>>> TONIGHT GROWING OUTRAGE OVER THE ARREST AND LOCK UP OF AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN IN BATON ROUGE,
LOUISIANA.
LOUISIANA. THE ACLU SUING A LOUISIANA
SHERIFF AND SEVERAL OTHERS IN
THAT PARISH ON BEHALF OF RAMON
TORRES, A U.S. CITIZEN
ORIGINALLY FROM HONDURAS.
THE LAWSUIT ALLEGING TORRES WAS
JAILED ON SUSPICION OF DUI.
A FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERED HIM
RELEASED THE NEXT DAY, BUT JAIL
AUTHORITIES ACTUALLY REFUSED
THAT ORDER.
THAT ORDER. THEY SUSPECTED HE WAS
UNDOCUMENTED EVEN THOUGH HE HAD
A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE ON HIM
WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED, AND EVEN
AFTER A FRIEND QUICKLY SENT IN
COPIES OF HIS SOCIAL SECURITY
CARD AND AMERICAN PASSPORT.
TORRES WAS LOCKED UP FOR FOUR
DAYS.
DAYS. THE SHERIFF SAYING IT’S THEIR
POLICY TO CONTACT I.C.E.
WHENEVER THEY SUSPECT SOMEONE IS
UNDOCUMENTED.
UNDOCUMENTED. >>> ANOTHER SHERIFF’S EMPLOYEE
ACTUALLY SAYING THEY DO THAT FOR
ALL LATINOS WHO ARE ARRESTED.
IF TRUE, THEN THESE POLICE ARE
CHANGING HOW THEY TREAT PEOPLE
BASED ON THEIR ETHNICITY OR HOW
THEY LOOK, AND THAT ECHOS
LANGUAGE WE HEARD LAST MONTH
FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF
I.C.E.
I.C.E. WATCH.
WATCH. >> I.C.E. DOES NOT HAVE THE
LAWFUL AUTHORITY TO SAY ANYBODY
IS OR IS NOT A CITIZEN.
WHAT WE DO IS WHEN WE ARE
PROVIDED WITH PROBATIVE EVIDENCE
THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IN OUR
CUSTODY IS -- LOOKS TO BE A
CITIZEN, WE WILL RELEASE THAT
INDIVIDUAL FROM WILL RELEASE THA
CITIZEN FROM CUSTODY.
>> YOU ADVANCE IT WHEN THEY LOOK
TO BE A CITIZEN.
IT JUST STRIKES ME THAT ALL OF
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE LATINOS
AND THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
HOW SOMEONE LOOKS.
SO CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT --
>> ACTUALLY, I WAS NOT REFERRING
TO ANYBODY’S APPEARANCE, AND
THAT WAS CLEAR IF ANYBODY
LISTENED TO THE CONTEXT OF WHAT
I WAS SAYING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WITH ME NOW IS AN EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE ACLU OF
LOUISIANA, THE GROUP BEHIND THIS
LAWSUIT.
LAWSUIT. GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US THIS
EVENING.
EVENING. LET’S START WITH THE LAWSUIT
ITSELF.
ITSELF. WHY DID YOU OR WHY DID THE ACLU
FILE THIS LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF
THE MR. TORREZ?
>> THE ACLU FILED THIS LAWSUIT
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT IS
UNCONSCIONABLE FOR A PERSON, A
U.S. CITIZEN, TO BE DETAINED AND
INCOURSE RATED BASED ON THEIR
LOOKS, BASED ON THEIR RACE OR
BASED ON ETHNICITY.
IT IS A VIOLATION OF MR.
TORREZ’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS,
BOTH HIS FOURTH AND 14th
AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
THE ACLU WANTS TO BE ON THE
FRONT LINES OF THIS BATTLE
AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MASS
DEPORTATION AGENDA HERE IN
LOUISIANA.
LOUISIANA. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OR
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT AUTHORITIES
HAVE NOW AT LEAST ADMITTED THAT
ETHNICITY OR HIS ETHNICITY TO BE
SPECIFIC WAS A FACTOR IN HIS
DETENTION?
DETENTION? >> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THIS,
MR. TORREZ HAD VALID -- A VALID
SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, HE HAD A
VALID LOUISIANA DRIVER’S
LICENSE, WHICH YOU CANNOT OBTAIN
UNLESS YOU PROVIDE PROOF OF
CITIZENSHIP.
CITIZENSHIP. HE HAD A PASSPORT AND HIS FAMILY
MEMBERS AND CO-WORKERS PROVIDED
ADDITIONAL -- ADDITIONAL PROOF
THAT HE WAS A U.S. CITIZEN.
AND SO ONCE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION AND
DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO HOLD MR.
TORREZ, EVEN DESPITE A JUDGE’S
ORDERS, WHAT ELSE CAN A
REASONABLE PERSON THINK OTHER
THAN THE SHERIFF WAS HOLDING MR.
TORREZ BASED UPON HIS ETHNICITY
AND SUSPICION THAT HE WAS IN
THIS COUNTRY AS AN UNDOCUMENTED
PERSON?
PERSON? >> HOW HAS MR. TORREZ’S TIME IN
JAIL -- HOW WAS HE TREATED ONCE
HE WAS THERE DESPITE THE FACT
THAT HE TRIED TO PROVE HIS
CITIZENSHIP?
CITIZENSHIP? >> MR. TORREZ RECOUNTS THAT
THERE WERE MANY OTHER
INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT
REPRESENTED, WHO WERE SIMILARLY
SITUATED, WHOSE RIGHTS WERE
LIKELY BEING VIE LATELIED AS
WELL, AND SO WE KNOW THAT THIS
IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE AND WE
ALSO KNOW THAT MANY OF THE
FACILITIES THAT ARE BEING USED
TO HOUSE FOLKS IN LOUISIANA ARE
NOT -- ARE FACILITIES THAT ARE
ESSENTIALLY -- WERE DEEMED VERY
VIOLENT PLACES, VERY BRUTAL
PLACES, AND SO THIS IS CERTAINLY
NOT A PLACE THAT ANY CITIZEN
WOULD WANT TO END UP, AND
CERTAINLY NOT IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE FOUND MR.
TORREZ IN.
TORREZ IN. >> SO LET ME JUXTAPOSE YOUR
ANSWER THAT YOU JUST SAID THERE
FOR US WITH HOW THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND BORDER
OFFICIALS WITHIN THAT
ADMINISTRATION HAVE DESCRIBED
IMMIGRATION DETENTION
IMMIGRATION DETENTION FACILITIES.
FACILITIES. WATCH THIS.
WATCH THIS. >> SO, IF YOU THINK OF YOURSELF
AS A COLLEGE DORMITORY, THAT’S
WHAT THE ROOMS LOOK LIKE.
>> THEY’RE CAMPUS-LIKE SETTINGS
WITH APPROPRIATE MEDICAL,
EDUCATIONAL, RECREATIONAL AND
DINING AND HOUSING FACILITIES.
>> I THINK THE BEST WAY TO
DESCRIBE THEM IS TO BE MORE LIKE
A SUMMER CAMP.
>> YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I’M APPALLED.
AND I THINK EVERY CITIZEN IN
THIS COUNTRY SHOULD BE APPALLED.
WE HAVE MORE DEFENSE FACILITIES
OPENING EVERY DAY IN LOUISIANA
THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE
COUNTRY, AND THAT IS BECAUSE
LOUISIANA IS A PLACE WHERE THE
IMMIGRATION JUDGES ARE MORE
STRINGENT THAN OTHER PLACES IN
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. THESE DETENTION FACILITIES ARE
IN REMOTE LOCATIONS.
WHERE LAWYERS CANNOT ACCESS
THEIR CLIENTS.
THEIR CLIENTS. AND WE’VE ALREADY SEEN STORIES
OF FOLKS BEING TEAR GASSED FOR
EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS WHEN THEY DO HUNGER
PROTESTS AND THINGS OF THIS
NATURE.
NATURE. THEY’VE BEEN BEATEN.
THEY’VE BEEN TEAR GASSED.
IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT
SOMEONE WOULD DESCRIBE THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES AS A SUMMER CAMP.
I WOULD NOT ALLOW MY CHILD TO BE
IN THOSE FACILITIES.
ALL OF US AS AMERICANS SHOULD BE
OUTRAGED THAT THIS IS BEING
CHARACTERIZED IN THIS WAY.
IT’S NOT ONLY A