ICE Uses Full-Body Restraint Suit During Immigrant Deportations
Deported Immigrant Says, "It Felt Like Being Kidnapped in the Middle of the Night"
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has come under fire for alleged human rights violations after it was revealed that full-body restraint devices were used during the forced deportation of undocumented immigrants.
On October 17 (local time), the Associated Press reported that at least seven immigrants, including a man from Nigeria identified as Mr. A, were deported on planes by ICE while wearing a restraint suit known as the 'Wrap.'
The Wrap is a device consisting of a face mask, upper body harness, lower body restraint suit, and ankle shackles. It completely immobilizes detainees and is sometimes referred to as a "burrito" or "bag." The device is designed to prevent detainees from struggling or spitting, and was introduced in the late 1990s as a replacement for the "hogtie" method, which involved binding hands and feet together and had drawn human rights criticism.
Safe Restraints employees are demonstrating the full-body restraint device called 'Wrap.' Safe Restraints website
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began purchasing this device in 2015, paying approximately $268,523 (about 380 million KRW) to the manufacturer, Safe Restraints. Of this amount, 91% was spent during the Donald Trump administration. Currently, more than 1,800 agencies across the United States are reported to possess the Wrap.
The main issue, however, is that ICE violated the manufacturer's usage guidelines. Safe Restraints clearly states that the device should only be used when there is a risk of self-harm or when a detainee attacks law enforcement. In practice, however, there have been confirmed cases where the Wrap was used simply because detainees requested to see a lawyer or protested their deportation.
Mr. A also testified, "I felt like I was being kidnapped in the middle of the night, with my hands and feet tied and my face covered." He added, "They said they would send us to Ghana, but none of us were actually from Ghana." He further stated that he was not even allowed to meet with a lawyer.
The legal community views ICE's use of the Wrap as a clear human rights violation. Fatma Marouf, a law professor at Texas A&M University, pointed out, "The Wrap should only be used as a last resort when all other options have failed," adding, "It can itself cause severe psychological trauma."
Tricia McLoughlin, spokesperson for DHS, explained, "Restraint during deportation flights is a long-standing standard procedure for ICE" and described it as "an essential measure for the safety of detainees and officers." However, records of Wrap usage and details of internal reviews were not released.
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