Mario Garcia-Valenzuela, a trans man originally from Mexico, has brought to light horrific allegations of such forced labor and sexual harassment. These events took place during his confinement at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center (SLIPC). In 2014, drug cartel members attempted to torture him, and he fled to the United States. Sadly, he experienced additional trauma at an immigration detention center. Garcia-Valenzuela is still serving an underlying criminal sentence for illegal re-entry. If true, his claims represent a shocking failure of our immigration system to protect the most vulnerable among us.
So when Garcia-Valenzuela reported the sexual harassment he experienced as a male in the spring of 2024, their experience was anything but protective. He alleges that detention officer Manuel Reyes forced him into a risky work program. In addition, this program explicitly prioritizes trans men and masculine-presenting LGBTQ people. He narrated the experience of carrying around big steel cabinets and cinder blocks. He had to scrub everything down with industrial-strength chemicals, all while not being provided any protective gear.
The abuse increased when Garcia-Valenzuela began speaking out about sustained injuries due to conditions in the work program. He alleges that Reyes and his colleagues retaliated by forcing him to strip naked and then taunting him. Additionally, Garcia-Valenzuela was placed in retaliatory solitary confinement for advocating against his treatment.
Harrowing Experiences in Detention
Garcia-Valenzuela’s journey to the U.S. started in 2014, after facing extreme persecution in Mexico. His quest for safety brought him to SLIPC, where conditions were truly bleak. He told a harrowing story about one day in the medical isolation unit. At one point, the only meal he got was just a single potato and a handful of grain, highlighting the extremely malnourished state of detainees.
Along with the terror of physical abuse, Garcia-Valenzuela experienced brutal psychological torment. An ICE officer reportedly told him, “even if we take off your transgender marker, there is no hiding that you are transgender,” emphasizing the discrimination he encountered based on his appearance. In a New York Times op-ed, he wrote of his torment, “I was treated more cruelly than a dog.”
Garcia-Valenzuela filed Prison Rape Elimination Act complaints on the sexual harassment he suffered. He waved a red flag of serious wrongdoing in the labor exploitation arena. He maintains that since then, no subsequent investigation into Reyes has been conducted.
Community Responses and Continued Advocacy
Garcia-Valenzuela’s case has captured the attention of advocacy groups, sounding the alarm on the treatment of LGBTQ people in detention centers. Fellow detainee Renteria-Gonzalez shared insights about Garcia-Valenzuela’s experience, stating, “It’s devastating and heartbreaking, everything that they do to us in here.” This sentiment mirrors a larger concern among detainees about their treatment across the board, and the desire to see systemic change.
Renteria-Gonzalez noted that Garcia-Valenzuela seemed perpetually present at the detention center, describing it as if “he lived [at the detention center] 24/7.” This really underscores the significant weight on Garcia-Valenzuela’s shoulders. It shines a light on the collective trauma that detainees in such places experience.
Advocates have been vocally ringing the alarm, demanding action and better treatment of LGBTQ immigrants. Against this backdrop, Garcia-Valenzuela’s story is a poignant testament to the perils marginalized communities face under the U.S. immigration apparatus. His calls for justice speak to millions who understand that every person, regardless of their immigration status, should be treated with dignity and respect.
Legal and Institutional Implications
The allegations against Reyes raise deeply troubling questions about oversight. In the meantime, Garcia-Valenzuela’s account of conditions is exposing the accountability void that exists in ICE facilities. Failure to investigate abuse allegations breeds fear and intimidation among detainees. In turn, most workers are afraid to publicly challenge employer abuse.
Garcia-Valenzuela’s case is a poignant reminder of the immediate need for reform, and indeed abolition, of our immigration detention system. With scant indication that anyone is doing anything in response to his concerns, most are worried that the same fate awaits them without recourse.
“We don’t deserve to be treated like this,” – Mario Garcia-Valenzuela
In the meantime, Garcia-Valenzuela continues to fight his detention at a remote, for-profit correctional facility in Louisiana. His story sheds light on the systemic issues at play that outline how LGBTQ people are treated in detention. Advocates maintain that at the very least, these reforms and more must be undertaken to safeguard vulnerable populations from the threat of exploitation and abuse.