Human Rights & Detention

How Do Human Rights Impact The U.S. Immigration Detention And Deportation System?
Nearly 300,000 men, women, and children are detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) each year, the majority of whom have no criminal history whatsoever. Harsh immigration laws passed in 1996 violate the human rights of immigrants by using a policy of mandatory detention, depriving them of access to legal counsel and fair hearing in court for immigrants in deportation proceedings. The U.S. immigration detention and deportation system denies migrants basic due process and human rights, and violates international law.

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status.

All migrants leave behind their home countries, but as human beings, they carry the protections of international human rights with them as they cross borders and enter any new country.

Every person deserves this protection from every nation.

Violating these rights is violating our common values.

Each government has the right to determine its immigration policy based on its sovereignty, but this power is not without any limit.

Why are Human Rights Important?

Why Use Human Rights Law?

How Can I Use Human Rights to Help Immigration Detainees?

Learn more about your human rights in detention and deportation proceedings:

• International human rights law requires respect for “the inherent dignity of the human person”

• International human rights law requires immigration detention policies be applied in a non-discriminatory manner

• International human rights law guarantees the right to due process of law

• International human rights law prohibits arbitrary detention

• Vulnerable people in detention should receive particular attention to secure their safety


Here is a list of more resources.