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Mental Health Care in Immigration Detention Centers
Immigration detention can be defined as the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorised arrival, and those subject to deportation and removal in detention until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to repatriate them to their country of departure. The lack of adequate mental health care services at many U.S. detention centers makes it hard for detained immigrants to cope with living conditions. While there is a mental health staff member employed at most detention centers, detained immigrants report being afraid to voice mental health concerns for fear of being forced into segregation units. Additionally, therapists are usually available only through video calling. Detained immigrants have to request for mental health services. One center in Georgia reported that, during the meeting with the counselor, a few individuals were only interviewed instead of actually being offered counseling services.

A male immigrant from the same detention center in Georgia reported that: Counseling is relational and should be in person. If there were a counselor in here that I could go to, I would have been able to navigate this whole thing with a better frame of mind. Further, a detained immigrant from Guatemala said: Some detained immigrants are also put on suicide watch. They are put in a separate room, with no privacy, and under constant observation of the officers. The officers keep a watch on them for twenty-four hours, even during showers. Additionally, detained immigrants stated that if an individual says that they are suicidal, the individual is strapped into a straitjacket and placed into solitary confinement.

Notably, many immigration detention centers throughout the U.S also reported that detained immigrants are never questioned about their mental health upon arrival, and as a result, they are not aware of the existence of mental care within the detention facility. Perhaps the most disturbing takeaway from detained immigrants’ experiences with mental health services, or the lack thereof, is that segregation is also forced on individuals with mental health issues. These individuals are thrown into segregation without being provided proper psychiatric medications or the appropriate psychological treatment. Both the Department of Justice and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture recommend banning segregation on individuals with mental health issues as this only exacerbates their condition.