A deaf Mongolian asylum seeker named Avirmed spent over four months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in Southern California without access to a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter. This lack of communication support left him unable to participate in his asylum case, raising serious civil rights concerns and sparking calls for change in how ICE handles language access for detainees with disabilities.
On July 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw ruled that ICE violated Avirmed’s civil rights by not providing a qualified interpreter. The judge ordered ICE to supply a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter and redo two important assessments: a mental health evaluation and a credible fear interview, both critical to Avirmed’s asylum claim. After this ruling, ICE released Avirmed around July 23, 2025, without holding a new bond hearing. ICE has not explained the reasons for his release or why a bond hearing was skipped.
Avirmed’s case began in February 2025, when he was detained and spent more than 80 days without any way to communicate. His sister, a U.S. citizen, fought for his release and described his experience as “being trapped in silence.” She highlighted how the lack of interpreter services caused deep isolation and distress for Avirmed, who could not understand what was happening or speak for himself.
This case has brought national attention to ongoing problems with ICE’s language services, especially for people with disabilities or limited English skills. ICE’s 2025 National Detention Standards say that facilities must identify detainees who need language help and provide professional interpreters, either in person or by phone. These rules also say that other detainees should not be used as interpreters except in emergencies. However, Avirmed’s experience shows that these standards are not always followed, especially for less common languages like Mongolian Sign Language.
ICE has a contract, updated in 2024, to provide telephonic interpretation services 24 hours a day for many languages. But this did not help Avirmed, who went months without any interpreter. This gap in service has raised questions about how ICE handles rare languages and sign languages, and whether its contracts and policies are enough to protect detainees’ rights.
Judge Sabraw’s ruling makes it clear that under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and other disability rights laws, government agencies like ICE must provide qualified interpreters so that people with disabilities or limited English skills can take part in legal proceedings. The judge said it was fundamentally unfair to deny an asylum seeker the chance to understand or participate in their own case because of a lack of interpreter services.
Legal advocates have spoken out strongly about the case. Alegría De La Cruz, director of litigation for the Disability Rights Legal Center, represented Avirmed and called his detention without communication access a human rights violation. Disability rights groups and legal experts are now urging ICE to do a better job following language access laws and to make sure detainees with disabilities get the help they need quickly.
ICE’s 2025 budget includes more money and staff for mission support and enforcement, but there is no public sign that these resources are being used to improve language access for detainees who need rare languages or have disabilities. This has led to renewed calls for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to put more effort into making sure all detainees can communicate and understand their legal situations.
For people like Avirmed, not having a qualified interpreter means they cannot talk to their lawyers, understand court hearings, or take part in interviews that decide their future. This puts them at risk of being wrongly deported or kept in detention for too long. The case shows how important it is for ICE to have interpreters ready for all detainees, including those who use sign languages that are not common.
Looking ahead, the judge’s decision may push ICE to review and improve its language access policies and interpreter contracts, especially for sign languages and rare spoken languages. Disability rights groups and immigrant advocates are expected to keep pressing ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to create stronger rules and better oversight for language access. Lawmakers may also consider new laws or regulations in 2025 or 2026 to make interpreter requirements in immigration detention clearer and stronger.
Families and advocates can find more information about ICE’s language access policies in the 2025 National Detention Standards, which are available on the official ICE website. The Department of Homeland Security also publishes details about its contracts for language services, including telephonic interpretation, which show what services ICE is supposed to provide.
Advocacy groups like the Disability Rights Legal Center offer legal help and resources for detainees with disabilities. They encourage families to speak up if a loved one is not getting the interpreter services they need.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, Avirmed’s case is a clear example of the urgent need for better language access in immigration detention. It shows that ICE must do more to protect the rights of all detainees, no matter what language they use or what disabilities they have. For now, Avirmed is free, but his story has started a wider conversation about fairness, access, and the need for real change in the immigration system.
Learn Today
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) → U.S. government agency responsible for immigration detention and enforcement actions.
Mongolian Sign Language → A specialized sign language used by deaf Mongolian individuals for communication.
Civil Rights Act Title VI → A law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs.
Credible Fear Interview → An asylum applicant’s interview to establish a genuine fear of persecution if returned home.
Telephonic Interpretation Services → Language translation provided over the phone to assist communication between detainees and officials.
This Article in a Nutshell
Avirmed’s detention without a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter exposed ICE’s failure in language access. A judge ordered new interpreter services, highlighting serious civil rights violations. His case urges urgent reforms to protect detainees with disabilities and improve communication in immigration custody nationwide for rare languages.
— By VisaVerge.com
