1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The government's current policy of deporting migrants to an El Salvadorian mega-prison raises grave concerns. This plan clearly violates the fundamental rights and dignity of those swept up by ICE with no recourse. Allowing this plan to proceed would effectively create a legal black hole where individuals are stripped of their constitutional protections and access to due process. Condemning people to indefinite detention in a foreign prison without recourse is an unconscionable violation of human rights principles. There must be a fair and lawful process for any deportations that fully respects constitutional guarantees. Depriving migrants of habeas corpus rights or whisking them away before they can challenge their removal is an unacceptable erosion of judicial oversight. We call for the preservation of robust constitutional safeguards to prevent migrants from being disappeared into a system of arbitrary detention without any opportunity for legal remedy. Preserving human rights and the rule of law demands that this deportation scheme be halted immediately. Migrants must retain their fundamental rights and access to U.S. courts to contest unlawful detention or removal. Failing to uphold these basic principles would represent a stain on America's commitment to justice and human dignity. We urge the abandonment of any policies that seek to create constitutional black holes depriving people of their essential liberties.