A federal judge in Tucson says he plans to tell the U.S. Border Patrol not to deprive detainees of sleep at the agency's detention centers in Arizona.
The Arizona Daily Star reports that U.S. District Judge David C. Bury said at a hearing Tuesday that sleep deprivation in this case is a violation of civil rights.
Bury did not issue a formal order but says he will tell the Border Patrol to change its practices while a lawsuit filed on behalf of three former detainees works its way through court. The civil case begins next summer and also deals with complaints about food, cold temperatures and a lack of access to medical care.
Border Patrol officials argued that being ordered to improve sleeping conditions could complicate their ability to do their job.
