U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono and a group of her Senate colleagues have called on the Biden administration to address the issue of solitary confinement within the US immigration detention system. In a joint letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Patrick Lechleitner, the senators highlighted the need to limit and eventually phase out the use of solitary confinement, emphasizing the importance of providing detainees with proper rights and humane treatment.
The senators, led by Senators Ed Markey, Dick Durbin, and Elizabeth Warren, expressed their concerns about the misuse of solitary confinement in immigration detention, particularly for vulnerable populations such as individuals with mental health and chronic medical conditions, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals. They emphasized the necessity for ICE to adopt meaningful alternatives to solitary confinement and ensure that detainees in such conditions receive the same rights as others in ICE detention.
ICE's practice of placing individuals in solitary confinement for minor infractions has raised alarm among the senators. They pointed out that from 2018 to 2023, ICE resorted to solitary confinement over 14,000 times, subjecting individuals to isolation for more than 22 hours a day. The harsh conditions in solitary confinement, including limited access to legal visits, reduced meal sizes, and inadequate sleeping arrangements, have led to serious health risks for detainees, including brain damage, PTSD, and self-harm.
To address these concerns, the senators have posed a series of questions to ICE, seeking clarification on steps taken to limit solitary confinement, the frequency of its use since 2017, barriers to documenting alternatives, compliance with internal guidance, and response to recommendations from oversight bodies.
Joining Senator Hirono in this advocacy effort are Senators from across the country, including Cory Booker, Maria Cantwell, Bernie Sanders, and others. The collective push for reform in ICE's solitary confinement practices underscores the senators' commitment to upholding human rights and ensuring the well-being of individuals in immigration detention.
The full text of the senators' letter can be accessed for further details on their call to phase out solitary confinement in ICE detention.