NEW YORK — Solitary Watch reports on multiple cases involving the use of solitary confinement, highlighting the experiences of individuals who endured isolation while in ICE custody. The report also examines the use of solitary confinement for transgender people and juveniles and analyzes ICE data on the practice.
Solitary Watch reports that current and former detainees at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona say that “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed them in solitary for refusing to self-deport.”
The article shares the experience of a teenager, Samir Aghar, who said solitary confinement caused him to “[think] about death, saying he just wants to sleep and not wake up.” According to the report, days and nights dragged on, causing Aghar to cry and think about death.
Another individual, Maksim Borisov, a Russian man who sought asylum because he was gay, said he experienced similar despair. Solitary Watch reports that, “For more than a year, he struggled with depression while trying to avoid being sent back into solitary confinement.”
“Both Aghar and Maksim described lasting psychological harm from detention and solitary, saying the experience left them feeling punished for simply seeking safety,” Solitary Watch reported.
Citing another case from the Eloy Detention Center, Solitary Watch shares the story of Narges Dehgani, who was sent to Eloy after “already [being] at a breaking point after surviving kidnapping, rape, and political persecution in Iran.” During intake, Dehgani said she “admitted to thinking about suicide, which resulted in her immediately being handcuffed and placed in solitary confinement.”
The article reports that she was isolated for several days, which triggered memories of past torture. “She says solitary confinement made her feel dehumanized and worsened her condition.”
Solitary Watch states that “advocates argue this kind of isolation is often used as a default response in detention, even though it can intensify despair and psychological harm.”
Moving beyond Eloy, the article reports the experiences of Amber Kim, a transgender woman who spent nearly two years in solitary confinement after being transferred to a men’s prison from the women’s prison where she had originally been housed.
“Her case is now a part of a larger national debate as the Justice Department investigates Washington state’s policy allowing transgender women to be housed in women’s prisons,” Solitary Watch stated.
The report notes that officials are reviewing the practice based on claims that “the policy poses safety risks for incarcerated cisgender women, while civil rights groups argue it protects incarcerated transgender people from violence and abuse in custody.”
Solitary Watch also cites the case of the Wyoming Boys’ School, a juvenile detention center, where former residents were allegedly “subjected to excessive force, physical abuse, and long stretches of solitary confinement.” One former resident alleges that he was “shot with a bean bag gun and run over by a side-by-side,” Solitary Watch reported.
Despite these allegations, the article reports that Wyoming officials “disputed the accounts of abuse, arguing staff acted lawfully and reasonably while maintaining order at the facility.” The lawsuit was brought by six former residents, who accuse the school of “systemic mistreatment and unconstitutional conditions.”
In its final review of solitary confinement practices, Solitary Watch reports that ICE data “shows that at least 22,400 immigrants were placed in solitary confinement from 2022-2026, but gaps in reporting likely hide the true number.” The article argues that reporting rules were altered in 2024, “making comparisons between the Biden and Trump administrations difficult.”
Solitary Watch states that data is missing from many detention centers, including Guantanamo Bay. Medical isolation is also not being tracked, which leaves “major questions unanswered,” according to the report.
In its concluding statement, Solitary Watch reports, “Advocates and experts say detainees are often isolated for disciplinary or medical reasons and warn the practice can seriously harm people, especially as immigration detention expands.”
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