Abuses

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No Action Taken: Lack of CBP Accountability in Responding to Complaints of Abuse

One of the most revealing findings of this report concerns the prevailing lack of action taken by CBP officials in response to the complaints received.

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All Abuses Content

  • Blog

People Forced to Stand on Toilets, Wear Soiled Clothing for Days at Border Patrol Facility

June 4, 2019

The post People Forced to Stand on Toilets, Wear Soiled Clothing for Days at Border...

  • Blog

ICE Uses Solitary Confinement on Immigrants Who Are Transgender, Suicidal

May 31, 2019

The post ICE Uses Solitary Confinement on Immigrants Who Are Transgender, Suicidal appeared first on...

  • Blog

Worsening Detention Conditions in Border Patrol Custody Highlighted in New Complaint

May 23, 2019

The post Worsening Detention Conditions in Border...

  • Blog

The Death Toll of Migrant Children in US Custody Continues to Rise

May 21, 2019

The post The Death Toll of Migrant Children in US Custody Continues to Rise appeared first...

  • Blog

How Florida’s SB 168 Will Benefit the Private Prison Industry

May 10, 2019

The Florida legislature recently passed SB 168 with the stated intent of ensuring that state officials and agencies fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities in enforcing immigration...

  • Blog

Local Officials in Massachusetts, New York Challenge ICE Courthouse Arrests

May 3, 2019

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has dramatically increased enforcement actions in and around state and local courthouses since 2017. As part of the Trump administration’s aggressive...

  • Blog

‘Your Client Is Going Bye-Bye.’ Investigation Details Immigration Judges’ Cruel Behavior in El Paso Court

April 3, 2019

Texas—and specifically El Paso—has been ground zero for many of the incredibly harmful policies introduced under the Trump administration, such as family separation, returning asylum seekers to...

  • Blog

Immigration Groups Are Using This Tool to Expose Government Secrets

March 15, 2019

Many of the country’s top immigration agencies operate in secret. This lack of transparency in how immigration laws are implemented, administered, and enforced has the potential to devastate the...

  • Blog

ICE Releases Infants in Its Custody Following Civil Rights Complaint

March 4, 2019

Nothing is more delicate or worthy of comprehensive care than a newborn. Yet, over the past several weeks, detention watchdogs and public health experts have noticed an alarming uptick in the...

  • Blog

Government Officials Deflect Responsibility for Family Separation at Congressional Hearing

February 27, 2019

At an oversight hearing on family separation in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, government officials from four different agencies dug in against criticisms and denied any...

  • Blog

Arizona ICE Detention Center Violated COVID-19 Safety Protocols by Refusing to Provide Masks or Enforce Social Distancing

April 6, 2021

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers—which often suffer from cramped conditions and poor access to medical care—are highly conducive to the spread of COVID-19. But ICE...

  • Letters

Coalition Letter Calling for Phase-Out of Detention, Beginning with Ten Facilities

Publication Date: 
April 2, 2021
The American Immigration Council joined other organizations in calling on the Biden administration to phase-out immigration detention, beginning with the closure of ten specific facilities.
  • Blog

How Many ICE-Related COVID-19 Deaths Have Gone Unreported?

March 26, 2021

After almost two years in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, Martin Vargas Arellano was released to a hospital on March 5. ICE did not notify his family or attorney. Three...

  • FOIA

Seeking Information About Border Patrol Practices in Ohio

The Council and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality have launched an investigation into the abusive practices of CBP officers and cooperation with local law enforcement in Ohio.
  • FOIA Litigation

Council Sues Customs and Border Protection to Release Records of Militarized Raids on Humanitarian Aid Station

This Freedom of Information Act lawsuit calls on CBP to release records documenting the agency’s aggressive and militarized response to the provision of humanitarian aid.
  • Special Report

The Legacy of Racism within the U.S. Border Patrol

Publication Date: 
February 10, 2021
This report presents a historical overview of how U.S. Border Patrol has been steeped in institutional racism and has committed violent acts with near impunity since its founding nearly 100 years ago...
  • Comments

Comment on CBP Proposed Rule To Drastically Expand the Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Publication Date: 
December 21, 2020
The Proposed Rule would drastically expand the use of unproven facial recognition technology at ports of entry throughout the United States.
  • Blog

Making the Case for Ending Immigration Detention

November 11, 2020

Immigration detention was dangerous before President Trump took office four years ago. His policies—coupled with a deadly global pandemic—have only made the situation more dire. Immigration...

  • Blog

‘We Had a Shortage Last Night of Beds for Babies.’ Congressional Report Reveals Cruelty, Chaos of Family Separation

October 30, 2020

Congress released the “first complete narrative” on the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy on October 30. This hallmark of President Trump’s immigration legacy led to the forcible...

  • FOIA Litigation

Lawsuit Demands Records on U.S. Immigration Enforcement’s Role in Protests Following the Killing of George Floyd

Given the agency’s history of civil and human rights abuses that have largely gone unchecked, and the possibility of continued deployments, there is an urgent need for further information about CBP’s participation in these law enforcement efforts.

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