RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patterns of Family Visitation During Immigration Detention
JF RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
FD Russell Sage Foundation
SP 18
OP 36
DO 10.7758/RSF.2017.3.4.02
VO 3
IS 4
A1 Caitlin Patler
A1 Nicholas Branic
YR 2017
UL http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/3/4/18.abstract
AB The population detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement more than doubled between 2001 and 2013, swelling to over 477,000 individuals. Despite this growth, few studies analyze the experiences of detained immigrants. We draw from one of the first studies of detention in the United States, analyzing survey data from 565 noncitizens detained for six months or longer in California. Criminal incarceration literature finds that family visitation helps maintain social ties but is not evenly distributed. We analyze the predictors of contact and visitation with children during immigration detention. Results indicate that demographic background, the type of detention facility, and children’s legal status substantially affect contact and visitation experiences. Findings suggest that immigration detention replicates experiences of criminal incarceration and is perpetuating inequality in immigrant communities.