Report: At Least Five Women Allege Sexual Assault By Nurse at ICE Detention Center

In mid-July, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several immigrant advocacy groups released a letter detailing sexual assault allegations made by four migrant women formerly detained at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.

All four women accused the same nurse of assault, and since the release of that letter, The Intercept reported on a fifth woman who accused the nurse of assault. CoreCivic, the private prison company that runs Stewart, claims that they investigated three reports of sexual assault against the nurse and found two to be “unsubstantiated” and the other to be “unfounded.”

We speak with José Olivares, lead producer for The Intercept and John Washington, contributor to The Intercept and reporter for Arizona Luminaria, about their reporting on this story. Click here to read the full Intercept report on this story.

In a 2019 report for The Takeaway, José Olivares uncovered evidence that staff at Stewart “skirted rules when dealing with a migrant with mental illness” who died by suicide at the facility. Click here to listen to that reporting.

The Takeaway reached out to CoreCivic for this story and received a statement that reads in part:

"The safety, health, and well-being of the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority. In accordance with Department of Homeland Security and Prison Rape Elimination Act standards, CoreCivic maintains a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sexual abuse. It is the policy of CoreCivic to provide a safe and secure environment for all detainees that is free from the threat of sexual abuse, assault, or harassment.

It is CoreCivic’s policy to aggressively investigate all sexual abuse allegations, regardless of the source, and support prosecution for those who are involved in incidents of sexual abuse. Any detainees making such allegations are offered appropriate medical and mental health services, emotional support services, and answers to any questions they have about the investigative process. We unequivocally deny any claims of threats or retaliation."

The Takeaway also reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and received this statement:

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of assault, including sexual abuse, and works to protect detainees from sexual abuse by staff as well as other detainees. Detention facilities are required to notify ICE of all sexual abuse or assault allegations, as well as notify local law enforcement of any allegations involving potentially criminal behavior. Every allegation is investigated and referred appropriately for adjudication as required. With respect to the recent allegations at the Stewart Detention Center, two allegations remain under investigation and ICE continues to follow all appropriate protocol to notify, report, and investigative requirements. Any individual – ICE employee or contractor – suspected of sexual abuse or assault is immediately removed from contact with detained individuals until the completion of the investigation."