Immigrants Held Weeks in Solitary Across U.S. Detention Centers
A new analysis by Harvard researchers and Physicians for Human Rights of ICE detention data finds nearly 14,000 solitary confinement placements in immigrant detention centers between April 2024 and August 2025, with some 'vulnerable' detainees held for weeks. The report names high‑count facilities (Moshannon Valley, Montgomery Processing Center, Buffalo Service Processing Center, South Texas ICE Processing Center), documents that vulnerable detainees averaged 38 days in solitary in early 2025 (up from 14 days in 2021), and warns ICE reporting gaps may undercount the practice.
Immigration
Human Rights
📌 Key Facts
- Nearly 14,000 people placed in solitary confinement in immigrant detention centers nationwide between April 2024 and August 2025 (Axios exclusive data)
- Vulnerable detainees—about one‑fifth of the population—averaged 38 days in solitary during the first three months of 2025 versus 14 days in 2021
- Facilities with highest isolation counts through May: Moshannon Valley Processing Center (1,905), Montgomery Processing Center (1,075), Buffalo Service Processing Center (642), South Texas ICE Processing Center (488)