A Costly Move

Detained immigrants facing deportation in the United States, including legal permanent residents, refugees, and undocumented persons, are being transferred, often repeatedly, to remote detention centers by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Transfers separate detained immigrants from the attorneys and evidence they need to defend against deportation, which can violate their right to fair treatment in court, slow asylum or deportation proceedings, and prolong the time immigrants spend in detention.

Human Rights Watch has analyzed over 5 million records to gain information on the over 2 million detention transfers that have occurred between 1998 and 2010.

Data and Findings

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