Why do I do this to myself.

Why hold someone in jail pending trial?

Because the court has to make sure you show up to trial. Asylum seekers have to go before a judge in order to be granted asylum.

So, are we against the poor conditions the migrants face in these detention centers? Or are we against the concept of pre trial detention? The former is easy to argue and where we should direct our immediate outrage. The latter is an indictment on our current immigration laws and treatment of pre trial detainees in this country.

There are horrific abuses at county jails across the country. People are locked up in jail for years awaiting trial. In NYC, you can be arrested for petty theft and spend literally years on Rikers Island. Prisoners are routinely psychologically tortured with solitary confinement. And again, if you’re in a jail you haven’t been convicted of a crime.

Truth is you shouldn’t be locked up pre trial for nonviolent offenses, including immigration/asylum cases. But the logical conclusion of saying that we shouldn’t imprison asylum seekers while they wait on their asylum hearings, is to say we shouldn’t lock up any non violent offenders before trial. This is a view I personally hold. But I’m not sure you can convince most Americans that the entire concept of pre trial detention is inhumane.

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