There is a human rights crisis in immigration detention facilities across this country. People in immigration detention live in deplorable conditions that endanger their health, including those that are confined to county jails that contract with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to house people awaiting their immigration proceedings. Immigration detention is supposed to be non-punitive, yet for many it can damage their health and even cost them their lives.
As advocated, we can fight back. Following the lead of decades of advocacy and litigation by the prisoners' rights community, immigrant justice advocates, their supporters, and those who have experienced immigration detention can build a body of law to hold ICE, the jails, medical providers, and other relevant entities accountable. In so doing, we can use challenges focused on health and the lack of access to healthcare as a catalyst to bring an end to the immigration detention machine.