ICE says relaxed detention standards ‘reduce the burden’ on contractors running its lockups
The new standards drop a $1-a-day pay rule and remove references to state and local law, easing legal exposure for contractors, experts said.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released revised detention guidelines Monday, explicitly stating the rules were changed with operator input to "reduce the burden on our detention operators."
- The new guidelines permit for-profit contractors to use artificial intelligence—such as generative AI and machine learning translation—for "noncritical communication" and informal interactions, including processing intakes and responding to detainee grievances.
- The rules shield operators from forced-labor lawsuits by reinforcing a $1-per-day cap for "voluntary work" programs, clarifying that detainees are not employees entitled to standard wages or benefits, and explicitly barring facilities from paying above that minimum.
- Facility operators are now prohibited from refusing any detainee ICE sends them, a change experts warn will force facilities to accept severely ill or disabled individuals they cannot immediately accommodate, though it may ultimately lower contractors' legal liability for subsequent custody deaths.
- Human rights advocates and former officials heavily condemned the trajectory, warning that the shift toward weaker U.S. Marshals Service-style standards will cause conditions to deteriorate for roughly 60,000 detainees, even as ICE receives billions from a newly signed federal enforcement package.
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Contractors operating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities can increasingly rely on artificial intelligence tools to communicate with detainees and continue refusing to pay minimum wage…
Associated Press News
ICE says relaxed detention standards 'reduce the burden' on contractors running its lockups
Contractors running Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities can rely more heavily on artificial intelligence tools to communicate with detainees and continue refusing to pay wages for detainees’ “voluntary work."
ICE rushing out new rules allowing detention center contractor to avoid lawsuits: report
At the urging of one of the largest and most notorious contractors running detention centers used to detain immigrants who have been taken into custody by ICE agents, the agency posted new rules that will make it easier for contractors to avoid lawsuits and be held accountable under state and local ...
Loonie Politics
My Mother LodeICE says relaxed detention standards ‘reduce the burden’ on contractors running its lockups
Contractors running Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities can rely more heavily on artificial intelligence tools to communicate with detainees and continue refusing to pay the minimum wage for detainees’ “voluntary work,” under relaxed detention standards released Monday. ICE said the standards, which apply to for-profit contractors and jails that hold detainees, were revised to “reduce the burden on our detention operators.” Experts sa…
Telemundo Phoenix/Tucson
Contractors operating Immigration and Customs Control (ICE) facilities can rely more on artificial intelligence tools to communicate with detainees and continue to refuse to pay the minimum wage for their “voluntary work” under the flexible detention rules released on Monday. ICE indicated that the rules, which apply to contractors for profit and prisons housing detainees, were revised to “reduce the burden on our detention operators.”
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