On July 3, 2008, a 9-months-pregnant mother named Juana Villegas was pulled over by the Berry Hill Police in Nashville, Tennessee. Two days later, Juana found herself shackled during labor and denied a breast pump while she was in the custody of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Daron Hall. Her shackling was a direct result of Hall’s 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In April of this year, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee said this treatment was illegal and unconstitutional, and just last week, a federal jury awarded her $200,000 in damages.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has put together a petition asking for Sheriff Hall to offer an apology to Juana. Click here for more information.
