On July 22, the Williamson Co. Commissioners Court approved a modified contract with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement that dramatically reduces detainee telephone privileges at the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Center. Detainees will no longer be able to make outgoing calls without a prepaid phone card, nor can they call 911 or receive incoming calls. The contract refers to the new setup as a “low-cost phone service,” suggesting finances are behind the new restrictions. But ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok offered another explanation – that children were abusing the 911 system. Activists are objecting because detainees’ families will not be able to locate them by phone. Moreover, as reported in the Taylor Daily Press, Jose Orta of LULAC has accused officials of “covering themselves” by preventing detainee emergency calls. In a press statement, Rusnok countered: “Medical professionals … can provide immediate services inside the center.”
This article appears in August 1 • 2008.