ICE Detainees and Civil Rights Organizations Raise Alarm Over Conditions and Violations of Immigrants’ Rights at Federal Facility in Leavenworth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 29, 2025
CONTACT:
Gabby Arias, ACLU, [email protected]
Esmie Tseng, ACLU of Kansas, [email protected]
Michael Sharma-Crawford, MO/KS Chapter of AILA, [email protected]
LEAVENWORTH - Immigrants detained at the Federal Correctional Institution Leavenworth (FCI) currently face a number of problematic and unlawful conditions, including lengthy lockdowns and deprivation of basic needs, crowded and unsanitary conditions, use of force, delays in medical care, lack of language access, lack of telephone access and confidential communications with legal counsel, issues with legal mail, and lack of services.
According to both detainee and attorney reports, a significant number of people detained at FCI Leavenworth continue to be held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s custody even though they have already won their immigration cases.
A letter sent this week from the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, Advocates for Immigrants Rights and Reconciliation, the National Immigrant Justice Center, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of AILA, and the Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth raised alarm and urged officials to rectify numerous concerns over conditions in the facility and the prolonged detention of immigrant detainees. The letter is addressed to the warden of FCI Leavenworth and local representatives from the ICE Chicago Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
ICE entered into an agreement with the BOP in February to house immigrant detainees. People in ICE custody face more restrictive conditions than those in BOP custody, with less out-of-cell time and no access to outdoor recreation. Language barriers create significant hurdles for detainees in need of medical care.
“Detaining someone and undermining their due process by blocking access to counsel is a clear and unequivocal violation of the Sixth Amendment,” said Michael Sharma-Crawford, a local immigration attorney and the current chair of the Kansas and Missouri chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “That injustice becomes even more severe when it targets civil detainees—people who are not accused of any crime. The harm in these cases is not just amplified; it is indefensible.”
“The Trump administration’s use of federal prisons to detain immigrants must end. Holding people in extended lockdown, and denying them access to adequate medical care, legal counsel, and even sunlight isn’t just inhumane – it’s illegal,” said Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. “The taxpayer-funded conditions faced by immigrants held at FCI Leavenworth should concern us all.”
"What’s happening at FCI Leavenworth is not only a violation of ICE’s own policies — it’s a violation of our shared humanity,” said Karla Juarez, executive director of Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation. “These are people who have already won their immigration cases and who should be free with their families, not locked in overcrowded cells without access to medical care or even sunlight. We are horrified. We demand that ICE and BOP stop treating immigrant lives as disposable and immediately release those who have already been granted protection. Detaining people under civil immigration law in punitive prison conditions is unacceptable and unlawful."
“The hardest thing I can express was that when we arrived, we were the second group, and it was an abandoned area,” said an individual who was detained at FCI Leavenworth earlier this year. ”Everything was very dirty. We didn't have any cleaning supplies. Food was the hardest part because it wasn't a pleasant meal. There was no way to wash clothes. We only had one uniform, and that was it. Honestly, the time we were locked up in the cell was the worst. We had no communication with our families, and they didn't comply with the necessary resources.”
“I hope they get out as soon as possible,” he said. “There are many people who are there who have already won a case and are still there. I hope ICE pays more attention to their cases because they never get answers for them. I hope they are truly giving them enough food and they can communicate with their families and lawyers.”
Earlier this month, the Kansas Federal Public Defender’s office sent a letter to the FCI Leavenworth warden and the assistant general counsel at the BOP over health concerns for residents due to a monthslong rat infestation at the FCI Facility. The letter also noted issues with video visitation of connectivity and timeliness interfering with reliable and confidential visitation for attorneys with clients. A responsive letter from the warden noted pest control measures taken and stated that attorney-client visits are unmonitored and confidential.
The letter is available here.
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About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.
About Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation: AIRR organizes and activates immigrants in Kansas and Missouri to advocate for their rights and well-being. Through education, leadership development, and community-driven action, we foster a welcoming environment that values justice, dignity, and reconciliation. Together, we strive for a future where immigrant rights are respected and upheld, working alongside our communities to create lasting change. More at www.airrkc.org.
About the American Civil Liberties Union: For more than 100 years, the ACLU has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. For more information, visit our website at www.aclu.org.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.
The National Immigrant Justice Center is a nongovernmental organization dedicated to ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through a unique combination of direct services, policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. Visit immigrantjustice.org.
