Nicoll Hernández-Polanco (A089-841-646) is a Guatemalan transgender woman currently being detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in an all-male facility in Florence, AZ. Nicoll presented herself to border patrol agents at the United States border in October 2014 and immediately requested asylum after suffering nearly a decade of sexual and physical violence in Guatemala and Mexico because of her gender identity. Instead of finding safety, Nicoll has experienced continual sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of ICE staff and other detained immigrants for being a transgender woman.
In her first month in detention, Nicoll was patted down 6-8 times a day by male guards who groped her breasts and buttocks, made offensive sexual comments and gestures, and sometimes pulled her hair. In addition to physically harassing Nicoll, ICE staff routinely verbally abuse her because of her gender identity. Nicoll has informed a local LGBTQ group that she has been called slurs including “f***ing gay,” “bitch,” and “the woman with balls” in front of other detained immigrants. People witnessed a female guard refer repeatedly to Nicoll as “it”. Nicoll was recently punished by ICE for standing up for her human dignity by being placed in solitary confinement for “insolence.”
Sign the petition. Call ICE. Demand her release.
Petition asking ICE to immediately #FreeNicoll: http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/portfolio/freenicoll/
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