Outcry from U.S. senators over immigration detention situation

Thousands of immigrants in Louisiana and across the nation are currently detained. Sometimes, a single member of one family or entire families are housed in immigration detention centers while they wait for their hearing dates to resolve any number of issues, most involving legal status. A recent outpouring of support on behalf of detained immigrants came from several U.S. senators who say that there is ample evidence many detained immigrants are being mistreated.

More specifically, the senators have requested that the Department of Homeland Security take immediate action against supposed forced labor that is taking place in some immigration facilities. Evidence apparently suggests that detainees in some locations are being forced to work meager pay in order to fulfill their basic needs, such as food. Some private detention centers are supposed to run federal voluntary work programs. However, detainees have said that they were forced into labor because basic supplies were being withheld from them if they did not comply.

In a lawsuit filed in April, it was stated that many detainees say they were threatened with sanctions, such as isolation, physical harm and other offenses, if they did not do the work that was offered to them. Immigrant advocates have aggressively spoken against these things, saying such coercion is inhumane, not to mention illegal. DHS representatives refused to speak about the situation.

Immigration detention is definitely no small matter. Some people worry they will never see their loved ones again if they are locked up in such places. An experienced Louisiana immigration law attorney can be a great asset to have on hand when the goal is to protect human rights and seek the best outcome possible.