Iranian Asylum Seeker Placed in Solitary at Eloy After Disclosing Suicidal Thoughts

Narges Dehghani, an Iranian dissident who arrived at the Eloy Detention Center carrying the trauma of being sexually assaulted by government agents during interrogation in Iran, told intake staff she had been thinking about suicide. ICE’s response, she said, was to handcuff her and place her in solitary confinement. The Arizona Daily Star documents a broader pattern: ICE facilities relying on solitary — and at times pepper spray — as a default response to mental-health crises they are not equipped to handle.