Today, Solitary Watch is publishing the ninth in a series of fact sheets that offer facts, analysis, and resources on a variety of topics related to solitary confinement in U.S. prisons, jails, and immigrant and juvenile facilities. This fact sheet, written by Francisco Rodriguez, is titled “Solitary Confinement in Immigrant Detention.”

As the fact sheet states: “Solitary confinement is utilized daily on migrants at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers across the country, often violating international human rights standards and even the U.S. government’s own policies. The practice is used as a method of control and punishment and is frequently applied arbitrarily. This not only enables physical abuse and racial discrimination against detainees, but also causes or worsens mental health damage, often leading to lifelong trauma or even suicide.”

As of 2024, ICE detained over 37,000 individuals in detention facilities, a figure that increased by almost 23,000 since the beginning of the Biden administration. According to ICE’s own quarterly reports, the agency’s use of solitary confinement is rapidly increasing, with the number of individuals placed in solitary by ICE rising by 61% from 2022 to 2023, and at least 3,000 individuals segregated in 2023 alone. Many of those isolated are the most vulnerable migrants, including LGBTQ+ individuals and people with mental illness. These number are highly likely to grow in the new Trump administration, which has pledged to both greatly expand the use of immigration detention and further lower standards for detention conditions.

The first fact sheet in the series addresses “Racism and Solitary Confinement,” while the second covers the often overlooked “Collateral Consequences of Solitary Confinement.” The third in the series documents the “Psychological Effect of Solitary Confinement,” the fourth challenges misconceptions about “Solitary Confinement and Prison Safety,” the fifth explores “Solitary Confinement and the Brain: The Neurological Effects,” and the sixth addresses “Solitary Confinement and Prison Oversight.” The seventh fact sheet covers “Children in Solitary Confinement” and the eighth is on “Women in Solitary Confinement.” Future entries in the fact sheet series will cover the specific impacts of solitary on LGBTQ+ individuals and on Muslims accused and convicted of terrorism-related offenses, as well as solitary confinement and the law and the high fiscal costs of solitary. All existing fact sheets can be found together on this page.

Fact sheets are designed to be accessed online and also printed out and copied for use by educators, advocates, policymakers, and others.