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NEW ORLEANS 鈥� In 2022, as we marked 20 years of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the听听and immigrants鈥� rights coalition partners 鈥斕�听(狈滨笔狈尝骋),听听(RFK), and the听Southern Poverty Law Center听(人兽性交) 鈥斕齦aunched a legal rights initiative designed to provide people detained in Louisiana with knowledge about their right to seek relief before federal courts through the writ of habeas corpus. In conjunction with听,听the group developed and distributed听听in听eight听languages to detention centers.听

As part of the legal rights initiative, ACLU of Louisiana and coalition partners began to take regular trips听to six of Louisiana鈥檚 eight U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. The organizations have met with more than 3,000 people seeking due process through our courts, most of whom have emphatically stated that they do not understand why they are in detention, and that they are unaware how to defend against deportation.

鈥淚mmigrant detention has exploded since the early 2000s, and here in Louisiana, it鈥檚 been a boon to for-profit private prison giants, which continue to benefit from our taxpayer dollars,鈥澨�said ACLU of Louisiana Legal Director Nora Ahmed. 鈥淢ass immigrant detention is harmful and deprives people of liberty 鈥� but most of all, it is unnecessary. Many people languish in detention for years suffering medical neglect, sexual assault, dangerously unsanitary conditions, beatings, and retaliation when they protest. And the detention site operators, including these private prison giants, often enjoy impunity for these abuses.鈥�

鈥淥ver the last decade, the federal government has quietly disappeared tens of thousands of asylum seekers, lawful permanent residents, and other immigrants fighting deportation to rural jails in Louisiana. Today, Louisiana holds the nation鈥檚 second largest population of immigrants in detention, isolated from family, community, and legal support and subjected to abusive conditions. The system is inherently abusive, using the threat of indefinite detention to pressure people to abandon valid claims for legal protection,鈥澨�said Anthony Enriquez, VP of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation at Robert. F. Kennedy Human Rights.

鈥淪ince taking office, President Biden has nearly doubled the number of migrants held in immigration detention, which has further inflated the number of migrants behind bars in Louisiana,鈥澨�said Matt Vogel, Supervising Attorney at the National Immigration Project. 鈥淚t is well-documented and proven that - no matter who it's run by 鈥� immigration detention is an inherently abusive, inhumane, and unnecessary practice. We must put an end to immigration detention and allow people to navigate their immigration cases alongside their families and communities and with access to the language and legal resources they need.鈥�

鈥淧eople detained by ICE are trapped in horrific conditions and deprived of the essential tools necessary to realize their rights under U.S. and international law to seek asylum, defend against removal, and access federal court听鈥斕齨ot least of which are key case documents translated in a language that they understand, access to interpreters, accommodations if they do not read or write, and enough time to fill out critical and potentially life-saving court filings. Having a fair proceeding is impossible while in ICE detention, but this initiative gives us the opportunity to fill some gaps in the process,鈥�听蝉补颈诲听Rose Murray, Senior Direct Services Attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center鈥檚 Immigrant Justice Project.

Seven of Louisiana鈥檚 eight ICE facilities are part of the for-profit prison industrial complex. The entire system is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties after years of complaints of abusive conditions. People detained report substandard medical care resulting in life-threatening conditions, physical abuse from guards, retaliatory use of solitary confinement, and arbitrary confiscation of legal documents needed for court cases.听

The vast majority of immigrants brought to the state have been left behind bars for months on end and deprived of native language-accessible information that would help them understand their legal rights in detention and in removal proceedings. Additionally, they lack access to interpreters, and access to law library materials. People detained are denied dignity or respect by prison staff, including by the private prison operators that enrich themselves through imprisonment of people seeking protection in the United States or have lived in the United States for a number of years and have been detained without any notice or warning.

This year, as immigrant rights鈥� advocates work together to end arbitrary detention of immigrants, the ACLU of Louisiana and coalition partners will continue visiting detention facilities in Louisiana monthly to ensure people understand their legal rights and to continue advocating for those facing medical neglect. The group will continue to maintain an open line of communication with the federal government, including with respect to its ongoing investigation into civil rights abuses throughout Louisiana immigration detention.

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The听Southern Poverty Law Center听is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

听(NIPNLG) is a national non-profit organization that provides technical assistance and support to community-based immigrant organizations, legal practitioners, and all advocates seeking and working to advance the rights of noncitizens. NIPNLG utilizes impact litigation, advocacy, and public education to pursue its mission. Learn more at nipnlg.org. Follow NIPNLG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @NIPNLG.

听is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has worked to realize Robert F. Kennedy鈥檚 dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues鈥� championing change makers and pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure change that lasts, we foster a social-good approach to business and investment and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice. Follow us on听,听,听,听, and听: @RFKHumanRights