San Diego Immigration Law Blog

Immigration is a hot topic in the news right now. Many people don't realize that the issue of undocumented immigrants in this country isn't as serious as what some are trying to make it seem. In fact, the number of undocumented is currently estimated to be the lowest it has been in 12 years. As of 2016, there are an estimated 10.7 million undocumented immigrants, which is much lower than the 12.2 million estimated in 2007.

Immigration detention is one of the tools that the country is using to try to combat illegal immigration; however, the conditions in these facilities are being called into question. The media highlights some pretty troublesome methods related to this, including locking children in cages and having some people live in tent cities. Around 70 percent of people who are in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in this country are housed in for-profit, private prisons.

People find themselves facing deportation for a wide range of reasons. In some cases, an individual may have made a mistake on paperwork related to their visa or immigration status. Simply missing a deadline can be enough of a reason to initiate deportation.

Other times, someone may have intentionally or accidentally violated laws in the United States. Many different crimes can impact your eligibility for residency or citizenship. Facing criminal charges can often mean facing deportation as well. If you wind up convicted of certain offenses, that can result in changes to your legal immigration status in the United States.

If you're an undocumented immigrant in the United States, you're probably concerned about your immigration status and whether you'll be able to stay in the country. You may even be concerned that if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stop you, that you could be arrested, sent to a detention center and later deported. If you're facing a situation like this, your concerns are well-founded.

As long as you are inside the borders of the United States as an undocumented immigrant, you are at risk of arrest. That said, there are some places where it's less likely that ICE agents will actually arrest you. These potential "safe zones" include the following:

• Schools, including pre-school to high school and even colleges and universities
• Hospitals
• Churches and places of worship
• Funeral, wedding and religious ceremony sites
• Sites of public demonstrations, rallies, parades and marches

Considering how many immigrants are being arrested and detained around the world right now -- and the fact that many of them have been unlawfully detained -- it's frightening to think how little oversight there is over the facilities where detained immigrants are housed. In some parts of the world, there is absolutely no oversight of the living conditions in these centers.

Due to the lack of oversight, it's not unheard of for human rights violations to happen at an immigration center. This can result in devastating psychological and physical problems for the immigrants who are detained. Especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment are women and children. Because of these dangers, some people who find themselves detained at an immigration center -- even for a short period of time -- may suffer from life-long mental health complications.