Tools for Shaping the Administration’s New Approach to Immigrant Detention and Due Process

This week, the Obama Administration announced plans to overhaul the way it detains and processes people accused of immigration violations.  The plans include a much-needed decision to close the notorious T. Don Hutto detention facility, where families with children have been held under deplorable conditions, often behind razor wire.  Congratulations to our frequent partners, the ACLU, Grassroots Leadership, Breakthrough, the Rights Working Group, and others who helped make this happen.

At the same time, many of the Administration’s plans for immigrant due process and detention are unannounced or in formation. And it is possible that some troubling policies adopted during the Bush Administration may be retained.  Advocates and allies have an important role to play in building public support and advocating for public policy that upholds the human right to due process, ensures fair treatment for everyone in our justice system, and fixes our broken immigration system instead of needlessly incarcerating families and individuals.

To assist in the promotion of workable solutions that uphold our values and move us forward together, The Opportunity Agenda has produced opinion research and communications guidance (click here and here) on immigrant due process and on commonsense immigration reform.  We encourage you to access those materials through the above links, and to use them in promoting positive reform.

Their findings and recommendations include:

  • Focusing on the importance of the human right to due process for our country, and for all of us, not only for immigrants.
  • Emphasizing the centrality of due process protections to our nation’s values and history.
  • Identifying the alternatives that exist.
  • Reminding audiences that the 12 million undocumented immigrants in our country have no way to become legalized under the current, broken system.

Calling for workable solutions to this broken system, including the opportunity for undocumented immigrants to get legal, pay taxes, and participate fully in our economy and civic life.

We welcome your feedback on these materials, as well as your experiences using these and other tools to expand opportunity and protect human rights for all.

Read more at The Opportunity Agenda website.

Author: The Opportunity Agenda

The Opportunity Agenda is a communications, research, and advocacy organization dedicated to building the national will to expand opportunity in America.