On August 6th, Assistant Secretary John Morton announced reforms to the immigration detention system. Currently, ICE uses 350 detention facilities throughout the country with bed space for over 32,000 immigrants at any given time. These facilities are designed to accommodate the needs of the penal system and are not suited to detaining immigrants suspected of civil violations. The current system has been plagued by civil rights abuses, impediments to due process, and an abhorrent lack of medical care for detainees. Over the next 3-5 years, ICE will move away from its reliance on unused space in penal institutions and will design facilities tailored to house immigration detainees. ICE will also take steps to improve oversight and accountability of the detention system including:
- Creating the Office of Detention Policy and Planning (ODPP) which will be led by Dr. Dora Schriro. The ODPP will be responsible for planning and designing a civil detention system tailored to ICE’s needs. The office will include an expert in healthcare administration and an expert in detention management. The ODPP will focus on seven areas:
- Population Management
- Detention Management
- Programs Management
- Health Care Management
- Alternative to Detention Management
- Special Population Management
- ICE will hire a medical expert to provide an independent review of medical complaints and denials of requests for medical services.
- ICE will hire 23 detention managers who will be responsible for ensuring appropriate conditions of custody at the 23 largest detention facilities (which collectively house 40% of all immigration detainees)
- ICE will establish the Office of Detention Oversight (ODO) to be located in regional offices. The ODO will report directly to the Assistant Secretary and will be responsible for ensuring that ICE personnel have access to facilities to conduct inspections and investigating detainee grievances.
- ICE will establish two advisory groups composed of local and national organizations interested in ICE’s detention system. One group will focus on general policies and practices while the second will focus on detainee health care.
- The T. Don Hutto facility in Texas will no longer be used to detain families and will rather be used as a female detention center. Families will now be housed at Berks Family Residential Center in PA.
