Mounting Evidence Reveals Escalating Use of Solitary Confinement in U.S.Immigration Detention, Raising Serious Human rights Concerns
A new report from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) paints a disturbing picture of escalating punitive practices within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, specifically highlighting a dramatic increase in the use of solitary confinement, particularly targeting vulnerable detainees. The findings, released amidst a period of substantially increased funding and expansion of the detention system, underscore a growing crisis in immigrant rights and raise critical questions about accountability and humane treatment.
The report,meticulously compiled using publicly available ICE data and records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests,reveals a troubling trend: the rate of solitary confinement placements during the first four months of the Trump administration was double that observed between 2018 and 2023. This surge coincides with a period of heightened immigration enforcement and a substantial $75 billion increase in ICE funding, coupled with a quadrupling of its detention budget. As Dr. Katherine Peeler,medical advisor for PHR and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School,explains,”It’s important to think about this in the context of a rapidly escalating detention system in the United States. It appears to be becoming more and more punitive, and solitary confinement is part of that.”
The report’s most alarming finding centers on the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Analysis of data from the first three months of 2025 shows that individuals with pre-existing disabilities, documented mental health conditions, or those facing heightened risk of violence due to thier sexual orientation or gender identity were held in solitary confinement for more than twice as long as comparable individuals in 2022. This practice directly contradicts established medical and human rights principles, which recognise the devastating psychological and physical consequences of prolonged isolation, especially for those already vulnerable.
(See Figure: Physicians for Human Rights report, “Cruelty Campaign,” illustrating the increase in solitary confinement placements per 10,000 book-ins.) [Image of the figure would be included here]
The issue isn’t simply the increase in solitary confinement, but also the opacity surrounding its implementation. While new federal reporting requirements enacted in December 2024 mandate comprehensive data collection on solitary confinement placements, the data released by ICE remains incomplete and, at times, inconsistent. Arevik Avedian, a law lecturer and director of Empirical Research Services at Harvard Law School, highlights this problem: “I use, oftentimes, a web archive to be able to go back to the different versions and check and see: what are the things that are changing, and how they’re changing? There was a month during this Trump administration where the data was published, and then in the next updated version, two weeks later, that monthly information for solitary confinement disappeared, and then it was put back.” This lack of transparency reinforces the perception of ICE detention as a “black box,” hindering independent oversight and accountability. Dr. Peeler poignantly notes, “I kind of shudder to think what it’s really like if we had a truly complete, comprehensive data set of every single placement, every single person.”
Beyond the national trends, the report details specific abuses within ICE detention facilities in New England. The analysis reveals that solitary confinement was frequently used as retribution for detainees exercising their basic rights, such as filing grievances, sharing food, or requesting essential necessities like showers. Between 2018 and 2023, nearly 75% of solitary confinement placements in New England lasted 15 days or longer, with the average detainee spending approximately one month in isolation – and some enduring over a year.
These findings arrive at a critical juncture. The current administration’s forceful federal immigration crackdown,coupled with the substantial increase in funding for ICE,demands immediate and robust oversight. The report urgently calls on lawmakers at all levels of government to leverage their authority to implement stronger oversight mechanisms, including unannounced inspections and increased access for independent observers.
The report also condemns ICE’s obstruction of Congressional oversight, citing instances of denying entry to lawmakers seeking to inspect facilities within their own districts. This behavior, the report argues, further erodes trust and reinforces the conclusion that ”ICE cannot be presently trusted to account accurately, let alone implement humane policies in its existing facilities.”
the escalating use of solitary confinement within ICE detention is not merely a procedural issue; it is a fundamental human rights concern. The report from Physicians for Human Rights serves as a stark warning, demanding immediate action to ensure the safety, dignity, and humane treatment of all individuals within the U.S. immigration system. Failure to address these abuses will not only perpetuate suffering but also undermine the
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