We Must Protect the Rights of Immigrant Detainees—Not Strip Them
Away  Junio 21, 2013  Ours is a nation “with liberty and justice
for all.” Yet, a proposed amendment to the comprehensive
immigration reform bill currently working its way through the
Senate would add an asterisk—based on a person’s immigration
status.  Today, thousands of immigration detainees are
languishing in prison-like facilities as they wait for hearings
that will determine whether they may remain in this country.
This long-term process keeps families apart, costs taxpayers
about $2 billion each year, and threatens the due process rights
of detainees.  For LGBT and HIV-affected immigrants, prolonged
detention can mean a host of problems, including physical and
sexual abuse, incorrect placement in a single-gender prison,
inmate segregation, and denial of lifesaving medical care.  
Any serious immigration reform bill must improve this situation
by protecting the constitutional rights of immigrants held in
detention. That is why a pending a