Standing Up Bravely to Speak the Truth

In July 2020, nurse Dawn Wooten came forward to blow the whistle on abuses she witnessed while working at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC), an ICE detention facility run by LaSalle Corrections.

Her disclosures revealed a failure to protect against the spread of COVID-19 within the facility and the resulting endangerment of both immigrants and workers. She also revealed that women detainees were undergoing hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures without informed consent, an explosive disclosure that went viral and incited passionate calls for reform from immigration justice organizations, medical professionals and 172 members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Dawn has suffered retaliation as a result of her whistleblowing: she lost her job and has been unable to find new work, she and her family have received threats and she has been threatened with defamation suits from the offending doctor. Despite filing a whistleblower retaliation complaint almost a year ago, she has not yet received justice.

However, since Dawn bravely stood up to speak the truth, change has been swift. Within a week of her public disclosures, women stopped being referred to the offending doctor. A full investigation of ICDC followed, and as a result, immigrants are no longer detained there. We are continuing to push for further investigations into LaSalle and other ICE contractors, and for justice for Dawn Wooten.

You can ensure our work to protect free speech and advocate for whistleblowers continues for generations to come with a future gift. Contact Michael Termini at michaelt@whistleblower.org or (202) 926-3321, to start planning your legacy today.