Immigration Detention System Under Fire: News Analysis from Feet in Two Worlds
By Diego Graglia, FI2W web editor
The immigration detention system has been under fire from all sides in the past few weeks. Let us count the ways:
- There was the Associated Press special report showing most immigrant detainees are not criminals and many are held for lengthy periods before being deported.
- There was the announcement that the Inter-American Court for Human Rights will hold a hearing on immigrant detention conditions in the U.S. today in Washington.
- There were two reports –from Human Rights Watch and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center– saying that immigration authorities provide dismal medical care to detainees.
- All of this came after high-profile detainee deaths in Rhode Island and Virginia called attention to the treatment immigrants receive while they await to be deported.
As with other aspects of immigration policy, the Obama Administration has hinted that it may address the issue of immigrant detention soon, but it has yet to announce any concrete measures on the matter.