Government Report Condemns Medical Care of Detained Immigrant

A report by officials of Immigration and Custom Enforcement condemned the treatment of a Chinese engineer being held at Wyatt Detention Center in R.I. The man had cancer and found it difficult to walk. When he asked for a wheelchair, he was denied and yet nonetheless forced to travel to Hartford, CT, for examination. The man died while in custody. (See posting for July 3 and August 13, 2008.) The report is so damning that the man's attorney is asking the Boston federal attorney to bring criminal charges. Some employees had been fired, but there seems to have been a cover-up as well. The treatment of the immigrant by guards and medical staff had been captured on surveillance cameras. (See NY Times article.)

NANCY NAPOLITANO BEFORE THE SENATE

Gov. Nancy Napolitano, president-elect Obama's nominee for Homeland Security, had an easy time with her confirmation hearings and is expected to be approved next week. She was questioned a bit about immigration and seemed to favor tougher treatment of employers and a little bit of fence. Critics note that she signed a tough employers' sanction bill as governor, but was somewhat lax in enforcement. (See Arizona Republic article.)