Officer Accused Of Choking Migrant In ICE Detention

An ex-private security officer who previously worked at a major immigration detention facility in Texas is facing allegations of assaulting a detained migrant who was already in handcuffs.

Charles Siringi, 66, was recently charged in federal court with deprivation of rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury for the alleged assault on a detained individual at GEO Group’s Montgomery Processing Center, as per an affidavit obtained by JS.

According to the Department of Homeland Security agent who authored the affidavit, Siringi reportedly grabbed the victim by the neck and throat on Mar. 21, slamming him into a wall and dragging him across the room in the presence of another officer.

The victim stated that Siringi had already handcuffed him before the assault and that he was being taken into a small room. Upon entering the room, the victim recalled Siringi saying “you better get him before I do” just before the assault unfolded.

The victim mentioned that he tucked his chin down to his chest while gasping for air, but Siringi did not release his grip on his throat, according to the affidavit.

The other officer present in the room corroborated most of the victim’s description of the alleged assault. He noted that he tried to handcuff the victim during the altercation but realized the victim was already restrained the entire time.

The other officer stated that he believed Siringi used excessive force and that the victim did not resist in any way. He promptly took the victim for medical attention, where staff reported that the victim was bleeding and had two scratches on the back of his neck.

ICE spokesperson forwarded a statement by GEO Group to JS, confirming that Siringi is no longer employed by the company.

The statement read, “We are dedicated to upholding the human rights and dignity of all individuals in our care, and we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding staff misconduct. Any such incidents are thoroughly investigated and addressed in line with GEO policy and our client’s guidelines.”

Siringi was released on $10,000 bond on Tuesday, according to court records.