Watch Video http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/lost-in-detention/ - Essay Example

Lost in Detention Overall Message in the film Lost in detention film presents the effect of “secure communities” policy enacted in 2008 to get rid of illegal immigrants with criminal activities from United States (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). The adoption of a policy aimed empowering the local law enforcement communities and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share information that would lead to detection and arrest of criminal immigrants. The policy requires the ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to track all criminal immigrants in U.S. and deported to their respective countries (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011).

However, the enactment of the policy has resulted to detention and abuse of immigrants held in the detention pending to decision on their status and deportation of innocent immigrants. ICE has failed to establish the facts about the status of the detained immigrants because it does not maintain an accurate record of the detainees who are continuing to suffer abuse (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). Also, most of the abuse cases go unreported probably due to the fear of retribution by the officers. 2. Specific issues The film presents several issues concerning protection of aliens while in detention against abuse by their colleagues and the officers.

Most of the detained immigrants continue to suffer sexual assaults while in detention and cannot report because there is no action taken to deal with the culprit or ensure protection of the detainees (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). That led to the establishment of Government Accountability Office to protect the immigrant detainees and establish a procedure for reporting any case of abuse within a stipulated time after the incidence (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011).Another issue concern is about the achievement of the government’s objectives through detention of the illegal immigrants.

The government uses a lot of money to control borders and charge the illegal immigrant (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). However, some states have failed to corporate while others release the detainees for lack of adequate resources to continue holding them in the detention thus raising concern over what government has been able to achieve through the policy. The Obama administration has been blamed for deporting such a large number of immigrants (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011).3. History of the issueThe detention of the immigrants came into effects during the reign of President Bush.

The policy on safe communities established in 2008 focused on securing the American borders against criminal immigrants with a promise to scoop out hardcore criminals and put them to trial (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). However, the effort to secure the borders by getting rid of immigrant criminals in the society resulted to abuse and deportation of immigrants without adequate proves of any offense. The highest number of immigrants deported was reported in 20114. Policy Makers The policy makers include the homeland security department, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, house of senates, federal governments, National Immigrants Justice Centers, etc.

(Public Broadcasting Service, 2011).5. Policy Achievements and Failures The enactment of the policy resulted to deportation of illegal aliens to their countries since 2008 when secure communities policy came into force (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011). However, has led to abuse of innocent immigrants and has not adequately detected criminal aliens or provide the promised security to the communities. There is a view that the policy has been used to achieve political interests of the political leaders.

That could be the reason the Obama administration has deported more innocent immigrant especially the Latinos in 2011 to gain political favors (Public Broadcasting Service, 2011).ReferencesPublic Broadcasting Service, (2011). Lost in Detention. Available at