What a completely ignorant comment.  You obviously have NO idea how the detention works and what happens there.  If you know nothing about things, then you should shut your mouth before you make yourself look like a complete fool!  Their detention is not by choice.  They are NOT criminals.

"At any moment they can be released by uttering the words: "I will leave the country"."
You are so completely ignorant if you think that is how it works.  People do not just leave the country as soon as they say they want to leave.  It is at ICE's discretion when people leave.  You think they put these people on a plane, one at a time.. whenever they decide they want to leave?  WRONG!  They hold them until they have seen an immigration judge.  Then even if these people plead to be taken back to their country, they are held until ICE has enough people to fill up a plane.  There are people in ICE's custody from ALL over the world.  So people who came from places where there aren't many people coming into the USA have to wait forever until they can fill a plane going to that country.

"People who are being detained are those who choose to fight their deportation. Comply with your deportation order, and you get a 'get out of jail free' card."
Again.. completely based on your opinion and your thoughts of how things go.  This is not what happens.  People being detained are all of them caught.  The lucky ones FIGHTING their deportation get an ankle tracking bracelet and are allowed to be home while their case continues, as it can take years for someone to fight deportation.  The unlucky ones stay in jail, treated like criminals.  Visits are through glass as if they are so vicious they can't have contact with their own children/family.

Do research and know what you are talking about or shut up.

Oh yea, remember the post Dave made a few weeks ago about ICE detaining people LEAVING the USA???

Sorry, let me modify my comment.

Provide your own transport out of the US, and you get a 'get out of jail free' card 

(Sorry, let me modify my comment.)

Wire, you are completely ignorant with your comments. You are completely insensitive to make that remark to Jessica "my fellow American" who has had her family so inhumainly ripped apart under this broken immigration system. Before modifying your comment you might want to modify your brain.

(Aayyy, can the news get any worse? (don't answer!)

Just a heads up: There was a great interview on Democracy Now today with Roberto Lovato and Aarti Shahani on the expansion of the 287(g) program under Obama's watch.)

Hey Analisa, Didn't get a chance yet to click onto the link but I will read it after this post.

I just got back from a Democratic fundraiser for my brother and I was happy to hear the county treasurer talking about "287(g)" Morristown, NJ and the Issue and the people I talked to were not happy about "287(g)" and the expansion of detention contracts.

Mainly, the conversation was about candidates using "Immigration" the national issue as a wedge issue to rally up voters through using stereotype soundbites and trying to "promote hatred" throughout elections. This tactic is seriously backfiring. Americans are concerned with finding solutions to the complex issues we face and recognize the rhetoric.

As crazy as this sounds; when Immigration is used as a wedge issue in this manner it brings the issue to the plate. When both candidates are neutral the issue just gets buried. I do think that on a state level they need to discuss the issue of driver's license's.

Jessica;

treated like criminals because they are criminals.

Apply the duck test.

I work with 'immigrants' who are being held in detention.  One of the primary reasons they fight their deportation is because they have a right to stay in this country.  Many are married to US citizens, have US citizen children, US citizen parents, grandparents, etc.  I have many families where the person in detention was the primary breadwinner for the US citizen family and when that person is held in prison or deported often times the family ends up on Foodstamps and Welfare.  Legal permanent residents are also picked up and held indefinitely for petty misdemeanor offenses committed years ago.  Many are ultimately released but at a huge cost to their families, their communities and the taxpayers.  This country is too enamored of putting people in prison.  For the majority of situations it is nothing more than a huge waste of talent and money.

I agree with you Lisa. A group asked me to actually train to go into the prisons but Id rather work outside advocating. I really think that it is a wonderful thing that you are doing and you have to be strong to go into those prisons face to face with those people. I know that I am a very sensitive person and when I see a sad movie I cry in a heartbeat so I made a decision not to go into the prisons because I am scared that I would break down into tears. What I am doing is working with a group in NJ that handles the letters of detainees and we communicate their requests and we advocate for them. The detainees in our area happen to be immigrants with immigration violations in the cases that you are talking about. Their contracts happen to have them mixed in the jails with the regular detainees that have committed hard crimes which is very dangerous for them.

You have not yet made a comment I feel is worth responding to.

As far as the Obama administration goes. We need Immigration reform ASAP....and this is what was promised to us when we so diligently campaigned for CHANGE.

There should be healthcare, phones, and lawyers available to immigrants in detention. These immigrants usually can not contact people on the outside when they are in detention. This is a sick game DHS plays at the expense of our taxdollars and Americans are learning more and more about it. What is not exposed in the mainstream news becomes exposed on these blogs. I say; "shift the focus" if they do not want to cut contracts and jobs then shift these jobs into jobs that are productive and "positive" in our country.

Plant trees! expand mass transit....repair bridges...hire more hospital workers!..after school childrens programs...anything but splitting up family's and hireing more cops to do it! Do cops really want to split up familys? My guess is NO!

Okay Mr. Bennion, don't respond then. I just think there are reasonable solutions, that we might be over looking.

  I don't know if you've thought about it, but if Obama, somehow manages to push his health care reform through Congress; your cause will most likely take a negative blow. If Americans think they'll have to pay for immigrants health care, as well as their own....(I'm not sure what will happen, but look at the resistance on Americas part, when you even suggest sharing this country.)(Yes, I know many immigrants are gainfully employed.)