{"id":7016,"date":"2022-09-27T13:15:12","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T20:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/humanrights\/?p=7016"},"modified":"2022-10-04T11:25:55","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T18:25:55","slug":"whats-ice-hiding-a-look-inside-uwchrs-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/humanrights\/2022\/09\/27\/whats-ice-hiding-a-look-inside-uwchrs-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s ICE Hiding? A look inside UWCHR’s lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, on September 20, 2022, <\/span>we filed a lawsuit against DHS and ICE for failure to lawfully respond to FOIA requests<\/span><\/a>. ICE\u2019s stonewalling of our FOIA requests leaves us with no other option but to bring suit against the agency. We bring FOIA litigation because we know that access to information is a human right. <\/span>What\u2019s the information behind our record requests that we are fighting so hard to get?<\/b> We are seeking data and documents regarding local and national immigration enforcement, deportation flight contracts and incident reports, and other topics \u2013 below are just a few examples.<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Family separation in Washington state<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"In<\/span><\/p>\n

On February 10, 2021, the UWCHR requested information about the number of unaccompanied children and family units held in ICE custody in Washington state, the location where they were held, and the book-in and book-out dates in each location from 2018-2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ICE ERO document \u201cTransportation Services for Unaccompanied Children Statement of Work,\u201d states that this information is stored in the Enforcement Alien Booking Manual.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using ICE\u2019s own documents, UWCHR researchers have identified family units, including juveniles, who have been separated by federal immigration authorities in Washington state after crossing the border from Canada. For example, \u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\""Arrangements<\/p>\n

Excerpt from ICE document that UWCHR received through FOIA request, noting the separation and location of a family under ICE custody from India.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Records show that fathers are typically sent to the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, while mothers and children are taken to motels near SeaTac airport, as in this case of a family from India apprehended in Blaine, WA in April 2019 (shown in graphic above). The mother and children may then be expelled under Title 42 \u2013 returned to their country of origin without an opportunity to seek asylum \u2013 or flown to a family detention center across the country, but because these practices happen in secrecy, we do not know. These family separations can last years or even become permanent, as each parent is forced to fight their case separately, with or without legal representation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our government\u2019s separation of migrant families is neither necessary nor acceptable, and ICE\u2019s secrecy surrounding the practice seeks to conceal it from public view.<\/span><\/p>\n

In response to UWCHR\u2019s request for this information, ICE:<\/span><\/p>\n