US launches hotline for detained immigrants
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement department has launched a telephone hotline for immigrants detained in the country to inform them of their rights and allow them to report cases of unfair treatment.
The phone number may be used by detained immigrants who "believe they may be US citizens or victims of a crime", a statement said.
To make sure that those in custody "are properly notified about their potential removal from the country and are made aware of their rights", the department would guarantee that the phone line would be available 24 hours a day with interpreters in several languages.
Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defence and Educational Fund, said the new line was "a positive development", though it was also overdue and inadequate.
He said that often people who are detained have no idea why they are being held.
