June 24--The federal government announced Wednesday that it will release some undocumented migrant families on bond, a move designed to ease the strain on detention centers and address criticism from activists who argue that it is wrong to hold women and children for long periods.
In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency, which oversees the nation's three such centers, will also move to release some families who can show "a credible or reasonable fear of persecution in their home countries."
The families will have to post a bond to ensure they return for court appearances. The amount of the bond will be "reasonable and realistic, taking into account ability to pay, while encompassing risk of flight and public safety," he said. The agency will also hold interviews with the families in a reasonable time frame, he said, to help shorten the time in custody.
"I have reached the conclusion that we must make substantial changes in our detention practices with respect to families with children," Johnson said in the statement. "In short, once a family has established eligibility for asylum or other relief under our laws, long-term detention is an inefficient use of our resources and should be discontinued."
The detention of families and children has been especially thorny for the federal government in the wake of last year's border surge, in which more than 68,000 families came into the United States, many illegally, from Central America and Mexico.
Johnson has been under pressure to release more than 1,300 mothers and children being held in two centers in Dilley and Karnes City, both in Texas, and in a third center in Berks County, Pa.
Activists have complained that the families are being held for long periods in sometimes questionable conditions while their cases are being weighed. They have also argued there was no need for incarcerations because bond and a promise to return when their court cases are being decided would work just as well.
Some 130 House Democrats and 33 senators have called on the government to halt family detention, while a federal judge in California has tentatively ruled that the policy violates parts of an 18-year-old court settlement that says immigrant children cannot be held in secure facilities.
"Last summer we faced an unprecedented spike in illegal migration from Central America," said Johnson, defending the initial detention of the families. "A substantial part of that migration was adults who brought their children with them. In order to avoid a situation, after apprehension, in which we simply processed these individuals, escorted them to bus stations and released them, we increased our detention capacity."
After complaints, officials investigated the length of incarceration and conditions.
"I and other DHS officials have conducted numerous visits to family residential centers. I personally visited the Karnes, Texas, facility on Monday of last week," Johnson said. "While there, I inspected the facility, the lodging, the dining area and the classrooms for children, and spoke directly and privately with the health providers. Most significant, I spoke with dozens of Central American mothers at the facility who came to this country illegally seeking a better life for their children and themselves."
The current change in policies follows other changes announced in May.
Officials last month said they will evaluate any case in which a family has been held more than 90 days. Officials also revoked the policy of using detention as a way of deterring immigrants from crossing the border illegally.
