Iranian man and wife detained 10 days in separate pods in San Diego — denied phone call to lawyer, never left the pod
Feb 2025·Location: San Diego, CA
Country of origin: Iran
Mariam, an Afghan woman, was held for 18 days with her extended family, including her 1-year-old nephew, in the San Diego detention center. She described lights on constantly, guards waking them every two or three hours by banging loudly on the door — sometimes for meals, sometimes to count them, sometimes to call someone's name. It was impossible to sleep for more than two or three hours at a time. She never knew whether it was night or day. Parents said their children had difficulty sleeping in the noisy, crowded, bright cells and became jumpy and apprehensive as agents frequently entered shouting commands and slamming doors. The food, mainly microwaved burritos, was not suitable for young children. She asked, 'Where are the human rights when a 1-year-old baby is in jail?' The family was expelled to Panama on a military plane.
Sources
- “Nobody Cared, Nobody Listened”
hrw.org·Apr 24, 2025·archived copy
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