Every year, thousands of people are held in US immigration detention for months or even years without a timely resolution of their cases. Many remain separated from their families, children, and communities while waiting for court decisions.

Prolonged immigration detention causes serious emotional, physical, and financial harm. Families suffer, children grow up without their parents, and detainees often experience uncertainty, anxiety, and declining health.

The immigration system should respect due process and ensure that detention is used only when truly necessary. No one should remain in detention indefinitely while waiting for justice.

We call for meaningful reforms that reduce prolonged immigration detention, guarantee timely case reviews, and protect the fundamental rights and dignity of every person.

We call on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and members of Congress to establish meaningful limits on prolonged immigration detention, ensure regular and timely custody reviews, and expand the use of safe alternatives to detention whenever continued confinement is not necessary.

The prolonged detention of many people at the Polk County Detention Center in Livingston, Texas, highlights the human cost of extended immigration detention. Many detainees spend months—or even longer—waiting for decisions that will determine their futures, while their families endure uncertainty, emotional suffering, and financial hardship. We call on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and all responsible authorities to ensure timely case reviews, fair due process, and humane treatment for every person held in immigration detention.