The women came to this country for a better life. They put their trust and faith in the U.S. political system. They likely were fleeing gender-based violence or other forms of violence and exploitation and faced a journey during which they were also at risk of sexual assault.
Upon arrival at the U.S. border, they were treated like criminals and detained. They were released under supervision of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, who took their passports and required regular check-ins to ensure that they did not become flight risks.
But as happens to so many women, power imbalances led to horrific crimes.
