Medial Concerns for Detained Immigrants

Immigration detention is a rapidly expanding form of incarceration in the U.S. and internationally. At any time, over 30,000 immigrants are detained in the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a branch of the department of homeland security. Reporting by legal and medical advocates, as well as testimony before the U.S. Congress has detailed shortcoming in the medical care provided to immigrants detained by ICE. Our analysis of the available data has identified several systemic problems within the ICE medical care system that contribute to both mortality and morbidity. Specifically, the lack of any legal guarantee to medical care, the lack of reporting of adverse medical outcomes or events and the inadequacy of ICE medical policies all appear to impair the ability of detainees to secure needed care.