Fox News gets exclusive inside Texas ICE detention center

Fox
News gets exclusive inside Texas ICE detention center

By Brooke Taylor Fox News

Fox News correspondent Brooke Taylor gets a rare,
behind-the-scenes look at a Texas ICE detention facility that processes
hundreds of migrant detainees each week.

Fox News got exclusive access to a rare tour of an ICE
detention facility in Texas, where approximately 400 to 500 illegal migrants
are processed weekly.

The Montgomery Processing Center is an ICE detention
facility in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston. It is one of the 134
detention facilities ICE operates across the United States.

According to ICE data, there are 47,928 aliens in ICE
custody nationwide. Of those in custody, approximately 25,679 or 54% have been
charged or convicted of at least one criminal offense.

As President Donald
Trump advances his promises of increased deportation efforts, many of
these facilities are coming under scrutiny for their living conditions.

“What we hope to accomplish, more than anything, is to
dispel the false narratives out there,” Randy Tate, the facility manager,
said.

Currently, there are 1,240 detainees at the Montgomery
Processing Center, which can hold up to roughly 1,300.

The facility manager calls it a one-stop shop with
everything needed inside the facility, removing the need to transport
detainees. There is medical on site and also a full-fledged courthouse with 5
federal immigration courtrooms.

“We have been told it’s one of the most active courts
in the nation,” Tate said. “This place is unique because it’s one of
the few in the country that were designed and built for ICE and immigration. It
was designed for this purpose.”

Bret Bradford, the Field Office Director, said these
detention facilities are not punitive; they are strictly for the purposes of
removal.

“The only reason we detain folks is to ensure their
appearance in immigration court and to ensure their appearance for
removal,” Bradford said.

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We saw firsthand what it’s like to be detained at the
Montgomery Processing Center, from processing and booking, to the living
conditions inside the facility.

When detainees are brought to the facility, they are first
processed by deportation officers who evaluate each case. The two big
factors considered are their flight risk and the potential threat to public
safety.

“We only have so much bed space, so we prioritize the
cases,” Bradford said. “There are some cases that by law have to be
detained. They are mandatory detention. They are terrorism
cases, extremely silent cases, expedited removal cases, things like
that.”

The illegal migrants deemed eligible for detention by
officers are then booked into the facility, with their housing assignments
determined based on their assessed risk level.

As we walked through the halls of the facility, we saw
dozens of illegal migrants packed into dormitories. Their risk
levels were indicated by the color of their uniforms. Men and women were kept
separate, many just sitting on bunk beds and reading books. Some throwing up
peace signs at us and smiling, while others were giving thumbs down.

“There many false narratives and misinformation that’s
out there, especially with groups that oppose immigration enforcement. I think
it’s very important for us to get out there and say the true narrative,”
Bradford said.

The main two narratives Bradford wanted dispel was the
access to medical and legal care.

“They have multiple avenues of access,” Bradford
said. “There are phones in every dorm. They can use them 24/7.”

Detainees at the MPC are given a list of pro bono legal
services when they are first brought in for processing. In addition, they also
have tablets in their dorms, access to law libraries within the facility and
within each room.

“Within each dorm, there are kiosks where they can
access materials,” Bradford said. “There are programs like LexisNexis
that they can use to pursue their legal cases. There are multiple avenues. Not
to mention, attorneys can visit anytime. There are rooms set up for attorney
client visition, so they have privacy to discuss their cases.”

During the visit, we also saw the medical center and where
detainees first get screened.

“Medical care is something that is criticized all the
time,” Bradford said. “I think it’s unfair. When they get booked in
and assessed, we find conditions, medical conditions that they didn’t even know
they had and left untreated.”

During our tour, we witnessed game rooms, gyms, a library,
and a chapel. Bradford acknowledges not every facility has the same amenities.

According to ICE data, 77% of the aliens detained at MPC
have been charged or convicted of at least one criminal defense.

“A lot of these folks are criminals,” Bradford
said. “We don’t want them back in the community, and we don’t want them
harming U.S. citizens or furthering to harm U.S. citizens. A lot have already
done. So we don’t want them repeating their crimes or further victimizing the
community. So we certainly want to protect the community and keep those people
out of the community. The other thing to think about is even the ones who
aren’t criminals, necessarily, a lot of them, we really don’t know who they
are. We really don’t know what they’ve done overseas before they came
here.”

ICE gave us some examples to show the type of criminal
aliens being housed at the facility.

For the full story go to: Inside
ICE detention facility in Texas | Fox News