The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with other legal groups, filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The lawsuit alleges that four detention centers in Florida, Louisiana and Texas have denied legal representation to migrants.

Plaintiffs claim that lawyers face “numerous barriers” when trying to communicate with detained migrants. According to the lawsuit, these obstacles make it difficult or even impossible for attorneys to represent detained migrants.

According to the lawsuit, attorneys had difficulties scheduling legal calls or meeting with clients in confidential settings.

The lawsuit targets specific detention facilities: Arizona’s Florence Correctional Center; Florida’s Krome Service Processing Center; Texas’ Laredo Processing Center; and Louisiana’s River Correctional Center.

The ACLU brought the lawsuit on behalf Americans for Immigrant Justice, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Projects (FIRRP), and the Immigration Justice Campaign for the American Immigration Councils (IJC), among others legal service organizations.

Emma Winger, senior lawyer at the American Immigration Council, described immigration detention as “cruel and punitive” and “unnecessary.”

In FY2022, there were more than 2 million migrants at the U.S. Mexico border. Border Patrol agents dealt with an unprecedented migrant crisis in American history. The Biden administration claims the border is secure, but it has failed to slow down the situation.