Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
A Whistleblower Alleges: Mass Hysterectomies at Ice Detention Center

A Whistleblower Alleges: Mass Hysterectomies at Ice Detention Center

Last updated on: September 14, 2020 at 4:16 pm by Mary Pezzulo

A Whistleblower Alleges: Mass Hysterectomies at Ice Detention Center 2020-09-14T16:16:09-04:00 Mary Pezzulo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I know that there’s a lot to think about right now. There has been plenty of horror on everyone’s minds this year, and there’s so much tragedy and trauma on the news that we’re all losing track. But I’ve come across a news story that must not be allowed to fly below the radar. Everyone needs to be aware that this is happening, and we all have to speak out against it.

I want to draw your attention to a whistleblower complaint being filed on behalf of a nurse at an ICE detention center. The entire complaint can be read here.

The complaint alleges that an inordinately large number of women at a detention facility in Irwin County, Georgia, were subjected to hysterectomies. They had all or part of their uteruses removed, sometimes without any attempt to get consent except by “googling Spanish.” Some say they were told they were getting a procedure to drain a cyst or to relieve heavy menstruation, despite not having those symptoms, only to be told it would be a hysterectomy later. They were confused as to why the procedure was necessary. Some were verbally abused by nurses when they asked questions. One was subjected to a procedure without proper anesthesia.

The whistleblower, a nurse named Dawn Wooten, reports that detainees were consistently referred to the same gynecologist who would always order a hysterectomy.

“Everybody he sees has a hysterectomy—just about everybody,” said Wooten. “everybody’s uterus cannot be that bad.”

This is genocide.

I’m not speaking euphemistically for effect when I say “genocide.” Sterilization through a hysterectomy is genocide. It’s long been a tactic in America’s shameful history of eugenics. Compulsory sterilization is a crime against humanity.

I have been criticized for comparing the immigrant detention facilities to concentration camps, but I’m not taking that back. Especially now that we have evidence the United States is sterilizing prisoners detained there. We shouldn’t be surprised; after all, the Nazis were inspired by American eugenicists in the first place. Now it’s happening again.

I feel at a loss for words to express how wrong it is that the United States is forcibly sterilizing detained immigrants who came to us for help. It’s one of those things you absolutely shouldn’t have to say. It should be obvious. but it’s not.

This is wrong. It’s cruel. It’s unnecessary. It’s a crime. And I’m afraid that it will go unnoticed in all of this year’s chaos.

There’s so much to take in this year, I’m afraid our horrific treatment of immigrants who come to us for help is getting pushed out of the public eye. But I have to remind you: immigrants are still being kept in inhumane conditions– indeed, worse than the ones that outraged us so much a year or two ago, because now they’re being kept there during wildfires, hurricanes and a pandemic. Things have gotten worse for them, not better. And today, we have evidence of what we might have suspected: they are being subjected to genocide by sterilization.

This isn’t a partisan issue. Right now, this is happening on Donald Trump’s watch. But it would be wrong if Biden or Obama or Clinton or Bush did it as well. America has always had a shameful history of our treatment of migrants and minorities no matter who’s in charge, and now it’s happening again.

I am begging my readers: talk about this story. Share it. Let everyone know. Speak out against it every way you can. Vote, and let your representatives know that immigration and eugenics are issues you won’t forget about.

This is a horrendous crime.

It has to be stopped.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Mary Pezzulo is the author of Meditations on the Way of the Cross.

Steel Magnificat operates almost entirely on tips. To tip the author, visit our donate page.

Previous Post

September 13, 2020

The Tin Cup Rattle for Autumn

Next Post

September 14, 2020 Under a Charcoal Sky

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the cupbearer to the king who fasted and prayed for Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Zerubbabel Nehemiah Ezra Haggai