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A Step in the Right Direction, DHS Detention Policies to Change

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Today, the Department of Homeland Security announced changes to detention policies that have been in place since 2006. According to the New York Times:

“Details are sketchy, and even the first steps will take months or years to complete. They include reviewing the federal government’s contracts with more than 350 local jails and private prisons, with an eye toward consolidating many detainees in places more suitable for noncriminals facing deportation – some possibly in centers built and run by the government.”

Detention standards are often disturbing, and the skepticism felt by some folks is understandable. The news comes shortly after the launch of the Enough! campaign, an initiative that calls for the DHS to correct the unacceptable conditions for immigrants and asylum-seekers in the expanding immigrant detention system.