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Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Thu Jun 23, 2005 at 09:03:21 PM EST
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Sometimes we focus so much on the country's abuses abroad, we forget about those committed at home. Please read the story of Moises Carranza-Reyes....it will make you sick....and angry. Here's just a snippet:

He has never been charged with a crime, in this country or in his native Mexico. Yes, he did enter the United States without an invitation in 2003....."I was trying to find a better life," he explains, speaking through a translator. "I've worked all my life. I don't care what kind of work I do. I feel humiliated if I can't work. I will do any honest work."

He never got the chance. So far the only entity to make a buck off Carranza-Reyes is the Park County (Colorado)Jail, which houses alien detainees under a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Carranza-Reyes spent eight days at the jail shortly after entering Colorado two years ago. The experience cost him his left leg below the knee and almost cost him his life. And it's left him -- and Denver taxpayers -- with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills that he has no way to pay.

He didn't get in a fight or an accident. It was the filthy jail conditions and lack of medical treatment.

Carranza-Reyes says he was handed a soiled uniform and assigned to a foul-smelling mattress on the floor between two other prisoners, in an open cellblock containing upward of fifty immigration detainees.

Many of the prisoners were sick. There were two toilets for the entire unit, both spattered with vomit and feces. People coughed up phlegm or blood into wads of toilet paper and tossed them on the floor. Then other people would step on the wads in their flip-flops, tracking the fluids across the room. The two men on either side of Carranza-Reyes were so weak they couldn't get up for meals; he had to bring them their food.

The prisoners had no way to keep the cellblock clean. A group of them demanded cleaning supplies and clean clothes. The guards told them don't worry, something will be worked out, but it wasn't.

When he finally collapsed and had to be rushed to a hospital,

The doctors determined he was suffering from pneumonia, sepsis, abnormal blood chemistry, and who-knows-what-else from the virulent stew of streptococci and other contagions raging in the detainee ward.

Moises has now sued. I hope he makes a mint.

< Karl Rove Assessment | Report of Doctors' Participating in Detainee Abuse >

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    Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#1)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:28 PM EST
    Political story, for aztlan reasons, but normal. something about poor health care For this guy? "hey we have 10 million vets" who have poor health, the thing is if i had done this in mexico i would be dead. and the old line "I came here for a better life, is funny." the lawyer is likely hispanic and will get something like 2 million dollars, the mexican guy will get after tax and costs about $680,000 in cash, i love to see me doing that in a mexican court. the mexican government/lawyers would just have a good time killing me in some back alleyway. and once more this is a political story and setup for the sad person line and to help make aztlan a nation nightnare, and why can't he have a good life in mexico? and why can't he have a good government in mexico? is it because he can't understand that people must fight for freedom and justice and he likely cannot understand that fact, and yes people some-times must die to make that a fact of life and we will see many die for freedom here soon. I feel nothing for this guy he is going to become a rich mexican, many guys have had this kind of thing happen and got nothing but a grave and many were American civilians. Where is bin laden in mexico city having a party with its people over 9-11.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#2)
    by Wile ECoyote on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    Too bad. Another reason to tighten up the border.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    why not send the bill to mexico, along with the illegal.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#4)
    by nolo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    I love the "mexican jails are worse" approach. That's real nice.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    God forbid we clean up our prisons and treat people humanely, eh Ed? A human being lost a leg in the system, and it seems it could have been easily avoided. Have we no sense of decency? Yes, it's worse in Mexico, but I hold my country to a higher standard than Mexico.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    I feel sorry for the guy but I feel worse for the taxpayers who have to foot the bill, just like the hospitals(taxpayers) who have to foot the bill for the day to day care of illegals. Perhaps swifter deportation would have saved his leg-or, better yet, staying in Mexico.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    I feel sorry for the guy but I feel worse for the taxpayers who have to foot the bill
    I see, paying the medical bills of a man who lost his leg in prison due to the deplorable conditions is a greater injustice than actually losing your leg in prison due to deplorable conditions. You are a peach of a man, let me tell ya. The way I see it, the govt. is gonna piss my taxes down the drain anyways, I'd rather some poor person get medical care than build another stealth bomber. But thats just me I guess.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:29 PM EST
    if he hadn't broken the law and illegally entered our country, he wouldn't have been in prison. let mexico pay for his care and treatment-wouldn't that be just? I would rather our health care dollars go to take care of our citizens, not Mexico's problems-you apparently feel the opposite. Faster shipment back would have solved the problem.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#9)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:30 PM EST
    if he hadn't broken the law and illegally entered our country, he wouldn't have been in prison
    So typical I wonder why I bother. Yes Ed, he crossed an imaginary line looking for a job and deserved what he got. Say no more, I know whats coming. "He's lucky he didn't lose both legs" Or "He should have been shot on sight for his heinous crimes against America" PS Any medical care this guy got is a pittance compared to how much tax money has been stolen by KBR/Halliburton in Iraq. Where is your outrage Ed?

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:30 PM EST
    not shot-just deported quickly without the need of housing him. try crossing it the other direction and setting yourself up in Mexico to see how imaginary it is. if you want to be the dumping grounds to enable Mexican elites to not deal with their problems, be my guest. I and I would wager if put to a vote, most Americans, don't. you can feel sorry for the guy but not want him here either.

    Re: Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg (none / 0) (#11)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:30 PM EST
    Let me say this guy was wronged and the system is insane, but how many of our people both whites and black and what was called mexican americans has this been done to? the fact is the guy will get a hell of a-lot of money if the lawyer is any good at all. the court system is race based and he will be payed for the lost leg, but what would have happened to him in mexico if he had been from the USA?, by the way this kind of thing has happened to American in mexico, the body comes back COD. But on the other hand we will become mexico with laws and lawyers and courts acting like its a third world system, and when we are like mexico laws and lawyers won't be paying out millions of dollars to some sad person that lost a leg. what the people in mexico need to do is attack its drug dealing government and help us remove are drug dealing low life governments and get back to the real rule of law and not some political oligarchies; but as this guy understands why fight for a good government of the people when you can just go across the border and take it. but after all as most mexicans will tell you pancho villa did make this country right?, but let the guy have his money and let him go to L.A., For the good life, "for now".

    Welcome to America: It Only Costs a Leg | 11 comments (11 topical)