Immigrants arrested in S.F. are being sent to prison in Hawaii

Federal immigration officers arrested at least two individuals at an immigration court in San Francisco and subsequently transported them to a federal prison in Hawaii. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed their transfer to the Federal Detention Center Honolulu, as no ICE detention centers exist in Hawaii. The federal government has began utilizing prisons for detainees since an agreement was signed with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in February. Local immigration lawyers expressed concerns about the difficulties faced by detainees from other states in obtaining adequate legal representation. Observers noted that ICE has increasingly employed tactics that include dismissing cases to expedite the deportation of asylum-seekers.

One of the arrestees exhibited signs of mental impairment, which a judge highlighted prior to the arrest. Many individuals arrested in the Bay Area are typically sent to detention facilities in the Central Valley or Southern California, while some have been flown to Arizona and Texas. The situation raises significant concerns regarding the treatment of vulnerable individuals within the immigration system.