and clean the facility. They profit off of phone calls and the commissary, someone is profiting off turning these womens bodies for unnecessary medical procedures, paid for by the taxpayers. This is not right. Its not its immoral to profit off of human suffering and misery. This horror show must end. We need to shut it down and shut it down now. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlewoman from washington reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Mcclintock i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california reserves. The gentlewoman from washington is recognized. Ms. Jayapal mr. Speaker, i yield five minutes to my distinguished colead on this resolution, member of the judiciary committee, sylvia garcia. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from texas, ms. Garcia, is recognized for five minutes. Ms. Garcia thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, representative jayapal. This weekend, several of my colleagues and i visited the irwin county i. C. E. Detention center and what we saw was and heard was outrageous and heartbreaking. We heard stories directly from women who were subjected to unnecessary and unwanted medical procedures without their consent. And yet yesterday some of our friends across the aisle suggested that some of this may be made up. That this is not real. Well, here i have some statements received directly from detainees this past weekend. And im going to read from these written in their own hands for the record, they are in spanish, i will translate into english. This letter was signed by 24 detainees. The women said [speaking in spanish]. Translated, they do not understand what is happening to their body. Nor what they did to their body. Mr. Speaker, imagine if you were put under in surgery and were not told what was being done to your body and you went to the surgery. This is whats happening to some of these women. They went on to say, they almost [speaking in spanish]. Translation, they told them they were going to perform a study. Now, that is alarming if it is true. They were performing a study. And they deceived them. Because now the surgery room should not be a school. Mr. Speaker, imagine, if you were told, they were doing a study on your body, and not being told what for or what any side effects may be. Nothing, ngata nada, is what these women were told. They also said, [speaking in spanish]. Translation, why are we being punished . You sent us to a crazy person that mutilates bodies. And they deport us so that we wont say anything. Well, mr. Speaker, again, imagine having your bodies mutilated and then being deported to have you silenced. This is whats happening to some of these women. When i asked three of the detainees i spoke to, if they ever got an explanation of any of this in their own language, if they had the procedure and their options explained to them, and they understood the Chilling Effect of the surgeries . All three of them laughed. Almost in unison at me. And they responded, [speaking in spanish] , of course not. Mr. Speaker, many women have been violated in the most horrific way imaginable. One relaid having a doctor without explanation putting his hands in her vagina without gloves. Thats an assault in my books. We need to recognize it as such. Many remain confused about what was done to their bodies. Some had life altering surgeries performed on them without consenting or truly understanding the longterm repercussions on their reproductive health. This action recalls a time in our his think tri when black and brown women were subject to forced sterilizations and medical experiments. This cannot be allowed to happen in america today. We can never let it happen ever again. This resolution, mr. Speaker, in my mind, is just a first step in getting justice for these women. We need to shut down the irwin i. C. E. Detention center pending all investigations. The detainees should be released to their families or spopsors so they can get a complete medical review. We must get to the bottom of this and make sure that its stopped antif. B. I. Must investigate and its contractors, especially the medical staff and the doctor, for any conflict of interest, any selfdealing. And any possible fraudulent billing. Mr. Speaker, this is the most horrific example of Human Rights Violations i have ever seen. And sadly, its happening here in our very own country. And it must be stopped. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from texas yields back. The gentlewoman from washington reserves. The gentleman from california mr. Mcclintock reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from washington. Ms. Jayapal i yield two minutes to my good colleague from new york also on the could he del with us, codell with us, mr. Espaillat. Could he dell with us, mr. He codel with us, mr. Espaillat. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Espaillat thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, chairman nadler, thank you, miss jay gentleman paul, for advancing this important resolution. Last week i visited the irwin Detention Center in georgia, along with a dozen of my colleagues. I have visited some of these i. C. E. Detention centers before. And i have seen the horrible condition that immigrants and refugees face across the country. We all remember the unspeakable stories about how children were separated from their mothers and fathers. How they cry for them in the middle of the night. How they were separated thousands of miles apart. Mr. Speaker, i came to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a young boy knowing this nation was a beacon of hope and opportunity. Never in my wildest dream did i ever thought that i would be a member of congress. But i also never had the nightmare that i will be summons, i would be asked to investigate this horror story that has manifested itself at irwin. While there i spoke to a handful of women whose stories made me so angry about this country, the country that i have grown to love, angry about how our laws have been twisted by a sick administration that treats innocent women so drewly. Crewly. Women who want nothing more than the same freedoms and opportunities that i once sought myself. Women who put their lives on the line to get here. I spoke to a woman from the d. R. Who crossed with 30 men and three other women. Seven days in the caribbean sea. Only to have later on her health and wellbeing put in great risk by the u. S. Government themselves. One of them told me she was treated like an animal. Instruments that needed to be used for her tests were not used. And they were invasive aggressive. They told me that the doctor her private d in parts, mr. Speaker. I am told one woman has been leeding for more than two weeks. Lets shut down this center. The doctors and anybody that was involved in crime. Ating this lets shut down irwin right now, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the yields back. The gentlewoman from washington reserves. The gentlewom the gentleman from california continues to reserve. The gentlewoman from washington is recognized. Ms. Jayapal mr. Speaker, i to my wo minutes distinguished colleague from excuse mr. Garcia me from illinois, mr. Garcia. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois, mr. Recognized. Mr. Garcia thank you, mr. Speaker. Support of rong congresswoman jayapals condemn unwanted and unnecessary medical rocedures without the full informed consent of individuals. From the 1930s to the 1970s, women were sterilized in order to control population growth. 1960s and he 1970s, antiimmigrant sentiment highest sanctioned women in my of california. We learned that immigrant women n i. C. E. Custody are being subjected to forced hysterectomies. Heard from we georgias irwin county Detention Center were sadly not new. They are a reminder of our countrys dark history and of color to be stair lied. Robbing black and brown women of autonomy and reproductive freedoms is White Supremacy in action. Any other country, we would these incidents as violations of human rights. I rise in strong support of this to condemn these atrocities and hold those accountable. Disgusted but not surprised. This administration has dehumanized immigrants time and time again. Seeking asylum have been and ped of their dignity some now scarred for life. This is a violation of human rights. Violation of human dignity. An atrocious violation of safety. And what happened in georgia is criminal and must be condemned o that it may never happen again. I strongly urge adoption of this resolution. Back. D the speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois yields back. From washington continues to reserve. The gentleman from california is recognized. Reserve. Ntock the speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from washington is recognized. Ms. Jayapal thank you, mr. Speaker. To the two minutes distinguished gentleman from alifornia, mr. Ruiz, who is a doctor himself and provided very, very important feedback on the codel as he came with us. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california, mr. Is recognized. Mr. Raoux edens thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Uiz thank you, speaker. I want to thank the Congressional Hispanic Caucus going to the Detention Center. I was there to witness firsthand to what was going on. Want to thank representative jayapal for this resolution and this matter. P in as a medical and Public Health expert, i have found three gross categories of violations in center. Unty detention one is there was not sufficient recautions to prevent covid19 from causing an outbreak in the facility. Here was only one mass issue upon arrival and the second mask was not issued until the day arrived, knowing we were going to arrive. Some women were there for six, seven months. Is there was a covid19 positive patient in the facility. The medical quarters, nobody was wearing an n95 mask, the staff and other people in jeopardy. Covid19 patient was reported to be in isolation uring the time that we were there. Furthermore, the second problem lack of health is the hygiene maintenance in the facility. There were reports that the curtains were infested with mold. Mold in the showers. Clothing hadnt been washed. Issued sweatpants and sweatshirts. Hey were visibly dirty and torn. Inspected the showers myself, i saw that in fact there the showers. The curtains were replaced the day before or two days before we arrived. And so that is a problem in the face of hu that is exactly what this resolution does. It specifically defines the ability to keep these women who will be witnesses in this investigation in the united yesterday we fact, had to once again make sure that a woman was not supported who had her left fa openian tube removed and it was confirmed by independent gynecologists. We crafted this resolution in a way that it could be a bipartisan resolution. But it protects the ability for this will investigation to continue with all the facts at the table. And we are grateful that there is an investigation going. But in order to have a proper investigation, we need to have these witnesses here. We need to make sure that the women who have had these procedures are actually able to get care. And we need to make sure that this house says very clearly in any situation that these unnecessary unwanted medical procedures, if true, done without consent and knowledge are wrong. That is all this resolution does. And i hope my colleagues on the other side will vote yes with us on this resolution. Democratic president ial joe biden reacted to the positive tests. Jill and i send our thoughts to the president and first lady for a swift recovery. Sunday night, the Cato Institute talks about the book supreme disorder on the history of Supreme Court nominations and confirmations. Although curiously roe v. Wade didnt play a role. Roe was 1973. Two years later, president fmp o rmp d nominated john
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