Immigration Detention: How It Works, What It Costs, and Proposals for Reform

Panelists including experts who have served in Republican and Democratic Administrations will discuss the current immigration detention system, alternatives to detention, and proposals for reform. The United States currently detains more than 400,000 noncitizen men and women each year at a cost of $2 billion. Immigration detainees are held in about 160 facilities in 42 states across the country, including in many state and local jails and prisons. This briefing will provide an overview of the immigration detention system and how its operations impact the federal budget and families and communities in every state. The panel will discuss alternatives to detention that are available at a fraction of the cost of detention and have been proven effective. The panel will also discuss the new ABA Civil Immigration Detention Standards, which were developed to provide a guide for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) announced transition to a civil detention system appropriate to its civil detention authority.