Report Finds 19 Women at ICE Detention Center Were Subject to Aggressive Gynecological Treatments Without Consent

By Shannon Melero  |  October 27, 2020 | 5:36pm
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Report Finds 19 Women at ICE Detention Center Were Subject to Aggressive Gynecological Treatments Without Consent
Image:Jeff Amy (AP)

In September of this year, Dawn Wooten, a nurse at Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia came forward as a whistleblower accusing the Immigration Customs and Enforcement detention center of performing hysterectomies and other procedures on detained women without their consent and in some extreme cases, without the women knowing what was being done to them. Shortly after, the gynecologist in question was identified as Dr. Mahendra Amin of Douglas, Georgia. The latest development in this horrific saga finds that Wooten’s complaint has merit and according to the Wall Street Journal, “at least 19 women [held at Irwin] underwent overly aggressive gynecological treatments at the hands of one doctor that were medically unnecessary.”

The findings come from a panel of “outside experts” who were given access to Irwin’s medical facility following Wooten’s complaint which was filed to the Department of Homeland Security. The panel’s findings have been submitted to the Senate Democratic Caucus and members of several House committees, according to WSJ. The doctors on the panel, almost all of whom are board-certified obstetrician-gynecologists found several instances in which detained women were “subject to treatment without their consent” after initially denying treatments suggested to them.

The panel said women were pressured to undergo medical procedures “without a discussion of risks, benefits or alternatives.” They said medical records showed many of the documented procedures were overly aggressive and “inconsistent with the standard of care.” Among the medical records produced, only one of the women signed a consent form to undergo a procedure—and it was in English, a language she doesn’t speak, the report states.

ICE has not commented on the panel’s findings, claiming an internal investigation stemming from Wooten’s original complaints is still underway. The AP reports that Dr. Amin is still listed as being good standing with the Georgia Medical Board.

 
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