We're holding the immigration agencies accountable for their lack of transparency. This newsletter highlights our efforts—and exposes government documents we’ve uncovered. 

 THE LATEST FILINGS 

  • Investigating Southern ICE Detention Facilities

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities have a long history of serious human rights and due process violations. Black immigrants in ICE detention face serious harm and barriers that are underreported. 

The Council, in collaboration with Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), is investigating the abuse and mistreatment of Black immigrants in ICE detention facilities located in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. We filed FOIA requests with ICE seeking records about the conditions, treatment, and outcomes that individuals face in eight ICE facilities. The records from ICE are vital to hold the agency accountable for violations and abuse inside detention. 

Read more: Scrutinizing the Treatment and Conditions Black Immigrants Face in Detention

 DOCUMENT DIVE 

  • Medical Care in ICE Detention

The Council received an 82-page document containing medical complaints in response to our FOIA to ICE asking for records NARA had categorized as temporary and were scheduled to be destroyed. 

The documents contained complaints from ICE detention facilities between January 2020 and July 2020. The complaints highlighted a range of issues emphasizing the concerning level of medical inadequacy in ICE detention. Within the 6-month period captured by the FOIA, there were a total of 234 grievances documenting delayed medical care, failure to accommodate disabilities, discrimination, and excessive force.

Read more: Records Regarding Civil Rights Complaints in ICE Custody
 

  • Migrant Protection Protocols 

The Council will continue to review records obtained through FOIA requests, and subsequent litigation, about the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). We are analyzing these documents to see whether the government knew about the due process and safety issues MPP created—and how they planned to address them. The documents include:

  • A redacted draft agreement between the United States and Mexico regarding MPP that may not have been signed.
  • Courtroom maps with social distancing layouts and an email exchange where high-level EOIR officials discussed potentially having to “shut down entire courts” to deal with MPP. 
  • Formal confirmation that the Trump administration considered having immigration judges in Hawaii hear cases in San Diego and keeping immigration courts open to almost midnight.  

Read more: Demanding Records About the Migrant Protection Protocols Program

The American Immigration Council works to hold the government accountable on immigration issues. We harness freedom of information requests, litigation, and advocacy to expose wrongdoing and promote transparency within immigration agencies.

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