Audemio Orozco-Ramirez was raped while in immigration detention in a jail in Montana. He is now speaking up to demand a full investigation into the case and reforms that would prevent future sexual assaults in immigration detention. NIJC filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on behalf of Orozco-Ramirez. The Great Falls Tribune broke the story, detailing what happened to Orozco-Ramirez and the evidence obtained by his immigration lawyer, Shahid Haque-Hausrath.
Great Falls Tribune: Man alleges rape while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody (11/13/2013)
In a follow-up story, The Great Falls Tribune focused on the civil rights complaint NIJC filed and the need for the Department of Homeland Security to at last implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act in immigration detention facilities.
Great Falls Tribune: Immigrants' rights group files complaint (11/14/2013)
USA Today: Immigrant rights group files complaint over jail assault (11/15/2013)
The Associated Press and Agencia EFE stories that followed were picked up by English and Spanish-language media outlets around the country:
Associated Press / San Francisco Gate (republished): Mexican national says he was raped in Montana jail (11/13/2013)
Agencia EFE / Fox News Latino (republished): Proinmigrantes piden una investigación de supuesta violación a indocumentado (11/14/2013)
A week after the story about Orozco-Ramirez broke, the Government Accountability Office released a report following its investigation of sexual assault in immigration detention finding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not reported all sexual assault allegations to Department of Homeland Security Headquarters.
CBS News: Report: ICE did not report allegations of sexual assaults in immigration detention centers (11/20/2013)
Agencia EFE / El Economista América: Piden protección inmediata contra violaciones en cárceles de Inmigración (11/21/2013)
Great Falls Tribune: Findings: Sexual assault claims not listed (11/23/2013)