History Extra podcast The hidden history of US immigration detention
Jan 14, 2026
Brianna Nothill, an assistant professor of history at William & Mary and author of The Migrant's Jail, dives into the complex history of US immigration detention. She highlights the origins of these practices, from early 1900s jailing of Chinese migrants to the modern private prison boom. Nothill discusses the economic motives behind detention, overcrowding conditions, and the criminalization of border crossing. She also draws parallels between immigration detention and mass incarceration, emphasizing enduring themes in American policy.
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Detention's Deep Historical Roots
- US immigration detention has roots stretching back to the 1880s and the Chinese Exclusion Act.
- Detention grew as a tool to enforce restrictive immigration laws and facilitate deportations.
A Patchwork System Of Facilities
- The US system is a complex patchwork of federal centers, local jails and private prisons.
- Local sheriffs and private companies shape detention through contracts and local politics.
Northern Routes And Jail Contracts
- Chinese migrants began entering the US via Canada to avoid West Coast scrutiny and claimed citizenship at the border.
- The federal immigration service paid rural sheriffs to detain them, turning migrants into a local revenue source.
