Begin typing your search above and press return to search.
proflie-avatar
Login
exit_to_app
The smouldering of anger in Ladakh
access_time 29 March 2024 4:20 AM GMT
Democracy that banks on the electorate
access_time 28 March 2024 5:34 AM GMT
Lessons to learn from Moscow terror attack
access_time 27 March 2024 6:10 AM GMT
Gaza
access_time 26 March 2024 4:34 AM GMT
The poison is not in words, but inside
access_time 25 March 2024 5:42 AM GMT
DEEP READ
Schools breeding hatred
access_time 14 Sep 2023 10:37 AM GMT
Ukraine
access_time 16 Aug 2023 5:46 AM GMT
Ramadan: Its essence and lessons
access_time 13 March 2024 9:24 AM GMT
When ‘Jai Sree Ram’ becomes a death call
access_time 15 Feb 2024 9:54 AM GMT
exit_to_app
Homechevron_rightWorldchevron_rightUS to probe alleged...

US to probe alleged abuse of migrant children by border agents

text_fields
bookmark_border
cancel
camera_alt""

Los Angeles:  US authorities said Wednesday they are investigating allegations of abuse of migrant children by border agents, including the groping of a Honduran teenage girl, at a facility near the southern border with Mexico.

The allegations were reported by NBC News, which cited official reports of the incidents -- including the children's accounts -- at a Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, where the migrants were held.

One incident involved a 15-year-old girl from Honduras, who alleged that a border agent put his hand inside her bra, then pulled down her underwear and groped her in front of other migrants and officials during what NBC News said should have been a routine pat-down.

The girl said in her account that "she felt embarrassed as the officer was speaking in English to other officers and laughing," NBC reported.

The US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP), which has faced severe criticism over its treatment of detained migrants, said it takes "all allegations seriously and investigate all formal complaints." CBP "treats those in our custody with dignity and respect and provides multiple avenues to report any allegations of misconduct," a spokesman for the agency said in a statement.

"The allegations do not align with common practice at our facilities and will be fully investigated." The spokesman added that the sexual assault allegation is already being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.

The reports obtained by NBC News also included an account by a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala who said that after he and other detainees complained about the taste of the water and food, agents took away sleeping mats and forced them to sleep on the hard floor in retaliation.

Another teenager's account involved border agents scolding detainees whenever they came close to a window.

There has been a public outcry in recent months over the conditions at detention facilities where migrants are held, and there is fierce debate in Congress on how to address the crisis.

Border officials, who have been defended by President Donald Trump, say they are overwhelmed by the surging numbers of refugees crossing the southern US border.

The abuse allegations come a week after CBP announced that it had launched an investigation into a secret Facebook group for current and former agents that is filled with racist memes and posts mocking migrants.

Show Full Article
News Summary - US to probe alleged abuse of migrant children by border agents
Next Story