US to house detained migrants in converted hotels

PHOENIX: The US, criticised for holding illegal immigrants in overcrowded and poorly run jails, on Oct 6 announced plans to convert hotels to detain some non-criminal immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said illegal immigrants ranging from criminals to newly arrived asylum seekers would be held in different facilities according to the risk they pose.

"This is a system that encompasses many different types of detainees, not all of whom need to be held in prison-like circumstances," Napolitano told a conference call.

Referring to non-criminals such as newly arrived asylum seekers, Napolitano said, "We will begin efforts to house these populations near immigration service providers and pursue different options like converted hotels or residential facilities for their detention."

About 32,000 immigrants to the US are held at any given time in about 350 local jails and private prisons, which have been criticised for providing poor medical care and oversight.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigration reform has been a contentious issue in US politics. Congress has failed to pass reforms amid differences over how to deal with about 12 million illegal immigrants in the country and demands border security first be addressed

The changes are part of a broader overhaul of the immigration detention system to "centralise, organise, provide oversight (and) ensure greater federal accountability," Napolitano said.

Other reforms include doubling the number of ICE employees at detention facilities that house about 80% of immigration detainees, to provide greater day-to-day oversight, and providing alternatives to detention, like ankle bracelets.

Napolitano said efforts are also under way to develop an online locater system for families and lawyers to find detainees, as well as efforts to centralize and oversee more than 300 immigration detention contracts, and improve medical care for detainees.

"These new initiatives will improve accountability and safety in our detention facilities as we continue to engage in smart and effective enforcement of our nation's immigration laws," she said. -- Reuters