Thursday, August 21, 2008

Chertoff’s immigration indifference

Allegations recently surfaced regarding the health of a Chinese illegal immigrant who was detained and died while in custody. Attorneys for the relatives of Hiu Lui Ng claimed that he was denied vital medical care while in custody and because of that Ng’s fatal cancer had gone undetected.

While Ng’s ordeal is pretty harrowing, what has caught my attention is the reaction to Ng’s case by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff:

You know I hate to see any detainee die in prison. And I always believe if there is negligence or misconduct that ought to be punished. I also recognize that the population of any detention facility, whether it’s a state prison, federal prison, you’re going to get a certain number of deaths.

That’s it? An answer which can be translated as “it stinks but shit happens”? Chertoff’s reply is flippant and irresponsible, devoid of any emotion beyond a lame verbal shrugging of the shoulders.

This type of attitude is disturbing in someone holding such an important post as Chertoff; a little sympathy can go a long way.

I wonder if he would react similarly if:

Image- Fox News

Sources- City Room, Vivirlatino, Gothamist, Associated Press, The Latin Americanist,


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