SOCIAL
ABUSE & INJUSTICE
AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
WRITTEN BY
Jessica Nichols
The U.S. government enables transphobic violence. ICE is no exception.
O
31 | VINDICATOR
n March 31st, the last day of Women’s
killed a trans woman in self-defense from a sexual
History Month, we will recognize the
threat. Nor are our federal agencies held account-
Transgender Day of Visibility. The inter-
able. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement
section of these occasions should serve
abuses the undocumented people in their custody,
as a reminder of the intersectionality
the Trump-Pence administration continues to claim
of our activism. Feminism must be inclusive of all
that ICE is acting in the best interests of American
women. That means educating ourselves about the
safety and security. But there is no justification for
struggles within diverse communities. Year after
ICE’s actions, which have contributed to illnesses
year, human rights activists have recorded that trans
and deaths of those detained, including children.
women of color are the group most impacted by trans-
Any violation of human rights on this scale should
phobic violence. They experience the intersection of
be cause for outcry throughout the year. As we re-
transphobia, misogyny and racism, which not only
flect this month on the history of women’s rights
makes them the target of hate crimes, but also of
and our continuing strides towards equality, we
institutionalized discrimination. The Human Rights
must continue to call attention to the scope of the
Campaign has reported that trans people experience
abuse by ICE, which has resulted in the deaths of at
homelessness and poverty at far higher rates than
least two transgender women.
their cisgender peers. Both of these are contributing
Johana Medina Leon came to the United States in
factors to other dangerous circumstances. Trans
spring 2019, with hopes of being a registered nurse.
people are more likely to need medical care as the
She could not achieve her goal in her home country
result of hate crimes, as well as chronic conditions
of El Salvador because of the transphobia she faced
such as HIV/AIDS, but they are less likely to receive
there. When she arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border, she
this care because of inability to pay for it, or even
was detained by ICE. She was held for some months,
outright discrimination from medical professionals.
CNN reports, before testing positive for HIV at the
All of these issues are exacerbated for trans women
end of May. Shortly after ICE released her, she died
of color, including Black women and Latinas.
in the hospital. She was 25 years old.
As in many cases throughout history, the legal
Medina Leon died one year following another death
system is not yet an accurate reflection of justice.
reported by the Human Rights Campaign. Roxana
In countless cases, murderers have received light
Hernández was an asylum seeker from Honduras. She
sentences, mitigated by the argument that they only
was the target of discrimination in her home country,
