Rep. Delia Ramirez walked out of the Campbell County Detention Center in Newport, Kentucky, on Monday and called what she had just seen "devastating." Ramirez had traveled from Chicago to visit two of her constituents held there on federal immigration detainers, and said she left with urgent questions about their medical care, food, and even basic time outdoors. Joined on the tour by Reps. Gwen Moore and Morgan McGarvey, Ramirez said both men reported problems serious enough that she believes they require immediate action.
Ramirez told reporters that one man has been detained at the jail since September and the other for about two months, and that both, whom she identified only as Ricardo and Octavio, are diabetic and reported inadequate food and missing medication, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I have two constituents who are diabetic, who are not getting their insulin, and instead are getting pre-diabetic medication," Ramirez said. She added that detainees described expired, carb-heavy meals and, in one case, beef "with worms." The Sun-Times also reported that the detention center has space for about 129 ICE detainees and that the total jail population, including inmates and detainees, was close to 430 on Monday.
Jailer pushes back
Campbell County Jailer James Daley sharply rejected that account after the congressional visit, telling reporters that allegations people were denied medical care were "an absolute lie" and defending the jail's overall practices, according to LINK nky. Daley said the facility regularly holds people on behalf of other counties, the state and the federal government, and he pointed to the revenue those contracts bring into Campbell County as part of his defense of the operation.
Contracts, protests and menus
The Campbell County Detention Center is one of several local jails in the region that house immigrants for federal agencies under intergovernmental agreements, a system that has drawn protests and heightened public scrutiny in Northern Kentucky this year, according to reporting from WVXU. County procurement records for the jail's food service lay out a rotating menu cycle, estimate a roughly 2,700-calorie daily plan and list sample items such as a bologna-and-cheese sack lunch. Those details come from the county's own food-services packet, posted by the Campbell County Detention Center.
What detention standards say
Federal ICE detention standards require facilities to provide appropriate medical and mental-health care and to meet the dietary and continuity-of-care needs of detainees in their custody. Those obligations are spelled out for non-dedicated facilities in ICE's detention guidance. If detainees with chronic conditions are not receiving prescribed insulin or appropriate diets, advocates say that would conflict with those standards, which stress timely access to medical services, special diets when needed and continuity of care, according to ICE.
What lawmakers say they'll do
Ramirez and the two other members of Congress said they plan to send a formal list of questions to the Department of Homeland Security and are demanding a prompt response. Ramirez said she expected to know by Tuesday whether her two Chicago constituents were receiving insulin, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. She added that she is prepared to return to the facility if the issues they raised are not addressed.
Advocates and legal organizations say the visit highlights how hard it can be for families and attorneys when Chicago residents are detained hours away from home, in another state. Local lawmakers say they intend to keep the pressure on federal officials until they get answers, according to LINK nky.
