Professor Cooper Comments on ICE Detention for SF Chronicle

Professor Holly S. Cooper commented on the plight of hundreds of U.S. citizens in the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle.  The story notes that in immigration detention, it becomes the responsibility of the detainee to prove citizenship, yet detainees lack the constitutional protections, such as the right to legal counsel, that would help them prove their cases.

"The system is set up so even if they believe you, you have to prove it in court. It could take six months to five years to prove it, and you're detained in the meantime," said Professor Cooper. "You give up your citizenship at the prison door."

Holly Cooper is a professor of law and serves as staff attorney at the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic. Her areas of specialty include immigration law and detained immigrants' rights.