Dozens of Democrats in the House and Senate introduced legislation this week that would make it harder to hold illegal aliens in custody if they qualify as a "vulnerable person," such as those who are gay, lesbian or transgender, who don’t speak English, or who meet other definitions of the term under the bill.
The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is aimed at setting minimum standards for detention facilities where thousands of illegal aliens are kept as they await processing. Among other things, it would bar the use of private detention facilities and make sure government-run facilities meet minimum standards as defined by the American Bar Association.
"Our immigration system has allowed for the unjust treatment of immigrants and stripped them of their humanity and due process," Booker said in a Thursday statement. "We must respect and protect the basic rights of immigrants detained in the United States."
Under the legislation, the Department of Homeland Security could arrest illegal aliens and either release them on bond or detain them while a decision is made on whether to remove them from the country. The bill sets out new rules on detention that favor aliens.
