Border Rights

The ACLU is working to ensure detention conditions satisfy basic constitutional requirements, and that the agency treats all detainees with dignity and respect.

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Every year, Border Patrol detains tens of thousands of men, women, and children in its notorious “hieleras” (Spanish for “iceboxes”), where detainees are packed into freezing, dirty, and overcrowded cells, denied basic necessities, and held incommunicado for days at a time. The ACLU is working to ensure detention conditions satisfy basic constitutional requirements, and that the agency treats all detainees with dignity and respect.

The Latest


Press Release
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ACLU, Florence Project File Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional State Deportation Scheme in Arizona’s Proposition 314

The ACLU, ACLU of Arizona, and the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project are seeking an emergency injunction to stop the previously deferred Section 5 of Proposition 314 from taking effect.
Press Release
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ACLU, Proyecto Florence Presentan Demanda que Impugna el Esquema Inconstitucional de Deportación de la Proposición 314 de Arizona

La ACLU, la ACLU de Arizona y el Proyecto Florence de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Refugiados (FIRRP) están solicitando una orden judicial de emergencia para impedir que entre en vigor la Sección 5 de la Proposición 314, previamente aplazada.
News & Commentary
man and woman test water quality in the desert

As Migrant Deaths Persist, Volunteers Shoulder the Work

As migrant apprehensions remain at record lows, the death toll endures – pushing Humane Borders to continue preventing more loss in the Sonoran Desert.
News & Commentary
man and woman test water quality in the desert

Mientras Persisten las Muertes de Migrantes, Voluntarios Sostienen la Labor Humanitaria

Aunque las detenciones de migrantes se mantienen en niveles históricamente bajos, el número de muertes persiste, lo que impulsa a Humane Borders a continuar previniendo más pérdidas de vidas en el Desierto de Sonora.