U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) recently publicly requested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) improve and expand its oversight into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s use of private, for-profit detention facilities.
Thompson’s request comes in the wake of a Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) report that indicated that the department would continue its use of private detention facilities. The report was approved by 17 of the council’s members, but dissented from the conclusion that reliance on private detention facilities must inevitably continue. Only one member voted against the report.
“Unfortunately, the report fails to address the underlying causes of the department’s over reliance on private immigration detention facilities or offer viable alternatives,” Thompson said.
“Despite reports of safety and security problems at these facilities, the handful of corporations that run them continue to make enormous profits at taxpayer expense. Clearly, we must continue the broader discussion about immigration detention in America. That said, over the near term, the council’s recommendations to enhance direct oversight and strengthen accountability are important to improving conditions at private detention facilities,” Thompson added.
He urged DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson to immediately lay the groundwork for implementing the recommendations.
Thompson’s statement follows up a previous request for review from the DHS Inspector General on the department’s reliance on private prisons.