From Prism Reports:
About 70% of the people who are currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody were transferred from the carceral system, often the same day that they completed their sentence and were formally released from prison or jail. According to California-based advocacy group Freedom for Immigrants, in California alone, this “prison-to-ICE detention pipeline” funnels some 1,500 incarcerated people per year into immigration detention centers the moment they have finally secured their release from prison.
Last month, Freedom for Immigrants launched a first-of-its-kind helpline designed to help incarcerated people who are vulnerable to being transferred by ICE following their release. The helpline, called Project Keep Away, is available free of charge to individuals incarcerated at two California prisons: Central California Women’s Facility and California Institution for Women. It is available Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. While Project Keep Away does not offer legal services, helpline staff are available to share information about how to reduce the likelihood of being transferred by ICE, as well as advice and recommendations on how to proceed in the case that ICE detains callers.
The prison-to-ICE deportation pipeline begins even prior to incarceration when an arrest by local or state law enforcement triggers an “ICE hold,” or immigration detainer, according to Laura Hernandez, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants. If convicted and incarcerated, the ICE hold follows an individual for the duration of their sentence, thus enabling ICE to pick them up and detain them once they have completed their sentence. Often, prison systems facilitate these ICE transfers by calling immigration officials and notifying them of an individual’s release. This direct cooperation between prison officials and ICE underscores how deeply connected the carceral system and immigration detention systems continue to be. Continue reading
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