The U.S. Continues to Experience Difficulties Regarding Detention of Illegal Immigrants, Implicating International Human Rights Obligations

1. Introduction The United States has experienced a number of problems relating to maltreatment of immigration detainees, including persons requesting asylum who have been detained. The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) "has a total of 7,000 bed spaces available to house individuals in deportation proceedings. The agency operates its own detention facilities in some areas, while in others it contracts out for detention space. Often, these agreements are with local jails, prisons or detention centers; the INS has a pool of some 900 facilities that it can utilize for detention." ... [more]