Topline
A Feb. 6 report from the volunteer Physicians for Human Rights that examined alleged “inhuman care” involving the tactic’s use in ICE services was the subject of a letter from nearly a hundred senators on Friday urging the Department of Homeland Security to “end the use of lone confinement in immigration detention.
Major Information
The letter, which was addressed to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Patrick Lechleitner and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, recommended that the company stop using solitary confinement and look for other options before finally putting it in place.
By April 5th, the lawmakers requested details about the company’s solitary confinement policies and the DHS supervision role.
According to a report released on February 6 from Physicians for Human Rights, some refugees the party interviewed were placed in solitary confinement while in confinement for “minor administrative offenses” or” as a form of retribution for participating in hunger attacks or filing complaints.”
The report also revealed that the organization placed detained refugees in solitary confinement more than 14, 000 occasions between 2018 and 2023, with remains lasting an average of 27 days, a number that the team claimed” well exceeds the 15-day level” recommended by the firm in 2011 and updated in 2015, which the corporation recommended in 2015.
Eleven legislators signed off on the letter: Sen. Ed Markey, D- Mass., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D- Mass., Sen. Dick Durbin, D- Ill., Sen. Martin Heinrich, D- N. M., Sen. Peter Welch, D- Vt., Sen. Patty Murray, D- Wash., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I- Vt., Sen. Laphonza Butler, D- Calif., Sen. Mazie Hirono, D- Hawaii, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., Sen. Cory Booker, D- N. J., and Sen. Alex Padilla, D- Calif.
Forbes ‘ requests for comment were not immediately responded to by DHS and ICE.
Crucial Quote
” Given that solitary confinement has been shown to present a significant risk of substantial psychological, emotional, and even physical harm, we are concerned that ICE’s solitary confinement practices may also constitute cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U. S. Constitution”, the letter said.
Surprising Fact
In 2011, the U.N.’s Special Rapporteur for Human Rights suggested a worldwide ban on the practice of solitary confinement.
Key Background
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, solitary confinement has been linked to a range of negative health effects, including the onset of new mental illnesses and the exacerbation or recurrence of previously established conditions. In September 2013, ICE issued a directive on the practice to improve oversight and restrict its use among those with disabilities. An Office of the Inspector General report from October 2021 that looked at detention files from 2015 to 2019 revealed that the agency needed to improve its oversight of the policy on segregation use, the technical term for solitary confinement, in light of ongoing concerns from legislators and the general public. More than two years later, immigration advocacy groups filed a complaint with ICE over alleged misuse of the practice in July 2023.
Tangent
The agency announced on March 13 that officers across five cities—Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D. C., Detroit and Buffalo, New York—would begin wearing body cameras in an attempt to increase public transparency about operations. ICE, however, stated that due to the significant budget deficit it is currently facing, it does not currently have the resources to implement the program completely.
Further Reading
Federal Records Show An Increased Use of Solitary Confinement for Immigrants ( The New York Times )
Detainees and advocates blast the “horrible” conditions at the Louisiana ICE detention facility ( NBC News ).
ICE Officers Will Begin Using Body Cameras, But a budget gap could prevent a full rollout ( Forbes )
ICE reportedly takes into account mass releases amid a$ 700 million budget gap ( Forbes ).
