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Wednesday, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, announced the issuance of a subpoena to LaSalle Corrections for documents regarding disturbing allegations of mistreatment at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC), a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility operated by LaSalle in Georgia.
Dawn Wooten, a nurse at the facility, has alleged that detained women underwent medical procedures without their consent and that the facility violated federally recommended coronavirus protocols.
Despite written requests, LaSalle has failed to provide any documents to the Committees, and it is still unknown if the company has taken any steps to locate and preserve documents. LaSalle has baselessly claimed that its contract with ICE prevents it from cooperating with the investigation.
“Despite the seriousness of the allegations taking place at their facility, LaSalle has stonewalled our Committees since we began our investigation in September,” said Chairs Thompson and Maloney. “They have provided us no documents, refused to share their contract with ICE, and have consistently fed us conflicting information. Their claim that they need approval from ICE to communicate with Congress is baseless. By refusing to provide even the most basic information about the treatment and care provided—at taxpayer expense—to women detained at ICDC, LaSalle is actively obstructing the Committees’ efforts to examine the troubling allegations and get answers to the American people.”
