The Trump administration has eliminated key rape protections for transgender people held in ICE detention centers and U.S. prisons, escalating concerns across the queer community. New guidance from the Department of Homeland Security applies to several privately run ICE facilities, where nearly 69,000 people are currently detained, a record high. At the same time, the Department of Justice is working to roll back rules designed to protect LGBTQ+ people from sexual abuse in prisons.
According to the American Prospect, at least six ICE detention facilities have updated contracts to remove safeguards against rape and other protections for trans inmates. Facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia, and Texas have also ended safety measures and halted medical care for trans detainees. The changes cite Trump’s executive order, called Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism, and remove diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility language.
Bridget Crawford of Immigration Equality said, “Trans asylum seekers are typically in the US because they’ve already endured ‘incredibly high levels of sexual assault’… They’re coming here for protection, and they find themselves in immigration detention, which by law cannot be punitive, but we see that it is.” The change comes amid ongoing allegations of abuse, medical neglect, and wrongful deportations of transgender immigrants, drawing condemnation from politicians, advocates, and celebrities nationwide.
