aclu: gov't forcibly gives deportees psychotropic drugs

from azcentral: The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion to stop immigration authorities forcibly drugging deportees as they are put on commercial flights back to their home countries.

The motion, filed Tuesday in federal court, comes after an immigration official testified in the Senate last month that 50 immigrants over a seven-month period were forced to take psychotropic drugs. Many of them had no psychiatric diagnosis.

"The new information shows the government's forcible drugging policy is more widespread than previously suggested," ACLU attorney Ahilan T. Arulanantham said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauri Haley would not comment about the pending litigation, but said forced medications were rarely given.

"Medical sedation is an act of last resort and is rarely used," Haley said.