The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today strongly condemned the disturbing conditions revealed in multiple recent videos and reports showing overcrowded, degrading, and inhumane treatment of immigrants held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Baltimore.
SEE: Viral video provides rare look inside crowded ICE holding room in Baltimore
SEE ALSO: ‘Genuinely appalled’: Maryland lawmakers concerned over apparent video of Baltimore’s ICE office
Over the past several days, viral footage has emerged depicting dozens of people crammed into ICE holding rooms at for extended periods, reportedly without adequate space, sanitation, food, medical care, or access to legal counsel.
Additional reports have surfaced regarding a new ICE holding facility being planned in Western Maryland, raising further alarm about the expansion and normalization of abusive detention practices under the guise of short-term processing.
SEE: Feds purchase warehouse near Hagerstown, fueling talk of immigration detention center
“No matter a person’s immigration status, they do not lose their basic human rights when they enter government custody,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “What we are seeing in Baltimore reflects a systemic failure that deserves urgent action.”
CAIR is calling on the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General to launch an independent investigation into the conditions at the facility, including review of detention policies, treatment of detainees, and adherence to constitutional protections.
The civil rights group is also calling for unrestricted access to members of Congress and independent monitors to inspect holding facilities and verify compliance with federal standards, as well as mandatory humane treatment standards for all persons in immigration custody, including limits on crowded confinement, guaranteed access to food, water, hygiene, medical care, and communication with family and counsel.
ICE has attempted to justify prolonged confinement in holding rooms by citing logistical and weather-related delays. However, advocates, attorneys, and community organizations report that extended detention in facilities designed for short-term use has become routine, not exceptional – often with devastating physical and psychological consequences for detainees.
The emergence of a new ICE holding facility, paired with the conditions exposed in the earlier viral video, raises serious questions about oversight, compliance with federal detention standards, and whether ICE is expanding capacity without ensuring humane conditions or meaningful accountability.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com