detention & asylUm program
Ensuring Fair Treatment Of Women, Children And Families Seeking Asylum In The United States
Every year, thousands of asylum seekers are detained by the U.S. government, sometimes until their asylum cases are decided—which can amount to days, weeks, months or even years. Many of those detained are women and children. Sometimes the children are alone, having left abusive families or other human rights abuses to seek safe haven in the United States. Too often, these children are not treated fairly in the United States and not able to make their case for asylum. Detained women asylum seekers are also particularly vulnerable to abuse in detention and more can be done to ensure that their basic rights are upheld while in U.S. detention. Families are increasingly being held in detention, but no one is monitoring their care.
The Women’s Commission’s Detention and Asylum Program works to ensure that these asylum seekers are not held longer than necessary, that they are treated fairly and that their basic rights are respected. The program includes a variety of projects geared toward ensuring that U.S. laws and policies protect women, unaccompanied children and families. They include: