While much of the media attention focuses on Trump’s fixation on
building a wall, his administration is quietly taking other steps to implement
his immigration plan. One of those steps is to vastly increase the number
of immigration detention facilities and expand existing facilities. If
Trump has his way, then every immigrant who is facing deportation proceedings
will remain detained until their cases are resolved. Given the concerns
of immigration advocates and relatives of the detained individuals about
the current conditions in those facilities, it is hard to imagine that
conditions will improve as these facilities grow. In fact, former secretary
of Homeland Security John Kelly told a House committee earlier this year
that standards for immigration detention centers might have to be lowered
in order to get contracts with more local jails to house immigrant detainees.
Kelly hastily added that standards would not be lowered enough to violate
anyone’s human rights. Information on these standards, and how well
facilities meet those standards, is hard to come by. Any information that
is made public is inconsistent, outdated, and unclear, at best. Experts
warn, however, that regulations for immigrant detention centers are subject
to any number of loopholes and exceptions, which result in some of the
unacceptable conditions in these facilities. Currently, the average daily
population of immigrant detention centers is about 38,600. Individuals
are housed at 201 adult detention facilities and 213 other facilities,
such as family centers, hospitals, and facilities run by the Bureau of
Prisons. Although previous administrations did not focus on detaining
all immigrants until their deportation, the Trump administration is focused
on doing just that. According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the goal
of the administration is to eliminate the catch-and-release process of
the past, in which an immigrant was briefly detained and released pending
a court date at some point in the future. Part of this strategy also centers
on hiring substantially more immigration judges to handle the enormous
backlog of cases. Individuals who are detained and/or facing deportation
need an experienced California immigration attorney who can assist them
with this often complex process. At Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., we
know how to stand up for the rights of those who are legally entitled
to remain in the U.S. Call us today at (510) 756-4468 and schedule an
appointment with one of our deportation defense lawyers, and learn how
we can assist you.
Categories:
As of February 2021, we are open again and accepting in-office consultations.
If you want to know more about the Biden's Proposed Immigration Reform, watch our video!