Hidden Deaths of Detained Immigrants: The Story of Boubacar Bah

On January 13th, Democracy Now! covered the story unraveled by the New York Times regarding the massive cover-up of 107 immigrant deaths while in ICE custody since 2003. The report claims that "federal officials used their role as overseers to prevent media from reporting deaths and abuses inside the nation’s immigration prisons" (Democracy Now!). The story of Boubacar Bah, an immigrant working in New York to send money to help his family in Guinea, is the highlighted example of one of these 107 deaths. He was held in a CCA facility after returning to America from a visit to his home because of administrative snags on his green card status. While in custody, he suffered a brain injury and cranial bleeding which was not noticed by guards until days after the accident. The medical staff at the facility failed to render proper aid, and at times shackled the man while he was suffering multiple hemorrhages in his head. He was eventually transferred to a hospital where he died shortly after his arrival. Internal reports at the facility suggested that his body be sent back to Guinea in order to avoid the press and gain "unwarranted attention" at Bah's death. 

Below are the videos, part 1 and 2, of the Democracy Now! report that goes into much further detail.

Part 1


Part 2

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Posted by Andrew Strong at 15 January 2010, 11:53 AM
Categories: immigration,videos,CCA,ICE,Cornell Companies,immigrant detention
Tags: CCA immigrants private prison watch private prisons
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