Today the Detention Watch Network launches its national campaign “Dignity, Not Detention: Preserving Human Rights & Restoring Justice” to halt expansion of the U.S. immigration detention system and demand that immigrants are treated with full respect for their human rights and dignity.
American ideals of democracy and liberty are built on the foundation of upholding due process and human rights for all people. Contrary to these ideals, the U.S. government has created a climate of fear in our communities through the widespread abuse of power under the rapidly expanding immigration enforcement regime and the gross mistreatment of individuals held in detention. At an annual cost of $1.7 billion, the government’s use of misguided enforcement practices have resulted in more than 300,000 people detained each year under appalling conditions in unregulated detention facilities with limited or no access to lawyers, and without hope for a fair day in court.
While John Morton, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, the Department of Homeland Security agency which oversees immigration detention and deportation) announced last year that he plans to institute major reforms in the detention system, to date, advocates have seen little evidence of change, and human rights abuses continue to occur each day.
Latina Lista notes that the advocacy campaign portrayed in “The Least of These” led to the type of transparency than can force additional changes in the detention system.