An ex-Paraguayan from Alabama pocketed more than one million dollars that were destined to food expenses for immigrants detained in the Etowah County Detention Center, which has mobilized local organizations to prevent this practice from happening.
The ex-Paraguayan Todd Entrekin would have taken advantage of a loophole in a law of the era of depression, to retain 1.5 million dollars left as surplus in the budget for the food of immigrants detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), indicated local media.
“We have a law that allows them to personally leave any money they do not spend on food for individuals under their care, which has had disastrous results,” Frank Knaack, executive director of Alabama Appleseeds, an organization that has denounced the practice in repeatedly.
Entrekin, allegedly, would have saved in costs by giving the detainees rotten food, expired expiration date or donated, which allowed him to generate a surplus of 3 million dollars, of which he could choose 50%, as established by the law.
“What we saw at Etowa is just the tip of the iceberg in Alabama, and the Legislature should take care of this issue this year to end this practice,” Knaack said.
The organization works with other local organizations to prevent this practice from continuing and to guarantee that the detainees receive a diet according to the standards established by law.
“We are working closely with the Southern Center for Human Rights on legislation on this issue and State Senator (Arthur) Orr to end this practice from the Legislature,” he said.
At the beginning of last year, the sheriff would have acknowledged that he had left without spending more than $ 750,000 of those intended to feed the detainees in a period of 3 years.
“The law says it’s a personal account and that’s the way I’ve always done it, because it’s the way the law establishes and how I do business,” Entrekin, who lost his re-election, told local media on that occasion. last June. (EFEUSA) .-
