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| Dignity, Not Detention: Halt Expansion of the U.S. Immigration Detention System | February 25, 2010 |
| Activists Demand President Obama take immediate action to stop | |
| February 25, 2010 - The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) is among the hundreds of activists and groups supporting today's launch of a national campaign: Dignity, Not Detention: Preserving Human Rights and Restoring Justice. The national campaign is led by the Detention Watch Network to expose the profit-driven expansion of the detention system, a key contributor to the unprecedented number of immigrants held in ICE custody today, and to call for an end to the alarming expansion of immigration enforcement and detention. The launch includes more than 30 groups demanding a reduction in government spending on detention, the use of cost-saving alternatives, and the restoration of due process in the government's enforcement of immigration laws. More than 300,000 immigrants a year are detained in a secretive web of 350 private, federal, state and local jails, and prisons at an annual cost of more than $1.7 billion to taxpayers. More than 80 percent of these detainees navigate the complicated immigration system without legal representation.Immigrants can be detained for months or years without any meaningful judicial review of whether they should be released. While detained, many immigrants face horrific prison conditions, including mistreatment by guards, solitary confinement, abusive medical practices, and limited or no access to their families, lawyers and the outside world. In many cases, these conditions have proven fatal: Since 2003, a reported 107 people have died in immigration custody including four in Florida. John Morton, the head of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced that he plans to institute major reforms in the detention system, yet to date advocates note little evidence of change. In fiscal year 2009, ICE held a daily average of 2,100 immigrants in detention in Florida. Beyond the devastating human cost, the detention of immigrants in Florida alone cost taxpayers a mind-boggling $295,500 per day. "We continue to see an increasing number of immigrants criminalized and swept into a detention system that too often does not respect their basic rights," said Cheryl Little, FIAC Executive Director. "Many immigrants in detention have deep ties to our communities and have made significant contributions to this country. Some have even been victims of violence or have serious medical conditions. ICE should not be wasting scarce taxpayer dollars on their detention." Coordinated actions in support of the national campaign occurred across the country in cities including Gainesville, Phoenix, San Antonio, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.dignitynotdetention.org. About Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center (FIAC) is one of the nation's largest non-profit immigration law firms. Since its founding in 1996, FIAC has closed more than 65,000 cases. This direct service work informs its broader policy work, positioning FIAC as a powerful national advocate for immigrants' rights and a leader in the immigration field. FIAC influences national policy; successfully litigates or otherwise challenges patterns of abuse; and takes a leading role in educating the public about the impact that immigration laws and directives have on our communities. FIAC is dedicated to protecting and promoting the basic rights of immigrants and is proud to serve on the Steering Committee of the Detention Watch Network. For more information visit www.fiacfla.org About Detention Watch Network The Detention Watch Network is a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to educate the public and policy makers about the U.S. immigration detention and deportation system and advocate for humane reform so that all who come to our shores receive fair and humane treatment. The DWN members active in these events are speaking on behalf of themselves or their organizations. For more information visit www.detentionwatchnetwork.org | |