1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I urge you to support the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, (S. 3702 / H.R. 6397). Congress should not expand an immigration detention system that lacks consistent, enforceable standards and adequate oversight. Immigration detention is civil custody, not criminal punishment. Yet people are routinely held for prolonged periods, sometimes without prompt access to a bond hearing or an individualized determination that they pose a danger or flight risk. Mandatory detention can separate families, disrupt asylum claims, and incarcerate people who could safely remain in their communities while their cases proceed. The need for action is urgent. Detention capacity is expanding, while reports continue to document medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, abuse, solitary confinement, inadequate access to counsel, and deaths in custody. A recent legal analysis also found that many existing detention standards are treated as voluntary or are difficult for detained people to enforce. That is unacceptable in facilities operated with taxpayer funds and under federal authority. This bill would provide a responsible framework. It would repeal mandatory detention, establish a presumption of release, guarantee access to bond hearings, and require the government to justify detention in individual cases. It would prohibit the detention of families and children in family detention, phase out private detention facilities and jails, and require clear civil detention standards. Unannounced inspections by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and access for members of Congress would strengthen transparency and accountability. Supporting this legislation does not mean abandoning public safety or immigration enforcement. It means concentrating detention resources on people who present a genuine danger or serious flight risk, while using community-based supervision for others. That approach can protect the public, reduce unnecessary costs, and uphold constitutional principles. Please support and cosponsor the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, and work to advance it through the Senate. Humane treatment, fair hearings, and accountable government should not depend on a person’s immigration status.