The United States detention system for migrants: Patterns of negligence and inconsistency

Tellez, David; Tejkl, Lauren; McLaughlin, Dana; Vallet, Maryada; Abrahim, Orit; Spiegel, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100141

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…In addition, official evaluations of standards are completed by the DHS’ own Office of Inspector General. 16 There is a need for additional research to validate the completeness of standards, as well as more independent monitoring and evaluating mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Peer-reviewed literature often focuses on violations of human rights in detention facilities, opposed to evaluating the national standards in place. In addition, official evaluations of standards are completed by the DHS’ own Office of Inspector General 16. There is a need for additional research to validate the completeness of standards, as well as more independent monitoring and evaluating mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of the US detention standards to protect the health and dignity of migrants: a systematic review of national health standards

et al. 2023

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ObjectiveThe US government detains hundreds of thousands of migrants across a network of facilities each year. This research aims to evaluate the completeness of standards across US detention agencies to protect the health and dignity of migrants.DesignFive documents from three US agencies were examined in a systematic review: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; 3), Customs and Border Protection (CBP; 1) and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR; 1). Standards within five public health categories (health, hygiene, shelter, food and nutrition, protection) were extracted from each document and coded by subcategory and area. Areas were classified as critical, essential or supportive. Standards were measured for specificity, measurability, attainability, relevancy and timeliness (SMART), resulting in a sufficiency score (0%–100%). Average sufficiency scores were calculated for areas and agencies.Results711 standards were extracted within 5 categories, 12 subcategories and 56 areas. 284 standards of the 711 standards were included in multiple (2–7) areas, resulting in 1173 standards counted as many times as each was included. On average, 85.4% of standards were specific, 87.1% measurable, 96.6% attainable and 74.9% time-bound. All standards were considered relevant. CBP standards were the least sufficient across all other SMART components, when compared with ICE and ORR.ConclusionsThere are disparate detention standards based on agencies’ mandates and type of facility contracts. Migrants should be ensured of their public health rights and services in all spaces they occupy, and for any length of time regardless of who manages the facility. As long as detention remains a policy, the US should develop comprehensive, consistent and complementary standards for all detention facilities or pursue alternatives to detention.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the US detention standards to protect the health and dignity of migrants: a systematic review of national health standards

et al. 2023

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“…30 In comparison, ICE exists as an anomaly in its drastic lack of quality monitoring and accountability of health care outcomes. 8 , 26 …”

Section: A Call For Increased Reporting Transparency and Accountabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors note that standards and accountability mechanisms are similar, if not worse, in these facilities and require future attention. 8 , 9…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A call for increased transparency and accountability of health care outcomes in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers

Dekker,

Zeidan,

Nwadiuko

et al. 2024

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas

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Child Migrants in Family Detention in the US: Addressing Fragmented Care

Sridhar,

Digidiki,

Ratner

et al. 2024

Children

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Background/Objectives: Migrant children in family detention facilities often experience frequent relocations and prolonged stays in precarious living conditions. This frequent relocation results in fragmentation of necessary medical care, leading to delays and inadequate medical care. We aim to highlight the critical need for comprehensive medical documentation in immigration detention facilities, a fragmented health care system and potential harm to these children without appropriate medical documentation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 165 medical records from children detained at the Karnes County Family Residential Center between June 2018 and October 2020 to evaluate the adequacy of pediatric medical documentation in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) family detention facility. Specific areas of interest included acute care, nutrition, immunization, developmental screening, and tuberculosis screening. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Only 25% of 418 acute medical care visits included specific diagnoses. There was no documentation regarding follow-up recommendations upon release. 97% of children had a chest X-ray completed for tuberculosis screening, however no follow-up recommendations were documented for those with granulomas. Vaccination histories were inconsistently documented. No nutritional categorizations were completed despite 16% of children being at risk for malnutrition or already malnourished. Conclusions: Our findings revealed significant gaps in documentation, particularly in medical decision-making and clinical reasoning. In a fragmented medical system, inadequate documentation can result in avoidable errors in diagnosis and management. Improving documentation practices is crucial to ensure that all children, regardless of immigration status, receive quality healthcare aligned with national and international standards.

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The United States detention system for migrants: Patterns of negligence and inconsistency

Cited by 3 publications

References 50 publications

Evaluation of the US detention standards to protect the health and dignity of migrants: a systematic review of national health standards

Evaluation of the US detention standards to protect the health and dignity of migrants: a systematic review of national health standards

A call for increased transparency and accountability of health care outcomes in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers

Child Migrants in Family Detention in the US: Addressing Fragmented Care

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