Sandra Hernandez, who broke the news last May on the pre-deportation government drugging of two men before boarding at LAX, writes in today's L.A. Daily Journal that Homeland Security has decided to forbid the practice.

In a dramatic policy shift, the Department of Homeland Security has agreed it will no longer forcibly drug immigrants to facilitate deportations, even in emergency situations, without a court order.

The new policy, unveiled last week in a memo, said the agency can no longer ask for medical staff to forcibly drug an immigrant "to facilitate an alien's removal" without a court order.

"There are no exceptions to this policy," wrote John P. Torres, a director with Immigration and Customs Enforcement....

The new rules come just days after settlement talks between the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Department of Homeland Security fell apart. The ACLU is suing the Department of Homeland Security in federal district court after federal officials forcibly drugged two immigrants held at a San Pedro detention center with mind-altering drugs while trying to deport them.

The involuntary sedation was carried out by public health doctors and nurses assigned to a special aviation program that provides medical escorts during deportations.

The program became public last year after the Daily Journal reported on the forced drugging of the two immigrants. Neither man had a history of mental illness.

No link because it's the Daily Journal, but here's the website if you want to pony up $667 for a year.