Indefinite Detention In The Land Of The Free

Donald Trump’s deportation promise threatens everything America stands for.

- Alexander H. Maurice

Throughout his election campaign, Donald Trump hammered home his promise to detain and deport up to 3 million people from America. This is not a simple task. Even now America detains more immigrants than any other country. Increasing this number dramatically would be expensive, logistically difficult, potentially unconstitutional, and grossly inhumane.

Before anyone can be deported, they must be detained and processed. The system is already stretched to its limits, and some people have been languishing for years in detention facilities that were designed for short stays. Refugees whose claims are rejected in the United States often cannot even be returned to their home countries because those countries countries deny their nationality. Instead, they are held indefinitely without trial or release. The Global Intelligence has interviewed people currently held in immigration detention facilities in the United States, and their stories are shocking. If Trump is to fulfill his campaign promise, there will be a real human cost and, inevitably, human rights and constitutional rights violations.

Failed System