Detention of Asylum Seekers En Masse: Immigration Detention in the United States

Abstract

In this essay, we discuss how the increasingly punitive nature of the immigration detention regime in the United States affects the lives and legal claims of asylum seekers. First, we lay out the history of immigration detention policies and practices in the United States, emphasizing how the detention regime has grown in scale and severity over the last twenty-five years. Second, we examine the implications of these policies and practices for asylum seekers. Finally, we conclude by assessing the prospects for further change in the context of current debates over comprehensive immigration reform.

Keywords: immigration, detention, asylum, refugee, United States