Detention Expansion Standards Letter
PublishedLetter to Secretary Kelly Urging Him to Abandon Any Plans to Pursue This Costly Expansion
The Washington Post has reported that the John F. Kelly (DHS) is actively seeking to expand the immigration detention system so it has the capacity to lock up over 60,000 immigrants. This bid for more detention beds and facilities comes at the same time that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly seeks to slash the few protections in place to protect the safety and civil rights of individuals who are detained. We urge Secretary Kelly to abandon any plans to pursue this costly expansion. We further urge Secretary Kelly to strengthen rather than lessen standards and monitoring of a system that already endangers the lives and due process rights of asylum seekers and immigrants.