Detention
A Guide to Obtaining Detention Records
Our comprehensive guide on obtaining detention records provides a brief overview of FOIA requirements, information about the types of records government agencies possess, tips about how to request those records, and an overview of what to expect after submitting the request. Read More
Infamous Immigration Detention Center Closes, But More Work Needs to Be Done
After years of advocacy and widespread abuse, Berks County officials announced that the federal government was ending its contract for the Berks County detention center on January 31, 2023. Advocacy led by a group of organizations called the Shut Down Berks Coalition celebrated the news. Formally named the Berks… Read More
Advocates File Lawsuit to Demand That ICE Make Immigration Bond Procedures Publicly Available on Its Website
The Council alongside other advocates has filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to compel U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to publish on its website guidelines and procedures explaining how the agency processes bonds for the release of individuals in detention. Read More
The American Immigration Council Sues ICE to Compel Agency to Publish its Bond Payment Procedures
This Lawsuit seeks to compel ICE to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and publish bond processing procedures that must be followed to obtain the release of individuals in detention. Read More
ICE Fails to Justify Solitary Confinement Placements and Identify Vulnerable Populations
Solitary confinement is widely criticized as a cruel and unnecessary practice. It’s largely unsupported by the public as a disciplinary measure and badly in need of reform. On October 26, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on solitary confinement practices used by U.S. Immigration and Customs… Read More
New Report Shows Disproportionate Abuse of Black Immigrants in Detention
Black immigrants in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disproportionately face abuse while in detention, a report released last week finds. Published by several organizations including the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), the report argues that this discriminatory treatment of… Read More
Legal Service Providers Sue to Remove Barriers to Access to Counsel in Immigration Detention
Legal service organizations have sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for preventing people jailed at four immigration detention centers from having meaningful access to their lawyers. The barriers to attorney access at these facilities illustrate ICE’s failure to protect the fundamental rights of detained immigrants nationwide. At any… Read More
Legal Organizations Sue ICE for Illegally Preventing Attorneys from Communicating with Detained Immigrants in Four States
Several legal services organizations filed a lawsuit today against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for unlawfully preventing attorneys from communicating with immigrants detained in four detention facilities in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona. Read More
Challenging the Government’s Barriers to Access to Counsel in Immigration Detention Centers
This lawsuit challenges ICE's policies that have made it extremely difficult—and in many cases impossible—for people in immigration detention to access their attorneys. Read More
Appellate Court Finds California’s Private Prison Ban Is Likely Unconstitutional
An appellate court recently ruled that California’s state law banning private prisons—including immigration detention centers—is likely unconstitutional. The decision is a significant blow to advocates fighting to end immigration detention in California and nationwide. In its September 26 decision, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that… Read More
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