I- Visiting Immigrants in Detention and II – Creating a Visitation Program
The detention of hundreds of thousands of immigrants per year is an occurrence that takes place within the context of mass incarceration, which disparately affects Black communities in the United States.
According to the Black Alliance and New York University’s Law Immigrant Rights Clinic report, The State of Black Immigrants, “Black immigrants are disproportionately represented among detained immigrants facing deportation in immigration court on criminal grounds.”
Detainees are frequently transferred to centers around the country, often times a good distance from their families and communities, creating physical and emotional isolation.
Visitations reinforce bonds and connections with loved ones and the outside community. Immigrants are provided with a link to their lives before detention and/or the general outside world. The presence of visitors may also aid in preventing human rights abuses because they can document and report conditions in these facilities.
Download this guide to understand more about how to locate immigrants in detention for family members and visits, and an introduction on how to create a visitation initiative.