Advocacy Update
July 2008

Inside the Walls of Immigration Detention
By Gregory Z. Chen, LIRS Director for Legislative Affairs

The low hum of conversation filled Pod A at Detroit’s Dickerson Detention facility, but the room was surprisingly quiet while 60 men ate lunch. “We’re told not to speak Spanish, so we keep our voices low,” said a man from Mexico. Picked up when law enforcement came for his sister, who has since been deported, the man was most worried about who would now care for her U.S. citizen children. Our delegation had only a few minutes to hear from this man and others, including a father who had not seen his children in weeks, one who had been waiting eight months for medical attention for an eye problem, and several who had no money to call their families.

Our group of two Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) bishops, a pastor, and staff from LIRS and local partners Freedom House and Lutheran Social Services of Michigan was one of three LIRS-sponsored delegations to visit immigration detention facilities this spring. In total, about 40 Lutheran and other community leaders—including seven bishops—have had the opportunity to learn first-hand about how our country is treating the more than 320,000 people detained for immigration violations each year. Other facilities we have visited include county jails in Detroit and Hanover, Va., as well as a Tacoma, Wash., facility run by a private corporation, the GEO Group.

LIRS is conducting these visits to increase awareness about U.S. immigration enforcement practices, which have expanded dramatically in recent years with increased raids, detentions and deportations occurring nationwide. While some believe that enforcement of immigration laws is necessary, LIRS is deeply concerned that the current approach has gone too far and is now spreading fear in communities, hurting families and in some cases violating basic rights.

Also concerned that the current approach is ultimately eroding our nation’s values, LIRS continues to work with Congress on improving immigration laws. Some leaders believe we should throw money at more detention beds, fences and raid operations. This year’s federal budget includes $1.6 billion for detention. Yet little or no attention is paid to ensuring fair and humane treatment for those held for immigration violations, which are largely civil not criminal in nature.

In May an LIRS-led delegation of bishops and staff met with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to support bills they have sponsored (H.R. 5950 and S. 3005) that would ensure minimum standards of medical care for people in immigration detention. Also this spring, Bishop E. Roy Riley of the ELCA’s New Jersey Synod spoke at a Capitol Hill press conference and testified before Congress, expressing his dismay that medical care, including prenatal care for pregnant women, falls far below accepted standards.

In the upcoming months, LIRS will continue working with leaders in Congress to introduce additional legislation. LIRS is calling for the following reforms:

• Protect families, vulnerable populations and communities impacted by raids.
• imit the use of detention, except when needed to protect safety and security.
• Expand use of community-supervised and monitored release programs that are smarter and far less costly alternatives to detention.
• Improve detention conditions, especially for asylum seekers, families and those who are ill.

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