New research shows immigrants, including asylum seekers fleeing torture and long-time lawful permanent residents, are being unjustly detained in the U.S. Tens of thousands of people sit locked up in a broken and cruel system of detention with no right to even a hearing to determine if their detention is warranted.

October 2007 - Over the past year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified immigration enforcement activities by conducting several large-scale worksite raids across the country. From an in-depth study of three communities—Greeley, CO, Grand Island, NE and New Bedford, MA—this report details the impact of these worksite raids on the well-being of children. The report provides detailed recommendations to a variety of stakeholders to help mitigate the harmful effects of worksite raids on children.

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A Report by the Urban Institute

Since 2003, there have been 90 deaths in immigration custody. No government body is responsible for accounting for these deaths.

Every day, the U.S. government detains more than 30,000 immigrants in county jails, federal detention centers, or privately run prisons. These immigrants are not detained by the government because of criminal actions; many have no criminal history at all. They are held in custody by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security while waiting for the resolutions of their immigration proceedings.

"Every year, foreign students enter the United States intenteding to leave with an educational experience -- instead they leave with the experience of incarceration in America's growing detention system."  

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Education as a Human Right: U.S. Detention of Foreign Students

The U.S. is among the 173 State parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18 member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfill obligations under a specific human rights agreement, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions.

View this educational guide on the damaging effects of Psychological Torture.

Eight Lessons of Torture is an educational guide developed by the Center for Victims of Torture that discusses the use of torture and cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment by the U.S.

Energy of a Nation is the immigration resource center for The Advocates for Human Rights. The site provides accurate, up-to-date information and resources about immigration and immigrant rights to educators, students, advocates, and community members.

Learn more about immigration and become active in teaching others at www.energyofanation.org!

This 71-page report, “Chronic Indifference: HIV/AIDS Services for Immigrants Detained by the United States", done by the Human Rights Watch in December 2007, documents the experiences of HIV-positive detainees in immigration custody whose HIV treatment was denied, delayed, or interrupted, resulting in serious risk and often damage to their health.