Migrant teenagers have been forcibly medicated while in immigration custody, according to Vice. The report is based on an ongoing lawsuit against the federal government for its treatment of migrant children. Teens described being administered up to 20 pills per day, placed in physical restraints, placed in isolation, and receiving injections, among other practices.
The findings are horrifying, though not surprising. Migrant children have long suffered abuse and faced inhumane conditions while in custody, whether they are in detention centers, shelters, or hotels. Attorney Leecia Welch told Vice the government doesn’t track how many minors are being medicated. “They just don’t have the data; I find it horrifying,” she said. “It’s just a black box.”
