U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) recently sent a public letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly requesting information regarding the department’s use of privately operated immigration detention facilities.
The senators’ concerns stem from a recent Executive Order from the Trump Administration, which called for a dramatic expansion of DHS’ immigration enforcement policies.
The senators referenced an August 2016 action by then-Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, who requested the Homeland Security Advisory Committee (HSAC) to conduct an assessment of the government’s use of privately operated immigration detention facilities by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Accordingly, the HSAC Subcommittee on Privatized Immigration Detention Facilities (Subcommittee) spent approximately two months reviewing ICE policies, conducting interviews of various leadership stakeholders and subject matter experts, and visiting ICE detention facilities,” the senators said in their letter.
The subcommittee indicated its investigation would be limited due to its inability to review various ICE policies and procedures more in-depth. As a result, the subcommittee concluded that ICE could continue its use of private detention facilities, but had to adopt a series of recommendations made by the subcommittee.
“These included recommendations for additional funding to provide medical services at detention facilities, greater use of unannounced inspections, and the creation of well-defined channels for detainees and their families to report problems,” the senators said.
The letter also requested information on any potential expansion plans in using private for-profit detention facilities, including the names and locations ICE has contracted with.