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. 2024 Dec 16;9(6):591-600.
doi: 10.1089/trgh.2022.0083. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Transgender in Detention: Victimization Experiences in Immigration Facilities

Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde  1 , Gabe H Miller  2   3 , Beatriz Aldana Marquez  4 , Jesse E Shircliff  1 , Mario I Suárez  5
Affiliations

Transgender in Detention: Victimization Experiences in Immigration Facilities

Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde et al. Transgend Health. .

Abstract

Purpose: In this article, we describe and illustrate the victimization experiences of transgender immigrants in the U.S. detention system.

Methods: We use two sources of data, (1) the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and (2) Immigration and Customs Enforcement government contracts and audit documentation, to gain a greater understanding of the experiences of transgender detainees in these facilities.

Results: By connecting what is evidenced in these two data sources, we observe a systemic pattern of victimization that includes physical and sexual assault, long-term solitary confinement, as well as the denial of lifesaving gender-affirming services.

Conclusion: Immigrant detention centers are often mismanaged entities in which the well-being of detainees is hardly procured. The conditions are even more precarious and downright dangerous for transgender detainees. We conclude by recommending stringent penalties to facilities that endanger the well-being of detainees as well as an overall reform of the immigration system.

Keywords: detention; human rights; immigration; transgender; victimization.

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