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Jayapal demands answers on immigrant detention in federal prisons
Jayapal raised concerns over reports that claim U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is housing detainees in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities.
Pramila Jayapal / Image- secular.org
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, demanded answers from the Trump administration regarding the detention of noncitizens in federal prisons during civil immigration proceedings.
In a letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jayapal along with her colleagues, raised concerns over reports that claim U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is housing detainees in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities, including those slated for closure due to reports of widespread sexual abuse.
Also Read: Rep. Jayapal dubs Trump’s birthright citizenship order ‘unconstitutional’
“The detention of noncitizens in criminal prison facilities contradicts the civil nature of immigration law, risks further criminalizing immigration enforcement, and diverts critical resources away from the intended purpose of the federal prison system,” wrote Jayapal.
Jayapal and other lawmakers have also pointed to concerns that ICE may be placing detainees in facilities previously deemed unfit for use, such as the Federal Prison Camp Morgantown and Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, the latter of which is set to close due to allegations of widespread sexual abuse.
The letter calls for detailed information on the number of noncitizens detained in these federal facilities, the conditions of their detention, any reports of mistreatment or abuse, and the criteria for selecting these sites. The lawmakers have requested a response from DHS and the Department of Justice by March 14.
Jayapal’s push for transparency follows ICE’s own acknowledgment that immigration detention is “non-punitive.” She and her colleagues are urging the administration to uphold this principle and ensure that noncitizens awaiting immigration hearings are not subjected to conditions equivalent to those faced by convicted criminals.
The letter was co-signed by several members of Congress, including Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), and Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), among others.
DHS and the Justice Department have yet to respond to the letter.
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