Women in Detention

Maria* is a young human rights advocate from Colombia. She fled to the United States, seeking asylum, after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) threatened to kill her. After living in fear and under the constant threat of violence and torture, she now suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

Read more about Maria's unfair treatment

Fleeing Violence and Persecution

Many women who come to the United States seeking asylum have suffered great harm. They flee their countries of origin because they’ve been persecuted on account of their race, religion or political orientation. They are often survivors of domestic violence, rape and trafficking. These women come to the U.S. seeking protection, but upon arrival, are held in detention facilities where they are subjected to additional neglect and abuse.

Our Work to Protect Women in Detention

The Migrant Rights and Justice Program visits detention facilities around the country to get a sense of how immigrant detainees are treated by facility staff and what kind of conditions they are subject to.

We meet with detention center staff, interview detainees and take extensive tours, so that we can report back to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with recommendations on how to reform the system. It is clear from our visits that ICE detention facilities are in need of more meaningful oversight and accountability.

• National Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Prison Rape
• Read more on what's being done for women in detention

*Names have been changed to protect women and children

Our Reports

• Migrant Women and Children at Risk: In Custody in Arizona