Front Burner What happens in ICE detention?
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Feb 3, 2026 Amy Fischer, Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International USA, is an expert on U.S. immigration detention conditions. She describes arrests and processing, barriers to legal access, family detention harms, shocking findings at facilities like Alligator Alcatraz, denied inspections, rising deaths in custody, and how courts and Congress can try to respond.
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Processing Centers Becoming Long-Term Detention
- Processing centers meant for short stays are now used to detain people for days without beds, medical care, or attorney access.
- This practice increases isolation and blocks detainees from legal counsel early in their cases.
Legal Access Severely Restricted
- Immigration court offers no government-funded counsel, so many detainees never speak with an attorney before removal.
- ICE's transfers and barriers further prevent lawyers from accessing their detained clients.
Children Held In 'Baby Jail' Conditions
- Amy Fischer describes Dilley as a 'baby jail' where children are detained alongside parents in jail-like conditions.
- She reports children losing weight, regressing developmentally, and lacking play and nutritious food.