From Urban Institute:
In 2023, a group of immigrants detained under terrible conditions at New Mexico’s Torrance County Detention Facility (TDCF) filed a lawsuit against Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). The lawsuit claimed that ICE approved a false inspection report in 2022, which allowed ICE to continue contracting with TDCF— despite evidence showing the facility was breaking federal standards for humane treatment of immigrants in detention. Alleged violations included a delay in medical care, being served spoiled food, and untreated infections, offering a rare glimpse into ICE’s punitive capacity or ability to inflict harm on immigrant detainees, who are mostly from Latin American countries.
Data on detention center operations and outcomes are difficult to obtain, often requiring lawsuits and extensive Freedom of Information Act requests. But research reveals evidence of traumatic experiences and conditions leading detainees to suffer higher rates of sexual assault, suicide, and death.
ICE’s website says that “detention is non-punitive,” but the available evidence indicates that’s not true. Significant policy changes are necessary to mitigate conditions for immigrants detained in ICE facilities—who are disproportionately Latine— to make sure they are treated more humanely. Continue reading >>>
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