Our latest press releases on important news and events relating to immigration detention in the United States
For media inquiries contact: media@detentionwatchnetwork.org
Washington, DC — At a House Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday morning, members of Congress will hear testimony from immigrants who have been detained in the abusive U.S. immigration detention system and have the opportunity to question former government officials who have played a role in the rapid expansion of that system.
Washington, DC — During a briefing with members of Congress, the National Immigrant Justice Center, Detention Watch Network, Freedom for Immigrants, and the American Civil Liberties Union called for routine visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jails in their districts and states. The coalition of organizations is calling this effort the “Eyes on ICE Detention Oversight Initiative,” and will be working with members of Congress to follow their visits with concrete actions to improve oversight and accountability of immigration detention centers.
Woodstock, Illinois — Detention Watch Network, Organized Communities Against Deportations, and the National Immigrant Justice Center are demanding an immediate investigation and public release of the findings related to the death of Roberto Rodriguez Espinoza, a 37-year-old man from Mexico. The man died on September 10 while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained at the McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility in Woodstock, Illinois. This is the eighth death to occur in ICE detention in Fiscal Year 2019.
Washington, DC — More than 200 non-governmental organizations sent a letter to Congress today calling for members to cut the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget for detention, enforcement, and border militarization, and to put accountability measures in place to stop the agency’s pattern of abuse of the appropriations process.
Washington, DC — Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement in response to a sweeping plan by the administration to indefinitely detain children and families:
Washington, DC — Detention Watch Network denounces Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) latest raid operation in Mississippi that tore nearly 700 people from their loved ones, including parents from their children, and drove more people into the expanding and inhumane immigration detention system.
The following is a statement from Bárbara Suárez Galeano, Organizing Director of Detention Watch Network:
Lumpkin, Georgia —Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, and Detention Watch Network are demanding an immediate investigation and public release of the findings related to the death of Pedro Arriago-Santoya. Arriago-Santoya, 44, died on July 24 while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia.
Washington D.C. — Today, Mijente, Just Futures Law and Detention Watch Network released a summary report, “Blueprint for Terror: How ICE Planned its Largest Immigration Raid in History,” exposing the targets, tactics and coordinated practices between federal prosecutors and local police in large scale immigration raids.
Washington, DC -- In response to the news that the Trump administration will be using Fort Sill, a U.S. Army base once used as an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II, to detain up to 1,400 immigrant children, Tsuru For Solidarity, Detention Watch Network, Densho and ACLU Oklahoma announced the following peaceful protest event at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and issued the following statements:
Dr. Satsuki Ina, co-chair of Tsuru For Solidarity said:
Washington, DC — In response to the FY2020 markup of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill, the Defund Hate coalition released the following statement:
