Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 30 July 2019

Attorney: Hunger-striking

immigrants forced to hydrate

By CEDAR ATTANASIO, GA-
RANCE BURKE and MARTHA
MENDOZA
Associated Press
EL PASO, Texas (AP) —
Three Indian nationals seek-
ing asylum in the U.S. have
In this Sept. 13, 2018 file image from video provided by WCVB in been forced to receive IV
Boston, flames consume the roof of a home following an explo- drips at a U.S. Immigration
sion in Lawrence, Mass. and Customs Enforcement
Associated Press facility in Texas as they ap-
Lawsuits stemming proach their third week of a
hunger strike, according to
their attorney.Lawyers and
from gas explosions activists who spoke with the
men fear that force-feed-
settled for $143M ing may be next. In this June 2018 file photo, protesters walk along Montana Av-
The U.S. Department of Jus-
tice filed orders with feder-
al judges last week that re- enue outside the El Paso Processing Center in El Paso, Texas.
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — A of homes and businesses late to non-consensual hy-
series of class action law- went without natural gas dration or feeding for four Mexico, late last week, but hunger striking, they were
suits stemming from the service for weeks and even men, according to a court it would not comment on transferred to the El Paso
natural gas explosions in months during the winter. official. Linda Corchado, the claims of forced hydra- Processing Center, which is
Massachusetts have been "Families suffered for months the lawyer for three of the tion or force-feeding. about 30 miles (50 kilome-
settled for $143 million, the in the gripping cold. Busi- four men named in the "All ten ICE detainees have ters) south of Otero, in West
utility blamed for the di- nesses shuttered, and lives court orders, said the fourth missed at least nine con- Texas.
saster and lawyers for the were upended," Elizabeth man is also Indian and is secutive meals, triggering One of the men told the
plaintiffs announced Mon- Graham, co-lead attorney represented by another ICE hunger-strike proto- AP on Tuesday that he
day. for the plaintiffs, said in a attorney. It's unclear if that cols," agency spokesman overheard medical staff
The settlement is subject to statement. "To this day, the man was also forced to ac- Timothy Oberle said in a say they were being trans-
the approval of a judge, people most impacted by cept an IV. statement. "The ICE Health ferred to El Paso for force-
according to Columbia the explosions are not fully The men have been locked Services Corps (IHSC) is feeding.
Gas of Massachusetts, and back on their feet, but we up for months — one for medically monitoring the On Thursday, Corchado
its parent, NiSource Inc. believe this settlement is more than a year — and detainees' health and reg- met with her clients, who
"Today marks another im- the quickest and most just they are trying to appeal or ularly updating ICE of their showed her IV equipment
portant step forward, as we method to ensure that resi- reopen asylum claims that medical status. Efforts are and needle pricks in their
continue to fulfill our com- dents and businesses are were denied, according to being taken to protect the arms. She said they told her
mitment to residents and made whole again." The Corchado. As of Sunday, detainees' health and pri- that medical staff showed
businesses," NiSource Presi- explosions were blamed they had gone 20 days vacy." them documents that they
dent Joe Hamrock said in a on an overpressurization of without food, she said. One of the hunger strik- said were court orders for
statement. gas transmission lines dur- "My clients made the de- ers in Otero was deported IV drips, but didn't give
The explosions and fires ing routine replacement. cision to begin a hunger to India eight days into his them copies. When the im-
in the Merrimack Valley The National Transportation strike to protest prolonged hunger strike, according migrants refused a protein-
communities of Lawrence, Safety Board is continuing detention and what they to Corchado. ICE does not filled drink that would have
Andover and North Ando- its investigation. believe were biased and confirm deportations. effectively ended their
ver on Sept. 13 killed one The agreement an- discriminatory practices by Corchado said her three hunger strikes, the medical
person, injured about 25 nounced Monday is sepa- the immigration court to- clients stopped eating staff started the IVs against
others, and damaged or rate from an $80 million ward their cases," Corcha- while they were at the their will.
destroyed more than 100 settlement reached in May do said. ICE confirmed Otero immigration deten- ICE did not immediately
buildings. Many people with the three communities that there were detainee tion facility to protest their reply to a request for com-
were forced into tempo- to address infrastructure hunger strikes at its facilities prolonged detention. Af- ment Sunday regarding the
rary shelter, and thousands damage.q in El Paso and Otero, New ter more than a week of forced hydration.q