Analysis

Regardless of where someone is from or why they migrate to the United States, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Detention is inhumane, morally and financially costly, and completely unnecessary. Despite efforts to roll back some of the previous administration's cruelest policies, the Biden administration has targeted and detained newly arriving migrants in record numbers. As of July 8, 2021, there are over 27,000 people in detention, up nearly 90 percent from the beginning of the year. The majority of those detained are newly arrived migrants and a significant portion are asylum seekers. As the administration considers ramping down the Title 42 border closure, which public health experts agree has no justification, it must not trade one set of cruel policies for another. The administration can restore fair access to the border without the use of detention. Regardless of the conditions or justifications, any length of time in detention inflicts unnecessary trauma.