This story was originally published by Tucson Spotlight, a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona.
A decade after Norlan Flores sued Border Patrol over inhumane conditions in its Tucson Station and won a federal court order meant to force lasting change, migrants moving through the same detention network today describe the same freezing cells, sleep deprivation and denied medical care, according to interviews and newly released federal inspection reports.
Two new reports from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General suggest those conditions have persisted. One found Customs and Border Protection continues to ignore the court-ordered changes, while the other found similar conditions across a broader network of ICE and privately operated detention centers in the area…