U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia are urging the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make sure people with disabilities who are in immigration detention get accommodations.
In a letter to federal officials this week, they wrote they’ve heard reports of medical neglect in detention facilities.
“These delays in, or denials of, medical care impact individuals with disabilities particularly acutely,” they wrote.
One high-profile example has been the experience of Rodney Taylor, an Atlanta-area man who was detained for over a year. A double-amputee, he said he had to crawl across filthy bathroom floors at Stewart Detention Center in South Georgia. Taylor was released earlier this year, and he and his wife said they plan to continue to advocate for other people with disabilities in detention.
Ossoff and McBath’s letter was signed by dozens of senators and representatives, including others from Georgia. They’re almost all Democrats, plus one Independent who typically votes with the Democrats.
