(April 3, 2008)--Eight teenage immigrants who are held at a facility for unaccompanied minors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming they were abused and denied access to attorneys.
The teenagers from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Cuba were being held at the 122-bed facility in San Antonio, which is owned and run by Houston-based Cornell Companies.
Cornell has a contract with the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Undocumented minors caught by authorities in the United States fall under the care of ORR while their immigration cases are decided.
Attorney Susan Watson with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid says the teens were beaten and subjected to other excessive force in violation of their rights.
The suit names Cornell and 15 of its workers, along with three employees of ORR.
Calls to officials at ORR and Cornell weren't immediately returned.
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