RMIAN Founding Board Member Hiroshi Motomura Honored as a Great Immigrant, Great American by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation

The Andrew Carnegie Foundation announced its annual list of “Great Immigrants, Great Americans” yesterday, recognizing 25 distinguished naturalized citizens whose contributions have strengthened America. We are excited to share that the honorees include RMIAN Founding Board Member, Hiroshi Motomura! Professor Motomura, a leading scholar of U.S. immigration and citizenship law, said “I’m honored to be part of the 2026 Class, especially at this moment. Immigrants have been part of this nation since its inception, though it is sometimes forgotten in these times. And I am a small part of a greater story that reminds us that those who come to the United States help create a stronger union. I am grateful to Andrew Carnegie Foundation for this recognition.”

Colorado immigrant advocates feel relief for their neighbors after birthright decision

This article from CPR News highlights the relief felt by immigrants and allies after SCOTUS upheld the right to birthright citizenship. Tami Goodlette, RMIAN's Vice President of Legal Programs, said the alternate decision would have sparked widespread chaos for the organization’s hundreds of clients.

“Children who would have been born to our clients here in this country would not have been citizens and that would have had a devastating effect,” Goodlette said. “And that’s not only on their families but also on hundreds of thousands of children and babies born in the United States going forward.”

RESPONSE TO SUPREME COURT RULINGS AFFECTING ASYLUM AND TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS

Refugee Action Coalition of Colorado and Keep Families Together Coalition, including RMIAN, respond to recent Supreme Court decisions.

We welcome the U.S. Supreme Court's June 30, 2026 decision affirming birthright citizenship, but are deeply concerned about the harmful implications of two U.S. Supreme Court rulings issued on June 25, 2026, affecting asylum seekers and individuals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Read the full statement here.

We’re Hiring: Litigation Senior Staff Attorney

RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Litigation Senior Staff Attorney who will work within RMIAN’s Advocacy & Litigation Program. The Senior Staff Attorney will be supervised by RMIAN’s Director of Advocacy & Litigation and work closely with RMIAN’s Vice President of Legal Programs to support pending litigation and develop novel legal claims to advance immigrant rights.

RMIAN seeks a litigator experienced in immigration and constitutional law as well as detention issues. This role is designed for someone who has experience with civil litigation. The caseload will primarily involve habeas corpus challenges to unlawful detention and subsequent appeals as well as other civil litigation before the district court and petitions for review before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Litigation Senior Staff Attorney will help develop RMIAN’s litigation strategies alongside co-counsel. This role also involves the provision of technical assistance, training volunteer attorneys, and the creation of written resources to enhance learning and the quality of immigration legal representation in federal courts. The attorney will be a key contributor to RMIAN’s Advocacy & Litigation Program and will work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that organizational goals, priorities, and core commitments are advanced.

Responsibilities:

Federal Court Litigation

• Provide high-quality legal representation to noncitizens in federal litigation, prioritizing cases that involve complex or novel legal theories that advance immigrant justice

  • Litigate in federal trial and appellate courts

  • Participate actively in all aspects of the case including court appearances and drafting pleadings, motions, briefs and other litigation documents

  • Engage in discovery, evidentiary hearings, and oral arguments

• Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with co-counsel partners including attorneys from private law firms, nonprofit partners, and law school clinics

• May supervise paralegals, attorney fellows or staff attorneys, law student interns, and volunteers, as needed

• Support RMIAN’s civil litigation, including but not limited to:

  • Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus

  • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

  • Administrative Procedure Act (APA)

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

  • Petitions for review (PFRs) before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

  • RMIAN’s amicus interests, coordinating development of briefs and organizational sign-ons

• Manage a complex caseload independently with minimal need for supervision; track and meet all case deadlines; demonstrate superior legal skills and analysis; and produce high-quality written work that requires minimal review or editing

Resource Development & Mentorship

• Develop and maintain written resources and materials to assist attorneys representing immigrants in federal court

• Train pro se individuals on substantive and logistical issues related to filing habeas petitions

• Educate, train, and mentor attorneys, including pro bono attorneys, on federal litigation practice

• Assess cases for pro bono placement and coordinate with pro bono counsel to match clients with volunteers

Outreach, Community Education, Development, & Organizational Commitment

• Participate in RMIAN’s outreach, community education, and development efforts, including:

  • Recruit and train volunteer attorneys to co-counsel with RMIAN or accept referrals with RMIAN’s mentorship

  • Engage with media and RMIAN’s social media campaigns

  • Partner with nonprofit legal service providers and community organizations

  • Foster relationships with clients willing to engage in campaigns to promote public awareness of RMIAN’s work and its impact on people who otherwise would not have had access to counsel

  • Represent RMIAN’s development interests, including participation in drafting grant proposals focused on funding RMIAN’s federal litigation work

• Participate in RMIAN’s internal infrastructure development, including community building, committee work and other activities within RMIAN

Required Skills and Experience:

• Admission to any state bar and admission or willingness to seek admission to the District Court for the District of Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

• At least 3 years of federal litigation experience and 5 years of legal practice

• Professional proficiency in English and Spanish sufficient to represent clients without an interpreter

The Ideal Candidate:

• Has experience representing detained noncitizens

• Demonstrates a commitment to exceptional client-focused representation

• Works autonomously and independently with minimal supervision

• Possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Is enthusiastic about educating, training, and mentoring attorneys on federal litigation practice, with a particular focus on immigration habeas practice

• Enjoys creative lawyering and developing novel legal arguments, with an eye toward creating precedential outcomes

• Demonstrates empathy, is an active listener, exhibits excellent problem-solving abilities, understands the importance of constructive feedback, and easily builds trust with colleagues

• Values principles of human equality and enjoys building relationships with a broad range of clients and colleagues from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds

• Appreciates the need to be responsive and act promptly on time-sensitive matters

• Enjoys finding and creating efficiencies and naturally conceptualizes ways to streamline workflow through a systems approach

Location:

This position is based out of RMIAN’s office located in Westminster, Colorado, and requires travel to the Aurora Contract Detention Facility in Aurora and occasional appearances before federal courts in Denver. RMIAN currently operates on a hybrid remote/in-person model, and this position will require a minimum of two full days per week of in-office work.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience; the range is between $81,760-$111,780. RMIAN offers a generous benefits package which includes:

• Paid time off with 15 days of vacation in the first year of employment and an additional 2 days for each additional year of employment, 10 sick days, 11 Federal holidays, plus an annual week-long holiday office closure;

• Excellent health insurance (100% covered by RMIAN);

• Dental & vision insurance (90% covered by RMIAN);

• Life insurance & professional liability insurance (100% covered);

• Professional development funds and opportunities;

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s Simple IRA retirement plan (RMIAN matches 4%);

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s flexible spending plan; and

• Eight-week sabbatical after five years of employment

If this profile calls to you, please send your resume and a cover letter that explains why this role is a great fit for you to hr@rmian.org. Please also include a writing sample and a list of references.

Priority will be given to applications received by July 24, 2026. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

RMIAN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. RMIAN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status or veteran status. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment free from discrimination.

‍ ‍

We’re Hiring: Resource Coordinator

RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Resource Coordinator who will work within RMIAN’s Social Service Project (SSP) and will be supervised by RMIAN’s Supervising Social Worker. The Resource Coordinator is bilingual in Spanish and English, provides case management support to clients receiving legal representation from RMIAN, and supports SSP in resource development and internal organization.

The SSP provides comprehensive support to particularly vulnerable immigrant adults, children and youth, and families navigating immigration proceedings, including adults detained by ICE in Aurora. SSP supports individuals with behavioral health challenges, physical and mental disabilities, and other social and systemic experiences that increase their risks of violence, instability, or deportation. While the SSP Resource Coordinator may provide some support to our detained clients, the position will primarily support clients who are living in the community and need assistance navigating systems and managing overwhelm to access essential needs, such as housing, health care, food, and childcare.

This position is meant for a person with a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field, dedicated to challenging social injustice and who values the inherent dignity and worth of each person we serve. RMIAN recognizes the value of lived experience. Candidates with lived experiences, backgrounds, and cultures similar to the clients and communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Responsibilities:

• Provide collaborative and client-centered case management through assessment and goal setting, service and resource coordination, and progress and outcome monitoring.

• Utilize empowerment, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approaches to help clients manage overwhelm, isolation, and other practical and emotional obstacles of goal attainment.

• Navigate complex social service systems and resources creatively, persistently, and effectively to advocate for and help clients and their support networks understand and access benefits and resources.

• Link clients to essential services such as food, housing, healthcare, schooling, and financial aid.

• Meet with clients at the ICE detention facility in Aurora.

• Accompany clients to court and appointments, as needed.

• Assist SSP colleagues with resource connections needed for post-release planning for clients detained in ICE custody.

• Provide resource and benefits navigation assistance to RMIAN colleagues working in our legal programs.

• Cultivate and expand RMIAN’s community partnerships with organizations that serve our clients and their communities.

• Update and manage internal SSP resource databases and community-facing resources.

• Maintain accurate and up to date client and program records through RMIAN’s electronic case and program management systems.

• Develop and maintain good organizational systems to track client needs and community resources.

• Participate in organization-wide expectations: attending staff meetings and relevant team meetings; completing time sheets and expense reports; and serving on RMIAN internal committees.

• Participate in RMIAN’s outreach, community education, and development efforts.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling or a related field OR minimum two years of work experience in the behavioral health field

• Professional level of English and Spanish fluency – both oral and written  

• Deep dedication to immigrant justice, as well as competency and willingness to learn and grow in providing services to LGBTQ+ clients, differently abled clients, and clients across other social differences, including exposure to oppression and marginalization

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

• Proactive and innovative problem-solving skills

• Strong organizational and time management skills

The Ideal Candidate:

• Is dedicated to client-centered, trauma-informed and strengths-based social work practice in an interdisciplinary and collaborative, legal service setting.

• Has a strong commitment to honoring the dignity and worth of all, including those who are detained, have criminal legal history, varying levels of education and literacy, or experience serious physical or mental illness.

• Demonstrates empathy, active listening, and excellent problem-solving abilities, and easily relates to, communicates with, and builds rapport with a broad range of clients and colleagues.

• Is team-oriented and works in collaboration with RMIAN staff members, clients, and community partners while also being able to manage casework and deadlines independently. 

Location:

This position is based out of RMIAN’s office located in Westminster, Colorado, and requires travel to other sites for client meetings and appointments, such as the ICE detention center in Aurora and other social and health service providers. RMIAN currently operates on a hybrid remote/in-person model, and this position will require a minimum of two full days a week at RMIAN’s office or other work-related locations.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience; the range is between $57,000 - $66,000. RMIAN offers a generous benefits package which includes:

• Paid time off with 15 days of vacation in the first year of employment and an additional 2 days for each additional year of employment, 10 sick days, 11 Federal holidays, plus an annual week-long holiday office closure;

• Excellent health insurance (100% covered by RMIAN);

• Dental & vision insurance (90% covered by RMIAN);

• Life insurance & professional liability insurance (100% covered);

• Professional development funds and opportunities, including supervision for clinical licensure;

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s Simple IRA retirement plan (RMIAN matches 4%);

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s flexible spending plan; and

• Eight-week sabbatical after five years of employment

If this profile calls to you, please send your resume and cover letter that explains why this role is a great fit for you to hr@rmian.org. Please also include a list of references.

Applications are encouraged before July 24, 2026. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

RMIAN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. RMIAN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status or veteran status. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment free from discrimination.

We’re Hiring: Detention Program Pro Se Staff Attorney

RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Pro Se Staff Attorney in our Detention Program to provide legal information for clients detained at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility. RMIAN’s legal orientation program is a know-your-rights program that seeks to educate and inform individuals detained at the Aurora immigration detention facility about their rights in removal proceedings, court procedures, release options, and relief from removal. The Pro Se Staff Attorney will screen individual cases for referral to volunteer pro bono counsel as well as to RMIAN direct representation staff attorneys. As part of this process, the Pro Se Staff Attorney provides necessary support to the entire team by conducting legal analysis on options for relief for potential clients. The Pro Se Staff Attorney will provide brief advice and pro se assistance to unrepresented individuals who are detained. On occasion, the Pro Se Staff Attorney will represent detained individuals on a limited-scope basis, including in medical advocacy, release advocacy, and other matters. Additionally, the Pro Se Staff Attorney will identify and create pro se materials as needed to distribute to individuals detained at the Aurora facility.

This position is meant for an attorney dedicated to equal justice for all – someone who has experience in immigration law, particularly removal defense (and preferably in a detained setting).

The ideal candidate:

• Is an attorney who has a background in immigration law and a strong commitment to immigrant justice – this person has experience in immigration law and is passionate about RMIAN’s work and mission.

• Is guided by the principle that all respondents before the immigration court are entitled to counsel and is passionate about explaining a complex legal framework in a digestible manner to individuals not well-versed in the complexities of immigration law. This candidate is excited about educating and empowering pro se individuals and enjoys creative delivery of information.

• Is comfortable working with individuals in a detained setting and excited to provide trauma-informed services to a wide variety of individuals, including individuals living with serious physical and mental disabilities and/or illness and individuals with varying levels of education and literacy.

• Enjoys collaborating with others on a team and feels ready to tackle assignments collectively, and is also able to work independently.

• Understands how to prioritize, enjoys handling multiple assignments running in parallel, and can triage to meet time-sensitive deadlines.

• Is skilled at building rapport with pro se respondents and at building relationships with Detention Program staff and LOP stakeholders. The ideal candidate acts with courtesy, patience and poise, is confident speaking to groups, and is excited to share RMIAN’s work with others.

• Has experience and confidence in speaking to groups.

Responsibilities:

Direct Services

• Conduct individual intakes in person several times a week to provide legal information and brief advice and to screen potential clients for eligibility for relief.

• Perform legal and factual research to determine participants’ legal eligibility and suitability of cases for referral and to create educational materials for pro se individuals representing themselves.

• Support RMIAN’s pro bono efforts to match as many cases as possible with free legal representation, including screening cases, communicating with respondents, and gathering records in support of pro se litigation efforts.

• Under the supervision of the Deputy Managing Attorney, determine how to best support individual pro se respondents in their legal cases when it is not possible to find a volunteer attorney to represent the individual.

• If RMIAN’s request is granted to resume providing in-person know-your-rights presentations to groups at the immigration detention center in Aurora, Colorado, provide several group presentations each week. This may include holding pro se workshops and presenting information in a classroom-style environment.

• Represent a discrete number of clients in limited-scope matters.

Outreach, Community Education, and Development Efforts

• Participate in RMIAN’s outreach, community education, and development efforts.

• Participate in internal initiatives related to community building, committee work, and other activities within RMIAN.

Required skills and experience:

• Admission to any state bar

• Professional-level English & Spanish fluency – both oral and written

• Deep dedication to immigration legal services, working with individuals in detention, commitment to working with members of marginalized groups, and people with prior history of involvement in the criminal and immigration legal systems.

Location:

This position is based out of RMIAN’s office located in Westminster, Colorado, but requires frequent travel to the Aurora Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado. RMIAN’s operations are currently on a hybrid remote/in-person model, requiring at least two days a week of work in RMIAN’s office, or other work-related locations.  For the first three months of employment, working three days a week in the office or the detention facility is required. Additional and/or alternative days in the office or detention facility may be required as needed due to the press of business.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience; the range is between $72,000 to $90,500. Salary includes a generous benefits package which includes:

• Generous paid time off with 15 days of vacation in the first year of employment and an additional 2 days for each additional year of employment, 10 sick days, 11 Federal holidays, plus, an annual week-long holiday office closure;

• Excellent health insurance (100% covered by RMIAN);

• Dental & Vision insurance (90% covered by RMIAN);

• Life insurance & professional liability insurance (100% covered by RMIAN);

• Professional development funds and opportunities;

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s Simple IRA retirement plan (RMIAN matches 4%);

• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s flexible spending plan; and

• Eight-week sabbatical after five years of employment

If this profile calls to you, please send your resume and cover letter that explains why this role is a great fit for you to hr@rmian.org. Please also include a writing sample and a list of references.

Applicants are encouraged to apply before July 24, 2026. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

RMIAN is an equal opportunity employer and recognizes the importance of diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, women, members of the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. RMIAN does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status or veteran status. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment free from discrimination.

COALITION CONDEMNS USCIS MEMO THREATENING FAMILY SEPARATION AND FORCED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FOR GREEN CARD APPLICANTS

As a member of Colorado’s Keep Families Together coalition, RMIAN strongly condemns the recent USCIS memorandum that may require certain green card applicants to leave the country to continue their applications. This policy risks disrupting the lives and livelihoods of international students, tourists, individuals on certain temporary work visas, humanitarian parolees, certain family members of U.S. citizens, and many others by forcing them to bear burdensome travel requirements, including the potential emotional, developmental, and social toll of separation from dependents or other loved ones. Read the full statement here.

With no options left, a Venezuelan family living in Colorado walks into ICE custody, seeking to go back home

Nicolais: I shed my first tears as an attorney. Tears for freedom from ICE detention

The Colorado Sun ran this moving and insightful opinion piece, written by an attorney who attended a RMIAN immigration training, about his experiences with immigration court and a habeas case.

Immigrants detained in Colorado by ICE’s ‘deportation machine’ reach for once-rare legal lever

As ICE enforcement increases in our communities, many more of our clients are being wrongfully detained and held in prolonged detention. RMIAN is fighting to ensure immigrants' rights are protected by utilizing its litigation expertise to bring habeas petitions before the federal court—a way to challenge this unlawful confinement. This Denver Post article covers the surge in habeas cases. As Shira Hereld, RMIAN Staff Attorney, said in the article "habeas is the only way that most folks are getting out of detention, and more folks are being both arrested and held in detention than ever before.”

Thousands of immigrants in Colorado were arrested and deported during Trump’s first year

During President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, 4,750 people without legal status were arrested by federal immigration authorities in Colorado, new data shows, reflecting a near-quadrupling of the prior year’s arrest rate.

“They’re not at all surprising,” Laura Lunn, an immigration attorney with the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, said of the numbers. “They’re (emotionally) deflating, but not surprising.”

“Obviously, so much has happened since this administration took over, but I think a lot of folks don’t necessarily remember that Trump announced Operation Aurora shortly (before) he took office,” she continued. “Communities in Denver and Aurora were targeted for mass enforcement actions. We saw military-grade vehicles rolling down the streets of Denver before we saw the same thing happening in L.A., Chicago, Minneapolis.”

Iliff School of Theology April Renewal Event

Event and registration information here.

Podcast on Immigration Detention

RMIAN’s Executive Director, Mekela Goehring, and Director of Advocacy & Litigation, Laura Lunn, discuss immigration detention with RMIAN founding Board Member Hiroshi Motomura on his podcast “Unsettled: Immigration in Turbulent Times.” This episode looks at immigration detention in the second Trump administration. The administration has been greatly expanding detention facilities by buying warehouses to be converted into eight large-scale detention facilities, with the goal of having these facilities operational by the end of September of this year. The administration intends to use military procurement to speed up this transformation. Have a listen to this insightful conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox or Zolberg Podcasts.

Save the Date! CBA-CLE on Habeas Petitions

Habeas Training by RMIAN and Colorado Bar Association 

On April 28, 2026, RMIAN and the CBA-CLE are providing a half-day training on the nuts and bolts of representing clients in habeas petitions. A group of experts will walk you through the ins and outs of filing habeas petitions, answer burning questions, and offer robust materials that will ease the burden of learning how to file and present habeas petitions in the District Court for the District of Colorado with a litigation goal focused on securing clients’ freedom from detention. The event is free for anyone committing to take on a pro bono case in the next two years and the program has been submitted for four General CLE Credits. Click Here for more info.

How Denver Is Preparing for a Possible ICE Surge

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network has a “robust attorney-referral program,” according to Laura Lunn, its advocacy and litigation director. “Knowing the rules is absolutely the best tool we have at our disposal,” she says.

24 Colorado organizations demand justice for Delvin Francisco Rodriguez

RMIAN and 23 other Colorado organizations (led by Voces Unidas) sent to the members of our Congressional delegation demanding an investigation into and accountability for the death of Delvin Franciso Rodriguez, a Colorado resident from Summit County, who died in ICE detention after being transferred to an ICE detention center in Mississippi.

In Denver courtroom, Trump administration pushes to send asylum seekers to third countries

Immigration attorneys say use of 'pretermission' raises due process concerns for people seeking asylum

Sherman, with the Immigrant Advocacy Network, said the pretermission process raises significant due process concerns.

“If somebody has never been to a country, they really deserve some time to learn about that country and figure out if they think they would be safe there and to be able to come up with those arguments,” Sherman said. “This is concerning in all cases, but when somebody has an attorney, we’re able to at least give them a fighting chance, and we have won several oppositions to these motions.

“But most people don’t have lawyers,” she said. “We meet with as many of those people as we can to advise them of their rights, and we’ve met with several who were just blindsided by this.”

Amid ICE protests and nationwide strike, businesses donate to Colorado immigrant rights groups

“Our lawyers and our social workers are on the front lines every day, fighting for justice, ensuring that kids are not forced to represent themselves in immigration court,” said Mekela Goehring, executive director at RMIAN.

Goehring says while donations from small businesses were not finalized by Friday night, the organization received more than $18,000 from more than 100 new community donors on Friday alone.

“This has been a powerful day and just an amazing showing of support at a time in which things have felt certainly quite dark,” Goehring said. “Proud to be a Coloradan today.”

RMIAN outraged by violent attacks on our communities—No funds for ICE and Border Patrol

RMIAN joined 1,025 organizations in expressing our horror, outrage and deep grief about the continued violent attacks on our immigrant communities and communities of color, as well as their many allies and supporters. “We demand an immediate halt in all funding for these deadly operations until the violence, abuses, and deaths in American communities and in immigration detention centers stop. Congress must refuse to provide one dollar to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol through the appropriations process and immediately take action to revoke the tens of billions already given through last summer’s reconciliation bill.”

New American Immigration Council Report on Immigration Detention Expansion

When President Trump took office in January 2025, there were roughly 40,000 people being held in immigration detention. By the start of December, that number had risen by almost 75 percent, with nearly 66,000 people held in immigration detention across the United States and the system reportedly capable of holding 70,000 people on any given day — the highest level in history.

This report aims to document the historic expansion of detention under the Trump administration. It details not only the policy changes which have led to ICE detention reaching the highest level on record, but also their impact on the individuals who have found themselves locked into it. The growth in immigration detention, and the spectacle which has accompanied the construction and use of new facilities — coupled with the near-elimination of any transparency into the operation and use of those facilities — is the backbone of President Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

As this report reveals, rather than focusing on serious public safety threats and flight risks, the Trump administration is primarily using detention to pressure people into giving up their chance to remain in the United States.