Immigration Enforcement, Detention, and Due Process
Indigenous America does not end at the United States border. “Hispanic or Latino” describes an ethnicity, not a race, and the [U.S. Census Bureau]confirms that Hispanic and Latino people may be of any race. Latin America is home to an estimated **42 million Indigenous people**, while [DHS’s own Indigenous Languages Plan] recognizes Indigenous-language speakers in CBP custody. Although not every Latino person is Indigenous, immigration enforcement affects people with Indigenous ancestry and members of living Indigenous communities. In March 2026, a [United Nations committee warned] that racial profiling during ICE and CBP operations against people of Hispanic, African, and Asian origin had contributed to widespread human-rights violations, and that dehumanizing rhetoric could encourage discrimination and hate crimes. Many refugees and asylum seekers from Haiti and countries throughout Asia and the Middle East have also fled persecution, conflict, violence, or human-rights violations—conditions that [UNHCR identifies as major causes of forced displacement]. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division is legally responsible for identification, arrest, detention, and removal under federal immigration law. This page examines that authority alongside [documented concerns] involving detention conditions, due process, civil-rights protections, transparency, and the effects enforcement actions can have on families and communities.
DHS’s inspector general has repeatedly documented violations of ICE detention standards, making it possible to build this page around government findings rather than unsupported allegations.
Sources:
(https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin.html)
(https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/overview/figures-glance)
(https://www.oig.dhs.gov/taxonomy/term/76)
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/taxonomy/term/76?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Our understanding and Approach
As of July 31, 2026, at least 56 people have died in ICE custody or under circumstances recorded through ICE’s death-reporting system since January 1, 2025—33 deaths during 2025 and at least 23 more during 2026 through July 30. These are custody-associated deaths, not findings that ICE legally caused every death; moreover, Human Rights Watch notes that ICE’s reporting system excludes some deaths connected to enforcement operations, meaning no complete “all-capacity” national total is publicly available. (ICE Detainee Death Reporting; National Immigration Project; Human Rights Watch) The reach of detention also extends far beyond people convicted of crimes: ICE-derived data analyzed by TRAC show that 65,765 people were detained as of July 11, 2026, and 46,436—70.6%—had no criminal conviction. “No criminal conviction” does not necessarily mean that a person has no pending charge or is lawfully present, and immigration violations generally fall under civil rather than criminal law. (TRAC Immigration Detention Quick Facts) ICE’s FY2026 public reporting identifies approximately 225 detention facilities, but a broader analysis of government records found that ICE used 456 facilities during February 2026, excluding medical facilities; the difference exists partly because ICE’s public count omits numerous hold rooms, staging facilities, hotels, airports, and other locations where people may be confined. (ICE Detention Management; Vera Institute detention analysis)How to Get active: Abuse thrives when it goes undocumented and unchallenged. If you witness suspected misconduct by ICE or another DHS agency, observe from a safe and lawful distance, record the date, time, location, agency, vehicle or badge information, and preserve the original photographs or video. Do not interfere with officers, trespass, or publicly reveal a person’s immigration status or identifying information without consent. Report suspected civil-rights violations to the [DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties], fraud, abuse of authority, waste, or criminal misconduct to the [DHS Inspector General], and constitutional or civil-rights violations to the [Department of Justice Civil Rights Division]. Keep copies of everything submitted, including confirmation numbers, and provide factual evidence rather than assumptions. Turn documentation into sustained public pressure. Use [USA.gov’s elected-official directory] to identify your federal, state, county, and municipal representatives. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at **202-224-3121**, ask your representatives’ district offices about upcoming town halls, subscribe to their official event notices, and attend city-council or county-commission meetings where public comments are accepted. Ask whether your community participates in a **287(g) agreement**, shares local resources or information with ICE, or contracts with immigration-detention operators—and demand public records, independent oversight, medical-care standards, due-process protections, and transparent reporting. Take Action Now * **Help someone in detention:** Use the [ICE Online Detainee Locator] or call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at **1-888-351-4024** for detention information or urgent medical concerns. * **Know and share people’s rights:** Read and distribute the ACLU’s updated [Immigrants’ Rights guide]. * **Send Congress an action message:** Join the ACLU’s [Stop ICE’s Killings]campaign. Sign a human-rights petition: Support Amnesty International’s petition to [Stop Militarized Immigration Operations in the USA]. * **Back detention-reform legislation:** Ask House members to support the [Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, H.R. 6397] and senators to support its companion bill, [S. 3702]. The proposals would strengthen detention standards and oversight, phase out private detention facilities, prohibit family detention, and restore greater access to custody hearings. * **Demand transparency about detention conditions:** Ask House members to support the [Stop Inhumane Conditions in ICE Detention Act, H.R. 7347], which would require reporting on health conditions, standards of care, disease outbreaks, deaths, contracts, and Inspector General audits. At a town hall or on the phone, keep your request direct:“I am your constituent. Will you support independent inspections of ICE facilities, transparent reporting of deaths and medical conditions, and the detention-reform legislation currently before Congress?”** Peaceful organizing, careful documentation, public testimony, voting, petitions, and repeated constituent contact can turn individual concern into enforceable oversight. *Action links and bill information last verified July 31, 2026. The listed bills have been introduced but have not become law.* WHat not to do:
DEFINITELY do not under any circumstances destroy any ICE or DHS equipment, sit outside of their post and yell about how they are committing atrocities, keep them up all hours of the night by sitting outside of their hotels causing a ruckus. DEFINITELY DON'T do this wearing Birdkill Gear.