A Snapshot of Immigration Court at Stewart Detention Center

Abstract

Changes to U.S. immigration policy have implications for social work, owing to the ethics-based foundation of the profession. The twin purposes of this mixed-methods case study are to describe the detainment and deportation processes, and their implementation at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia (notorious for its disparately high rate of deportation); and, to discuss social work’s ethical role in relation to immigrant populations and immigration policy issues. To achieve analysis, we collected data at the Stewart Detention Center, directly observing a sample of 39 immigration court hearings across 4 separate time points between June and September of 2018. We use univariate statistics to describe the sample in terms of hearing duration, demographics of detained persons, characteristics of judge and attorney interactions, removability charges, and hearing outcomes. Our analysis includes mappings of 2 courtrooms and a thick and rich narrative description of our first trip to the Stewart Detention Center in June, 2018. Identified themes across court observations include: (a) lack of uniformity in process, (b) adoption of criminal justice norms and procedures without inclusion of protective factors, (c) layers and barriers to communication that present as isolating, and (d) a seeming emphasis placed on the voluntary departure option. We conclude with a discussion of implications for social work and respective recommendations for engagement.

Immigrant Latino Fathers’ Perceptions of Child Abuse and Neglect

“…Our professional and ethical mandate is to work with humility, non-judgmental attitude, and compassion as we help immigrant Latino parents navigate complex social service institutions through culturally responsive practice (Lanesskog, Piedra, & Maldonado, 2015). In our current socio-political environment filled with strife, intolerance, and hatred for immigrants, social workers have to exert their professional power to help disrupt and dismantle draconian immigration policies and practices (Ricciardelli, Nackerud, Cochrane, Sims, Crawford, & Taylor (2019).…”

Bibliometric Analysis on Administrative Detention in the Focus on Migration and Its Evaluation from the Perspective of Social Work

“…Social workers should advocate for the rights of migrants in administrative detention and provide legal assistance. In addition, social workers, especially those in contact with disadvantaged groups, have the responsibility to identify basic human needs and to inform the competent authorities in cases of undue delay (Ricciardelli et al, 2019). In light of this information, it is seen that the social work profession and social workers have specific roles and duties regarding migrants under administrative detention.…”

Immigration Policy and Justice in the Era of COVID-19

“…This trend towards the tightening of immigration allowances while limiting protections increased under the Obama administration as was evidenced through an upsurge in detention and deportation (Miller and Peguero 2018;Ricciardelli et al 2019). Yet, under the Trump administration the rate of detentions and deportations has escalated to unprecedented levels.…”