As your constituent, I am calling on you to support a reduction in funding for our immigration detention system, which traumatizes and harms immigrants every day. President Biden and Congressional appropriators have rightly proposed a significantly reduced budget for ICE detention capacity – but it does not go far enough. I urge you to support even greater cuts.
ICE detention has long been known for its abuse and cruelty. Use of solitary confinement, patterns of sexual abuse, nonconsensual gynecological procedures, and a failure to protect people from COVID-19 have all been reported from inside its facilities – and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Despite these systemic problems, the number of people held in immigrant detention, especially in private for-profit facilities, has started to swell once again. This system is cruel and unnecessary. Studies show that immigrants who are released from detention can better care for their families, and prepare and appear for their immigration cases.
President Biden and Congressional leaders have proposed budget cuts to reduce ICE detention capacity by 26 percent for FY 2023. Congress must pass these cuts, and bring immigration detention levels down without relying on invasive surveillance programming.
Now is the time to support President Biden's common sense reductions to our immigration detention capacity to reflect our values and ensure all immigrants are treated with dignity. Thanks.
