U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren are calling for an investigation into the conditions for detainees at the Plymouth County Jail.
Markey spoke with WATD about the letter.
“Upon hearing reports of the unacceptable treatment of detainees, Senator Warren and I have requested that the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement conduct an immediate and thorough review of the conditions, and the treatment of those detainees,” said Markey. “We’re highly concerned that the rights and health of people detained on behalf of ICE remain in jeopardy. We just want to ensure that we get the answers.”
Markey said they heard from attorneys, family members, and advocacy groups of concerns that include lack of access to food and hot water, insufficient hygiene, and limited interactions to counsel.
Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald says he welcomes inquiry, but he disputes the claims that were made.
“The letter itself makes a tremendous number of outrageous, and quite frankly, spurious accusations about the conditions of confinement here at the correctional facility,” said McDonald. “If either of these Senators, or any of their staffers had picked up the phone and called me, I would have been more than happy to share with them sixteen years-worth of audits of this agency by the Department of Correction, by ICE, by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, by the Nakamoto Group, the private contractors who audit us routinely on behalf of the federal government.
We are probably the most-audited agency in state government. I welcome that, I think that’s important that everyone know that we are holding people safely, securely, but most importantly, humanely.”
McDonald feels the letter crossed a line, and “impugns the integrity and professionalism of the staff” at the facility.
He said Markey and Warren are in a position to make changes to immigration law.
“I don’t understand why they just don’t file corrective legislation,” said McDonald. “Because the last I checked, that’s their job.”
Last September, McDonald told WATD that they were terminating the county’s 287(g) program with ICE. The program allowed officers to check ICE interest for people who were in custody and self-identified as immigrants.
McDonald said between 2017 and 2019, the county had 5,000 intakes. Only 6.4 percent were ICE detainees – of that amount, five were deported.
Plymouth County remains a facility that holds detainees on behalf of ICE.
