The Don Lemon Show
Lemon LIVE at 5 | SHOCKING Case of Abuse & Neglect Within ICE Facility!
07 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What disturbing allegations are made about ICE detention facilities?
good evening everyone welcome to lemon live at five um honored that you are here uh and this is a an extremely extremely important story so i want everybody to settle in and i want everyone to watch because i think it's gonna probably it's i know it's gonna enlighten you it will probably enrage many of you so uh grab your
you want to grab your kleenex or whatever your tissues do it now and um i'm just warning you that this is you know these are strong allegations and we'll talk about all of them so thank you for coming to the show today and watching let me know where you're streaming from first order of business as usual is to you got to hit that thumbs up button you have to hit the like and in the comments if you will remind us throughout the show or the folks in the comments
that they need to like and subscribe because that's very important. Also become a member if you care anything about independent media, especially independent journalism. And this is a story that I'm not sure that you'll hear anywhere else. You will maybe now after we tell this story, but everybody gather around and get ready. So here we go. Thank you for joining us.
And I want to say this before we begin the program, because before we begin, I just want to be very clear. with our viewers that the woman that you are about to hear from is sharing her personal account and allegations regarding her husband's detention at a Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma. This is their housing, immigrants there, detainees there.
We have not been able to independently verify each of her individual claims. We did reach out to the Diamondback Correctional Facility for a comment prior to this interview, but we could not get a response because they didn't answer the phone. It rings and rings and rings, and there's no place to email.
And so it is tough to get in touch with them, but we will keep trying because we want to hear their side of the story. As always, we present this conversation in the interest of transparency and public accountability. So with that said, I want to introduce you to my guest. And her name is Madi Arpatia.
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Chapter 2: How did Edwin end up in the Diamondback Correctional Facility?
She is a husband, Edwin, who she says is currently being held at the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Oklahoma that I mentioned. And Madi says that her husband was first detained on December 20th. We're going to hear from her, but I just want to get this and make sure that you hear. He was originally taken to the Blue Bonnet Facility which was in Texas and then transferred to Oklahoma.
And then there was an assault that he is alleging that he witnessed along with four others, okay? The five of them wanted to testify about an assault and then one detailed in an earlier calls. And we're gonna play some of the calls for you, okay? One was on January 1st. Edwin and the others were transferred to Diamondback facility in subsequent days.
Okay, so with that said, I'm going to make this make sense. Madi, thank you very much for joining us. I know that it's tough for you. How are you doing, first of all?
You know, I'm hanging on. I'm hanging on. You know, every day I just pray that Edwin is able to call me and reach out. I'm just concerned for his safety and many other inmates safeties. Yeah.
Yeah. OK, so listen. I want you to explain what happened, and then I'm going to ask you about these allegations of assault that Edwin says that he witnessed, okay?
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Chapter 3: What were the conditions like during Edwin's detention?
So what happened? How did he end up in this facility where there are housing ICE detention or detainees?
So December 20th, we were on our way from Colorado Springs to Dallas. We were driving and we were stopped in Memphis, Texas by a sheriff later on that night. The reason for the stop was because the brake light above our license plate was out, mind you. Keep in mind, our two taillights were working. They also said that the license plate cover was covering the Colorado State plate.
And they said that that was illegal. They then proceeded to ask him for his identification. He gave them his identification on his phone, his passport, a picture of his passport. When they got that information, the sheriff went back to his car, then came back to him and asked him to step out of the car so that he can, quote unquote, see his passport picture better.
OK, and then what happened?
They when they got him out of the car, he told the sheriff, told Edwin if he was aware that he had a warrant out for his arrest. Edwin asked to see this warrant. They did not want to show him the warrant. They proceeded to, you know, get my identification as well.
I gave them my passport and they booked him on a warrant as well as when they took him into the facility, they were not able to book him under a warrant. They booked him under another charge that I'm not comfortable sharing.
Okay. And then what happened?
You know, him and his family or his family came down from Dallas and we stayed in a hotel for a few days, you know, hoping that we can bond him out. But once we paid that bond, I got a hold of him. So on top of, you know, our loved one being lost, the finances was lost as well.
Okay, so they take him, and what do they do with you? Do you take the car and you go somewhere? If you're driving, what happens?
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Chapter 4: What specific abuse allegations are discussed in this episode?
I then followed the sheriffs to the sheriff's department where they were holding other immigrants there being ready to be taken to detention centers.
And you follow them there.
I followed the sheriff to the sheriff. Yes.
Did you go inside of the detention center at all?
I did not. Not until Sunday. I'm not familiar of what date that is. The arrest happened on Saturday. Okay. So Sunday, 2021 or Sunday, December 21st, I was able to visit him with his sisters and see him through a plexiglass.
And what was that like?
It was heartbreaking. You know, you never realize the certain situation that how serious this is with, you know, ice and, you know, deportation. It's very, very scary to witness him behind that wall.
And so when did you how long was he there? Do you do you know?
He was there for about, I believe, three days, and then he got sent to Randall County Jail. He then got transferred after a day being from Randall County Jail to Blue Bonnet that following Friday after his arrest.
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Chapter 5: How does Edwin describe the treatment of detainees in the facility?
The recordings that you have of the assault is while he was at Blue Bonnet.
Okay. So again, these are allegations again, and we're trying to reach out to the facility, but in the interest of transparency, we want to let you know. Okay. So Andy, if you have the one where she is calling, this is Edwin, he calls you right from the facility. Is that what happened?
Yes.
Right. And then he made this, these allegations to you on one of the phone calls. Here it is.
They're trying to tear gas on us over here for no reason. Like, we're just here, and they want to, like, they want to get us. They want to blow gas on us and shit. They want to beat us and shit. Like, they want to treat us like not fair here. They're not doing things by the rules here. They're going to shut our phones down and stuff, so I don't know when I'll be able to call again and stuff.
And even that, I'd probably get in trouble for even calling you and telling you this, or I might be in the hole or some shit like that, so you need to... So you need to, okay, just... It's okay, for right now, I'm... For right now, I'm okay, okay, but listen, listen, I'm not gonna die.
Nobody's... Nobody's gonna kill nobody, but... Okay, but just... Just, okay, just... It's not... They're not doing things right over here. They're not doing things right. They just came and picked one up to try to deport him... And they choked them, they beat them, they kicked them, and they took them out on a bed, strapped to a bed, bleeding, dude, bleeding. I'm going to give you a phone number.
I think that's like the local PD, like the police department that's over here. I don't know if you can call. And then, you know, say that you're scared for my life, that, you know, I'm in here, that I just called you. And you can show them this recording. Show them the text messages, too.
Showing the text messages too or, you know, I think there's lifelines too that you can call or you can look up to, you know, but the guys want me to call you and let you know, like, I'm the only one that is calling right now because I'm the only one that kind of speaks English to you right now. Everybody's calling their families.
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Chapter 6: What challenges do families face in communicating with detained loved ones?
Everybody's letting them know and stuff. So, but it's not, it's not, it's not like what they're doing in here, you know. This facility already came out on the news twice already for doing shit like this because they think that they can get away with shit like that.
So, you know, if you don't hear from me, make sure you do everything and anything, dude, to find out where the fuck I'm at, where they have me, and what the fuck they've done. Because whatever the fuck they're doing in here is not right. It's not right. It's okay. It's okay. It's not your fault. It's this bitch-ass country, bro. They think that they... They think that they can rush it, man.
Please do not fight with them. Do not fight back, baby. I'm not fighting, dude.
We're not fighting. We're just here. We're sitting down. We're literally sitting down, and they're planning to fucking tear gas us and everything. They already took half of the population out, or I don't know where to. Half of the population is gone. They just took them all, and now all of us are back here. The other half is still here. And we're all wearing masks and shit.
We're all fearing for our lives. They're over there looking in the windows and whatnot to see how many, I think, to see how many heads they can take, shit.
I'm so sorry, baby. Please be careful.
It's not your fault, dude, but I'm telling you, dude, shit is not what you think it is, dude. You know, it's not a daycare.
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Chapter 7: What actions can be taken to improve conditions in ICE facilities?
It's not a road trip for me over here. It's not a road trip for me over here, babe. They're not doing things right. They're not doing things right.
You're muted, Don. It's tough to listen to that. And so when he talks about the abuse allegations, what is he saying? Is he saying that he was abused? And what is he saying?
So the abuse that happened, I was on the phone when this happened to a certain inmate, Mr. Lara Gonzalez. I guess while he was showering, the inmate, Guard Uganda, Officer Uganda came to him and told him, you know, we need to take you out of here, I'm assuming for deportation. And the inmate, all he wanted to do was finish up his shower, collect himself, and then he would go.
Like, there was no, he wasn't resisting is all I can say. And because he didn't get out of the shower right away, he manhandled him. took him out of the shower. What I was told was allegedly he was beat and he was then left on a stretcher bleeding.
And these are all, again, allegations and the names. If I would rather not mention any names, if you can, and just mention officer or any of the other people who are even the person who is the alleged victim and the alleged officer, because we have not been able to verify this. This is, and this is, again, at the Blue Bonnet facility that you're talking about. This is in Texas. Okay. Okay.
This is Edwin talking about the shower. Here it is.
And then the guy, the guy who... Can you pause, please?
Go ahead. Madi, what were you saying?
Edwin's calling.
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Chapter 8: What is the broader context of ICE's treatment of detainees?
They can hear you.
Hey, I tried so hard to get in touch with you. I never really liked the tablet, so I think they went into my
Can you turn the volume down just a little bit, please? It's just a little too loud. Okay.
Super nice. And he's actually trying to help us out. All he says is that they're reviewing. That they're reviewing. That they're reviewing. Call him to the computer. And we'll be finished. And he did.
He brought a phone.
And that's all. I was able to call you, but I had to try, like, Edwin, can you hear me? I can talk right now.
Can you hear Don? Don? Edwin, can you hear me?
Yes, yes, I can. I can.
Hi, Edwin. You can turn the volume back up. It's just a little scratchy. Edwin, so we were talking about, thank you for joining us. You had difficulty, I couldn't hear you clearly, you had difficulty calling Mahdi because what are they doing now? Are they limiting your phone calls? What happened?
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