AMA (ask me anything) Thread. Undocumented>Arrest by ICE>Detention>Bond & Supervision - Page 5

Mine was pretty much the same, pick you up in the early morning, throw you in a holding cell with 20 to 30 more people handcuffed to your waist and feet though a chain and wait for your turn with the judge, around a 5 to 6 hr process from the time you get picked up to the time they drop you off at your unit.

What I found to be crazy in these detention centers is that alot of the people there were doing prison time, or were just released from prison and sent there for a couple of months to be deported, so you got in the same place a guy that got caught driving without a license sharing his cell with a hardened criminal that's been in the system for 15 20 years, an ideal situation for violence, predatory behavior and all around unsafe place.

When ICE detains you does it mean that you will be deported?

They didn't handcuff any of us during the bond hearing, which was surprising to me given how they treat you throughout the entire process from arrest to detention, like you're a criminal even if you have a clean record. It was probably about a 3-4 hour process for me that day.

And yeah, that's basically what the circumstances were in my unit. And there were also a lot of people fighting their immigration cases for months, and in many instances years. Honestly it seemed to me like the asylum seekers are the ones who carry a big chunk of the responsibility for jamming the system and court backlog because their cases take forever to be resolved. There were some people fighting asylum cases even though they had prior criminal convictions and shit, it was so ridiculous. Some were undocumented, and others were fighting to keep their green cards. I remember there was one kid who had his DACA revoked, but i never asked him why.

And yes! That was so crazy for me to realize too. There were some dudes in there who had gone straight to detention after doing many years in prison for some really bad shit and/or aggravated felonies. The classification system for detainees was very strange to me. Everyone gets lumped together. They seem to only separate children and women from everyone else.

In the time i spent there, it was pretty calm and there were only two minor incidents in our unit. They were basically just verbal incidents that never escalated to anything else.

Basic medical care is very neglected, and the medical staff is a joke. The food is awful. The schedule is really weird, waking you up super early for breakfast and shit like that. The cells cram anywhere from 4 to 8 people. Just things like that.

For-profit prisons, detention centers, and contractors are anxiously awaiting more detainees to be brought in under the new executive orders because they will be making a fortune off of this misery. It's so fucked up. And as a result, conditions are only going to get way worse for detainees.

It depends. Normally, no. You will have a chance to bond out of detention if you're not a flight risk and you're not a danger to the community.

If you're able to bond out of detention, you will then be placed under some kind of supervision by Homeland Security and there will be a series of court dates you will attend where you can fight and make a case as to why you should remain in the country. The courts are so backed up that it's possible you won't even go to court for your master immigration hearing for up to 1-2 years.

However, under the new Trump administration many things seem to be changing. Now they want to enforce expedited removals for people that can't prove they have been here more than at least two years. This means that they won't allow these people to see a judge before they are deported. Everyone else is entitled to due process.

What is a daily routine in the detention? Thanks!

They wake you up around 4:30 AM for breakfast. A list is provided by the guard regarding people who will be cleaning after every meal throughout the day. If it's your turn to clean, then you do so.

After breakfast, the majority of detainees go back to sleep until about 9:00 AM. When you wake up, you have to make your bed and clean your cell so that you don't get dinged when there's an inspection later on.

Lunch comes around 10:30 AM, and it's the same routine as breakfast. Everyone has to go to their cell after eating so that the designated detainees can clean the open area.

After that you have the option of hanging out in your cell or in the open area. And what i mean by open area is just basically a warehouse space with very high ceilings, a few tables, and a few TVs. People play cards, watch TV, talk, you have access to the telephone, showers, etc.

The guards do two counts throughout the day, and for approximately 30 minutes or so you have to be in your cell during those counts.

You never get to go outside, and there are no windows. You basically go insane in there out of boredom and hopelessness.

Dinner comes around 5:30 PM, and then after detainees clean for the last time, you get to hang out until about 10:30 PM when lights go out and everyone returns to their cells. On the weekends they let you hang out a bit longer.

That's pretty much it. It sucks.

biscuitneck, any advice for us to avoid where you ended now?

Well, i suppose we can break this down in two separate answers.

For those of you who have DACA:

Keep a low profile, play by the rules, and whatever you do; stay away from any situation that could make you vulnerable to being accused or charged with absolutely anything. I mean, don't even jay-walk. I'm serious. We could be gearing up for what could possibly be another dark chapter in American history with the way things are right now. And i'm not just taking about illegal immigration, but also regarding the travel ban.

The best you guys can do right now is just hope for the best, and that Congress will pass some kind of legislation to end this world of uncertainty you're living in.

For those like me who don't have DACA or any kind of protection status:

Make every effort you can to get into the system as quickly as possible. I know this sounds like a terrible idea, but at least this way you won't be blindsided when the feds come after you and slap those handcuffs; because trust me, ICE will eventually find you whether you commit any kind of offense or not. The whole notion that staying out of trouble will deem you safe is now an just illusion.

And to everyone:

Have some sort of contingency plan in the event that you are arrested and scooped up by ICE, especially those of you who have families and children. Plan for the worst at all times, and whatever you do, don't lose your cool until it's time to lose your cool. Detention may make you feel hopeless, but i guarantee that there's always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how shitty the situation may seem at any particular moment.

I was under the impression you had DACA.

Anyway, good luck with your case.

Nope, but i'm in the system now.

When i go to court for my immigration case, i'm gonna get a chance to convince an Immigration Judge why i should stay here. And in these particular cases, judges can exercise discretion if you can prove to them that it is in everyone's best interest for you to stay here. I'm confident i'll be able to do that, but obviously i also have to be prepared for the alternative.