Immigrants in detention

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of immigration to the United States, with a focus on incarcerated persons (IPs) who are held in detention facilities. While these noncitizen IPs have entered the United States illegally, unlike U.S. citizens who are incarcerated pending trial or serving a sentence, the majority of these IPs are not detained pursuant to criminal behavior other than being in the United States illegally. The reader will gain an understanding of immigration in the United States, the facilities used to detain unauthorized immigrants, and the standards of care that govern these facilities. Challenges immigrants encounter in detention, mental health treatment needs, and available mental health services are also discussed.