SEXUAL ASSAULT BY U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS
Human Rights Watch has published three reports since 1992 describing serious human rights violations committed by U.S. Border Patrol agents, including unjustified shootings, serious beatings, and sexual assaults.116 Despite extensive, publicly available documentation of these abuses, little has been done to hold abusive agents accountable. Grossly inadequate complaint, review and disciplinary procedures allow agents to continue their assaults on undocumented persons, permanent residents, and U.S. citizens with impunity. In its reports, Human Rights Watch has made detailed recommendations to improve these procedures, but the Immigration and Naturalization Service (the parent agency of the Border Patrol) has failed to implement meaningful reforms.
U.S. Border Patrol agents stationed along the southwest border with Mexico have sexually assaulted women while they are in custody and following interrogations. Victims of abuse by Border Patrol agents often do not know they can file a complaint, however, nor do they believe filing a complaint will result in any sanction against an abusive agent, and they often fear reprisals should they submit a formal complaint. Because of the many deterrents to filing a complaint in these cases, local advocates believe the number of rapes and other gender-related crimes perpetrated is much higher than reported.
116 The following material was adapted from Human Rights Watch/Americas, "Crossing the Line: Human Rights Abuses Along the U.S. Border with Mexico Persist Amid Climate of Impunity," A Human Rights Watch Short Report, vol. 7, no. 4 (April 1995).
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