Senators Call for End to Solitary Confinement in Immigration Detention

A group of Democratic senators has urged Homeland Security to halt the punitive use of solitary confinement, citing its severe mental and physical health consequences.

• Twelve Democratic senators have penned a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, urging an end to the misuse of solitary confinement in immigration detention centers.
• The letter, backed by a report from Physicians for Human Rights, highlights the extensive and often punitive use of solitary confinement, affecting vulnerable individuals and exacerbating mental health conditions.
• ICE's solitary confinement practices have been criticized for violating international norms and potentially constituting cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution.
• The senators demand meaningful alternatives to solitary confinement, emphasizing the practice's detrimental mental and physical health impacts.
• ICE's use of solitary confinement has surged, with over 14,000 instances recorded between 2018 and 2023, prompting calls for immediate reform and oversight.

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