Name: Why immigration prisons aren't the answer
Uploaded: 2020-02-10T16:21:08Z
Duration: 12 min 51 s
Description: Every year, with bipartisan support, half a million people are locked up in prisons and detention centers while the government decides whether they'll be allowed to stay in the United States. How did we get here? Believe it or not, immigration hasn't always worked this way. Law professor César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández explains how and why we can do better.

Every year, with bipartisan support, half a million people are locked up in prisons and detention centers while the government decides whether they'll be allowed to stay in the United States. How did we get here? Believe it or not, immigration hasn't always worked this way. Law professor César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández explains how and why we can do better. 

Why immigration prisons aren't the answer

Half a million people, including children like Diego, are detained every year in the United States while waiting for immigration decisions. What began as a rare practice has become a vast, bipartisan system powered by politics and private profits. Migrants often face high-stakes legal battles alone, far from family and without legal counsel. The story reveals that immigration prisons are not a necessity but a choice that undermines fairness and human dignity.

Locking Up Migrants Fuels Profits, Not Justice Or Safety

global issues