INSTITUTE INDEX: The dire state of immigrant detention in the South
Irwin Detention Center is one of four immigrant detention centers in Georgia. A recent report based on over 80 interviews with immigrants held there and at Stewart Detention Center, also in Georgia, revealed dangerous conditions. (Photo by Immigration and Customs Enfrocement.)
Date on which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a memo detailing plans for implementing President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration to ramp up enforcement and detention capacity: 2/21/17
Number of immigrant detention facilities in the U.S.: 200
Worldwide rank of the U.S. in size of immigrant detention operations: 1
Percent of people with pending immigration cases who were detained under the Obama administration during fiscal year 2017 beginning last October: 27
Percent detained under the Trump administration: 61
Number of individuals currently or previously detained at the privately-run Stewart and Irwin detention centers in southwest Georgia who were interviewed for a report titled "Imprisoned Justice" on the conditions at those facilities: 83
Rank of the Stewart Detention Center in size of detention centers nationally: 2
Number of beds at Stewart: 1,752
Weight in pounds that detained immigrants at Stewart reported losing because of issues with food, including being serving food that was spoiled, undercooked, or had maggots; being rushed to eat meals in a short period of time; and experiencing seven-hour or longer stretches between meals: 10 to 70
Daily wage that most detainees at Stewart and Irwin are paid for a full day's work: $1
Date on which Jean-Carlos Jimenez-Joseph reportedly committed suicide at Stewart after being put in solitary confinement for 19 days: 5/15/17
Number of days later that Atulkumar Babubhai Patel died of heart failure while held at the Atlanta City Detention Center: 1
Number of people who have died in an immigrant detention facility so far in fiscal year 2017: 8
Number who died during the entire 2016 fiscal year: 10
Timeline for which a coalition of advocates in Georgia are calling for all four immigrant detention centers in that state to be shut down: immediately
(Click on figure to go to source.)
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Allie Yee
Allie is a research fellow at the Institute for Southern Studies and is currently studying at the Yale School of Management. Her research focuses on demographic change, immigration, voting and civic engagement.