Vera Institute of Justice

Despite claims that electronic monitoring serves as an alternative to incarceration, Vera’s research shows how its increased usage has expanded the reach of the criminal legal and immigration systems, subjecting more people to surveillance and control.

"Representation can change the course for thousands of people facing detention and deportation. Even amid the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the courts, people with lawyers are being released from detention and reunited with loved ones...Representation is crucial to a functional and humane immigration system." In a letter to the editor of The New Yorker, Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans and co-lead for the Fairness to Freedom campaign, urges Congress and local leaders to invest in immigrant legal defense programs. A necessary component of a fair, functional, and humane immigration system, legal representation is the first and last line of defense for people facing detention and deportation. Amid relentless attacks on due process, our elected leaders must take action: push back against Trump’s cruel policies, protect families and democracy, and invest in universal legal representation.

Thousands of people die in U.S. jails and prisons each year. For many families, what follows is a series of financial and logistical barriers to bringing their loved ones home. Even something as simple as collecting their belongings can take months, with little room for recourse if items are missing. Incarcerated people deserve to be treated with dignity in life and death—no matter what. The Marshall Project covers the dehumanizing impact of prison death policies: https://lnkd.in/eNxvupGn

“I didn't know at all why I was being fired at the time. And I kept asking; no one had a reason.” —Tania Nemer, former immigration judge Despite the Department of Justice claiming it does not target or prioritize immigration judges in any personnel decision, the Executive Office for Immigration Review has fired about 70 immigration judges so far this year. Nearly half of those fired—including Tania Nemer—came from an immigrant-defense background. These firings, coupled with ramped up mass deportations and a growing court backlog, deny many a fair chance to remain rooted in their communities and with their families. https://lnkd.in/eQFBpk-p

ICE obscures the breadth of its detention network by reporting limited, incomplete statistics, and for only a fraction of facilities. In the first 10 days of June 2025, ICE detained people in 436 facilities, but only publicly acknowledged using 163 of them. #ImmigrantRights Get the facts and learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eaBnMtjj

A New York State corrections officers’ strike disrupted family visitation for almost seven months. Incarcerated writer David Sell underscores why programs that offer crucial rehabilitation and hope must be prioritized even during times like this. Read his full blog:

Physical mail is a lifeline to the outside world for people who are incarcerated, yet states are increasingly banning it in favor of digital scans. The result: censorship, less privacy, and higher costs for incarcerated people and their loved ones. https://lnkd.in/epjN_y7C

“When courts function as neutral forums rather than extensions of enforcement, they can uphold both the law and our values. It’s time to recalibrate and restore that balance.” In a letter to the editor for The Nation, retired immigration judge, A. Ashley Tabaddor warns that the balance and fairness are fading. For decades, presidential administrations on both sides of the aisle have agreed that schools, hospitals, churches, and courthouses should be off-limits to immigration enforcement. What’s happening now, including arrests at immigration court and cruel enforcement tactics, drives the court system further from what it’s supposed to be: fair, accessible, and grounded in the rule of law. https://lnkd.in/e8ZNY-Jp

"Just because the cost of living is increasing doesn’t mean our livelihoods are of less value.” LaShawn Lewis reflects on the injustice of low prison wages and the rising costs of basic goods behind bars: https://lnkd.in/eX3q7QAC

Clean toilets, proper meals, hygiene access, and private communication with attorneys are the baseline for respecting the human dignity of people in detention. Anything less is cruelty and should never be tolerated. A federal judge has ordered urgent reforms at a #Chicago immigration detention facility, after finding the deplorable conditions unconstitutional and citing overwhelming evidence of overcrowding, filthy conditions, and people being forced to sleep on the floor. https://lnkd.in/eKyMzMbw