Pressroom

Washington, DC — Immigrant justice groups are raising the alarm over increasing reports of medical neglect, overcrowding, and rampant transfers that sow confusion and cut people off from their loved ones and support networks in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. Last week, a man detained at the Krome Detention Center in Florida went viral from a video inside the facility showing people sleeping on the floor. In February, four women were detained at the same detention center, a facility used for men. They described their experience as “ hell on earth,” as they were…

Baldwin, MI — Today, The GEO Group announced a new contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the GEO-owned North Lake Facility (North Lake) in Baldwin, Michigan. North Lake closed in 2022 as a result of Biden’s executive order to end the use of private prisons by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). With a capacity to detain 1,800 people, North Lake will become one of the largest ICE detention centers in the country. North Lake is among several shuttered BOP private prisons that have been converted into ICE detention centers over the years. This news is the latest development…

Washington, DC — In response to Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 over the weekend, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network issued the following statement: “With the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, Trump is cementing his regime as unmistakably authoritarian. This is a tipping point in Trump’s cruel detention and deportation agenda that echoes some of the darkest moments in US history, including the Red Scare and Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Decades later, we still see the deep, multigenerational trauma caused by the detention of…

Washington, DC — On Friday the Senate passed a Trump-backed bill that gives billions more for detention and deportation, including a staggering budget increase of nearly $500 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), bringing the agency to a nearly $10 billion budget. In response, Setareh Ghandehari, Detention Watch Network’s advocacy director, issued the following statement: “On Friday, Senate Democrats fully co-signed Trump's dangerous and immoral anti-immigrant and anti-democratic agenda. Rather putting up any semblance of a fight to reign in the Trump regime, the Democrats…

Washington, DC — The House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution late Tuesday that gives the Trump administration billions more for detention and deportation, including a staggering budget increase of nearly $500 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), bringing the agency to a nearly $10 billion budget. In response, Setareh Ghandehari, Detention Watch Network’s advocacy director, issued the following statement: “The House bill backed by Trump will supercharge his cruel detention and deportation agenda and wreak havoc on communities nationwide with unprecedented…

New York, NY — In response to the news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested and detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement: “ICE’s arrest of Mahmoud Khalil should alarm every single one of us. Suppression of dissent is a key tactic of the Trump regime, and now Trump is ramping up the targeting of activists to silence political opposition. This is a clear example of the rise of authoritarianism and undermining of democratic values under Trump, and we must…

Dilley, Texas — Today news broke of the Trump administration beginning to detain families at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas (nicknamed Dilley). The facility will detain up to 2,400 families. The alarming return of family detention, a policy that was widely condemned and has been dormant for four years, is yet another layer of the Trump administration’s unprecedented and cruel expansion of immigration detention, that if fully realized will triple the current detention system. Families have largely not been subjected to family detention since the Biden administration…

Washington, DC — Yesterday news broke of the Trump administration beginning to detain families at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas (nicknamed Dilley). The facility will detain up to 2,400 families. The alarming return of family detention, a policy that was widely condemned and has been dormant for four years, is yet another layer of the Trump administration’s unprecedented and cruel expansion of immigration detention, that if fully realized will triple the current detention system. Families have largely not been subjected to family detention since the Biden…

Washington DC — In response to Trump’s joint congressional address, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement: “Trump’s address was a total display of xenophobia and white nationalism, full stop. The president continued fear mongering and dehumanizing immigrants by repeatedly spouting racist lies and rhetoric. In his remarks, he exploited devastating tragedies to villainize immigrants at large; touted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workplace and neighborhood raids that instill fear, tear apart families, and devastate communities; and…

Washington, DC — Esta semana, el plan cruel y multidimensional de la administración de Trump para la expansión de la detención migratoria ha seguido adelante viento en popa con noticias de aprobaciones de contratos del Servicio de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE por sus siglas en ingles) en Ohio, Nueva Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, y Mississisippi. Esto sucedió la misma semana que la administración lanzó un esfuerzo dedicado a enfocarse en menores sin acompañamiento, una semana después de la trágica muerte de Maksym Chernayak, 44, que murió bajo custodia de ICE el 20 de febrero en Florida. Ya hay más…

United States – This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the death of Maksym Chernayak, 44, who died in ICE custody on February 20 after being detained at the Krome Service and Processing Center in Florida. Chernakyak’s tragic passing marks the third reported death in ICE custody since Donald Trump assumed the presidency. Serawit Gezahegn Dejene, 45, died on January 29 in ICE custody after being detained at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, and Genry Ruiz Guillen, 29, died on January 23 after being detained at the Krome Service Processing Center. Three deaths in ICE…

Washington, DC — This week, over 200 human rights organizations focused on advancing immigrant and racial justice, safeguarding democracy, and protecting our civil rights and liberties, sent a letter to Congress. In the letter, the organizations demanded Congress reject funding for the Trump Administration’s extreme and unprecedented multi-pronged expansion of the immigrant detention system. Trump’s plans would more than triple the size of immigration detention to detain over 120,000 people, including U.S. citizens and families. The administration’s plan utilizes military assets and bases like…

Washington, DC — This week, both chambers of Congress are moving forward a budget process to supercharge President Trump’s agenda. Today the Senate will consider a budget resolution that will propel the reconciliation process forward with a bill that focuses on immigration and defense spending. At the same time, the House of Representatives is working toward its resolution that combines immigration, defense and taxes, among other things, into one resolution. According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump’s top aides Tom Homan and Stephen Miller met privately with Senators last week to express…

Washington, DC — The Trump administration is preparing to publish a Request for Proposal (RFP) for private prison companies to reinstate family detention, according to new reporting. For the last three years, families have largely not been subjected to family detention since the Biden administration stopped detaining families at the Berks Detention Center in Pennsylvania, the Karnes Residential Center in Texas, and the South Texas Family Residential Center - proving that the U.S. can welcome families to the United States without jailing them. Family detention centers have a well-documented…

Washington, DC — In response to an alarming report that the Trump administration is considering utilizing shipping-containers to detain people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement: “The administration’s solicitation of shipping containers to detain people is outrageous and enraging. We’re talking about people – neighbors, friends, coworkers, family members – who Trump wants to lock away in containers that are meant for construction storage. This is the latest depraved development…

Washington, DC — This week at the National Sheriffs’ Association’s annual conference, Sheriff Jonathan Horton said the Etowah County Jail (Etowah) in Alabama will soon detain people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. With a capacity of over 865 beds, Etowah has not detained people in ICE custody since ending its contract in March 2022 amidst longstanding criticism and well-documented abuse. At the time, the termination of the ICE detention contract at Etowah was widely celebrated by immigrant justice advocates, faith leaders, and community members across the state and around…

Washington, DC — The Trump administration is dangerously moving full steam ahead with unprecedented plans to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) immigration detention system. There are already nearly 40,000 people locked up in ICE detention — if Trump’s multi-pronged detention expansion plan is realized, it will triple the immigration detention system’s capacity. The Trump administration is proposing to detain an additional 84,000 people at any given time, which would bring the number of people detained for immigration to over 120,000, roughly the number of Japanese Americans…

Washington, DC — The Trump administration has begun detaining migrants at Guantánamo Bay, with two flights occurring this week from Fort Bliss carrying roughly a dozen people. In response to this news, Stacy Suh, Program Director of Detention Watch Network issued the following statement: “The use of Guantánamo Bay to detain people is the latest step in a shocking plan to expand the immigration detention system. Guantánamo Bay has an extensive history of abuse and torture–and this in no uncertain terms will put people’s physical and mental health in jeopardy. Trump’s immigration detention…

Denver, CO — Last week it was reported that the Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado will detain people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, revealing one of the first locations of Trump’s plan to more than double ICE’s immigration detention capacity. As previously reported, the administration is seeking to open four new 10,000 bed detention facilities, as well as 14 smaller sites with space for 700 to 1,000 people, now coupled with the directive to use Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 people. The use of military bases for immigration detention deepens a troubling trend of…

Washington, DC — Today, Trump announced he will sign an executive order to detain 30,000 people at Guantánamo Bay, a military base in Cuba. The announcement comes as part of the administration’s plan to more than double Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detention capacity, including opening four new 10,000 bed detention facilities, as well as 14 smaller sites with space for 700 to 1,000 people.The use of Guantánamo Bay for ICE detention will likely require a mass influx of resources to erect temporary large-scale detention facilities, as it was previously reported that the existing…

Washington, DC — Last week The Washington Post obtained a report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking to more than double its immigration detention capacity by opening four new 10,000 bed detention facilities, as well as 14 smaller sites with space for 700 to 1,000 people. The report provides insight into the administration’s plan of action to achieve Trump’s cruel agenda as outlined in the slew of day-one anti-immigrant executive orders that strives to lock up thousands more people and impact detention by: Directing ICE and CBP to expand the use of fast tracked…

In response to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) directives to rescind the Sensitive locations memo, expanding targeting and arrests, and ending humanitarian parole, Setareh Ghandehari, Advocacy Director of Detention Watch Network issued the following statement: “Trump has set a clear intention of terrorizing communities and disrupting daily life, as demonstrated by his administration’s slew of day one executive orders targeting immigrants. His decision to rescind ICE’s longstanding Sensitive Locations Policy that barred some, but not all, enforcement actions in places such as…

Washington, D.C. — Ayer, Donald Trump emitió una serie de órdenes ejecutivas relacionadas con la inmigración que criminalizan y demonizan a les inmigrantes. La gente de todo el país está denunciando rápidamente las órdenes ejecutivas como un ataque a nuestros valores compartidos de dignidad, libertad y oportunidad en los que la mayoría de les estadounidenses creen profundamente. “Con las órdenes ejecutivas de ayer, Donald Trump está dando inicio a una ola de terror sin precedentes que causará sufrimiento inmediato y daños duraderos a toda la nación”, dijo Setareh Ghandehari, directora de…

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Donald Trump issued a slew of immigration related executive orders that criminalize and demonize immigrants. People across the country are swiftly denouncing the executive orders as an attack on our shared values of dignity, freedom, and opportunity that the majority of Americans deeply believe in. “Donald Trump is ushering in an unprecedented wave of terror with yesterday’s executive orders that will cause immediate suffering and long lasting harm to the nation as a whole,” said Setareh Ghandehari, Advocacy Director of Detention Watch Network. “The administration…

Washington, D.C. — In response to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement: “We are resolute in our commitment to fight Trump’s mass detention and deportation agenda. In doing so, we are fundamentally committed to supporting the local community groups across the country that will be the first line of defense in keeping people safe. With Trump 2.0 we expect swift and cruel mass detention and deportation tactics, including raids in neighborhoods, workplaces, and even schools, hospitals, and houses of…