ALT "Good afternoon. My name is Iredactedl and my wife and I have been at OMDC since April 15 2025." reads a handwritten note, wrapped around a lotion bottle that was thrown by a man held captive inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC) on Sunday.
ALT "It's cold here all the time and the food is poor," the missive continues. "For 280 days we haven't eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh. We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can't see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick"
ALT "There is no internet. My lawyer was not given my phone calls. We are constantly sick. Our judge changed the final court decision. The judges are very busy. They have postponed our court three times. After 190+ days, we still don't have a final court decision. We were tortured in our own country and now being held indefinitely in a prison and unable to prepare for our trial.
ALT They won't give us a schedule. We are sitting indefinitely. They won't give us a lawyer. There is no legal counsel. We can't read or write to influence them. The law does not understand language barriers. The lawyers don't respond to positive feedback in our deportation interview or the due process interview. The library only has English-language books. There are no sports. We are not sure of the final outcome and are now being held in prison indefinitely without the opportunity to properly prepare for trial. We are in dire straits and are pleading for help. Many people here have been sitting for 12, 14, 16, 18 months without a final court decision."
