From Persecution to Prison - Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of ...

Case #4 (LK): “Fifteen-Year-Old Girl Imprisoned”LK was 15 years old when she arrived in the United States. Her adolescencewas marred by political upheaval in her African homeland.After the political killing of her father and subsequent arrest of herguardians, she was assaulted by a man who offered her shelter. Whenher mother, who lived in Canada, sent a ticket and passport to join herthere, LK boarded a plane to New York, where a friend was to meether. However, her attempt to reunite with her mother was blocked bythe INS, which confined her in an adult detention facility for sixmonths.When LK arrived in the US, she was interviewed in a busy, openarea in handcuffs and shackles. LK spoke little English, and was providedwith a translator whose language skills she described as “verypoor.” The interviewing officers did not explain her right to apply forasylum. She described one of the interviewing INS officers as hostile:When the [officer] came she said I was lying. She was yelling at meand I didn’t understand a lot of what she said, but I understoodwhen she said I was lying.Finally, LK was subjected to a dental examination - a highly controversial,method of determining a person’s age (See Chapter VIII:Age Determinations)[The officers] asked me where I was going. I said to my motherwho was in Canada. They asked me who the passport belongedto and I said I didn’t know. They asked me how old I was. I toldthem 15. A woman in uniform said I was lying. Then they toldme, ‘We’re going to see if you’re 15.’ Then they brought me tothe dentist.According to the examination results, LK was 23 years old: eightyears older than the age ultimately accepted by Canadian officials,and old enough for detention in an adult facility. LK was taken todetention in shackles. The girl was tearful as she described her shockand fear when she realized her destination was essentially a prison:I didn’t expect to be put in prison, arrested. I thought I had beenabandoned and left alone.LK complained of the guard’s poor treatment of detainees. Shereported being yelled at by guards, and was disturbed to hear themthreatening fellow inmates with segregation.134 FROM PERSECUTION TO PRISON