1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

The conditions of immigrant detention centers in Louisiana are deeply concerning and a violation of fundamental human rights. Thousands of immigrants are being held in substandard facilities, far from legal counsel and support networks, and subject to anti-immigrant court rulings. This level of isolation and deprivation of due process erodes the rule of law. Louisiana has become a hub for mass immigrant detention through the rapid expansion of for-profit jails and prisons repurposed as ICE facilities. With a capacity of over 7,000 beds, Louisiana now has the second highest number of immigrant detainees after Texas. Detainees are routinely transferred here from other states, separating them from families, communities, and legal resources. The conservative Fifth Circuit court that oversees immigration cases in Louisiana takes an overtly anti-immigrant stance. This, combined with inadequate access to lawyers and appalling detention conditions, creates a "black hole" stripping immigrants of their rights. Human rights monitors have rightly decried this abusive system. Immigrants are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity. I urge reforms to end mass detention, close abusive facilities, and restore due process for all people. Human rights must be the top priority, superseding politically-motivated crackdowns that trample on American values of justice and liberty.