Twelve senators expressed their concern to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday regarding alleged violations of solitary confinement policies by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The letter urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to put an end to the inappropriate use of solitary confinement in immigration detention centers. It called for the establishment of viable alternatives to solitary confinement, with the ultimate goal of eventually eliminating its use in immigration detention, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
The signatories of the document included Democratic Massachusetts Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington, Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler of California, and Peter Welch and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
According to a report released in February by Physicians for Human Rights, ICE has been accused of isolating individuals in its facilities for extended periods of time. The report also highlighted instances where solitary confinement was used as punishment for minor infractions and vulnerable individuals, including those with mental health conditions, were subjected to solitary confinement.
The letter emphasized that solitary confinement is a cruel practice that causes lasting harm to both mental and physical well-being.
Physicians for Human Rights officials had a second meeting with ICE leadership on March 6.
According to a report by the National Center for Youth Law on February 29, children along the southern border are being subjected to “appalling conditions that no child should ever have to endure” in open-air holding sites.
According to a letter from senators, the PHR report, which is considered one of the most comprehensive investigations on the subject, reveals that ICE has been placing vulnerable individuals in solitary confinement for extended periods of time as a form of punishment, even for minor offenses. This practice has contributed to the deterioration of their mental health.
According to the letter, it is stated that currently, 56% of individuals in ICE’s solitary confinement are believed to have mental illnesses, which is an increase from 35% in 2019. The diagnosed conditions include chronic PTSD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
In addition, the duration of time that individuals with mental health conditions spend in solitary confinement during their time in ICE custody has almost doubled.
In addition, the report claims that prisoners are subjected to further disciplinary measures, including the denial of legal visits, smaller meal portions, and questionable sleep conditions. These actions are often taken as a form of retribution for engaging in a hunger strike or filing a complaint.
In a letter addressed to Mayorkas and Patrick Lechleitner, the acting director of ICE since 2023, the senators highlighted a concerning statistic. They pointed out that there was a significant surge of 61% in the number of individuals placed in solitary confinement, or what ICE refers to as “segregation,” between 2022 and 2023.
According to the senators, ICE has provided data that clearly shows that the agency’s confinement policies violate international norms.
