“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison
“Even God Cannot Hear Us Here”: What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison
Jul 18 2025, 7:37 AM
Quote:From cancer to colds to women’s diseases, ibuprofen was the magical pill the medical staff offered. My friends had to wait for emergency help for a long time, sometimes for days. Other women shared that they had given up on seeking help, deciding it was better to endure severe health consequences than to visit that center and be treated inhumanely. Some of the medical staff would raise their voices at us. They’d say things like, “You’re giving me a headache,” “Why are you always coming during my shift?” and “I’m not giving you anything.” When I asked questions, they responded that they couldn’t “babysit” me. Many women said that the medical staff did not believe they were sick. They shared how, upon arrival, they were in relatively good health, but their conditions deteriorated day by day due to inadequate access to medical care, nutritious food, sleep, sunlight, and fresh air. They experienced loss of menstruation, declining mental health, and even hair loss due to overwhelming stress. We worried about our friends with wheelchairs, cancer, a deaf friend, and friends with serious chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/rumeysa-ozturk-what-i-witnessed-inside-an-ice-womens-prison
Quote:From cancer to colds to women’s diseases, ibuprofen was the magical pill the medical staff offered. My friends had to wait for emergency help for a long time, sometimes for days. Other women shared that they had given up on seeking help, deciding it was better to endure severe health consequences than to visit that center and be treated inhumanely. Some of the medical staff would raise their voices at us. They’d say things like, “You’re giving me a headache,” “Why are you always coming during my shift?” and “I’m not giving you anything.” When I asked questions, they responded that they couldn’t “babysit” me. Many women said that the medical staff did not believe they were sick. They shared how, upon arrival, they were in relatively good health, but their conditions deteriorated day by day due to inadequate access to medical care, nutritious food, sleep, sunlight, and fresh air. They experienced loss of menstruation, declining mental health, and even hair loss due to overwhelming stress. We worried about our friends with wheelchairs, cancer, a deaf friend, and friends with serious chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
