Pushing them to the edge: Suicide in immigrant detention centers as a product of organizational failure

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that the U.S. immigrant apparatus is a racial project that jeopardizes immigrants' wellbeing through organizational failure (Omi and Winant, 2014; Meyer & Rowman, 1977; Mellahi and Wilkinson, 2004). We utilize Provine and Doty's (2011) work as a foundation to understand how this racial project is systemic and multifaceted in nature. It begins with the negative characterization and criminalization of certain immigrants, mostly Latinx, followed by a poor infrastructure of processing and detention riddled with impediments to their wellbeing, which ultimately pushes detainees to the edge, to poor mental health, and suicidality. ICE's system of detention consistently operates poorly and normalizes organizational failure, jeopardizing immigrant lives through basic human rights violations, family separation, substandard living conditions, and minimal consideration to poor mental health, suicide prevention, and prompt and adequate intervention. Utilizing qualitative data from ICE inspection reports, contracts, and detainee death reports, we examine suicide policies across 116 detention facilities in the United States to highlight how detention facilities supervised by ICE unsuccessfully prevents detainee suicide due to organizational failure. Under ICE's oversight, facilities are inadequately staffed and resourced, resulting in the failure to implement federally mandated protocols regarding detainees' well-being competently and promptly. Their organizational failure leads to unequal health outcomes for Latinxs who are overrepresented across immigrant detention.

Keywords: Detention; Immigration; Organizational failure; Racial project; Suicide.