Transgender illegal immigrants in U.S. detentions centers are guaranteed "a right to hormone therapy," says a top official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Kevin Landy, assistant director of the ICE office of detention policy and planning, told a meeting about immigration detention facilities, hosted by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, that transgendered people have the same rights to healthcare as other undocumented inmates,
according to CNS News.
"With respect to treatment while in detention
— the medical care standard
— the standards guarantees a right to hormone therapy for individuals who need it for treatment, and even in facilities that are not covered by that standard," Landy said.
"Our ICE House Service Corps is very vigilant on that issue to ensure that individuals receive necessary hormone therapy."
The commission’s chairman, Martin Castro, said that the Department of Homeland Security is the "largest agency that has custody of transgender individuals," CNS News reported.
The 2011 manual for ICE’s operations at its detention facilities gives guidelines on how to care for transgender illegal immigrants who have been receiving hormone therapy before they are apprehended.
"Transgender detainees who were already receiving hormone therapy when taken into ICE custody shall have continued access," the report says, according to CNS News.
"All transgender detainees shall have access to mental healthcare, and other transgender-related healthcare and medication based on medical need. Treatment shall follow accepted guidelines regarding medically necessary transition-related care."
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