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Jayapal renews push for Dignity Act after single father’s ICE release
After narrating Juan’s experience, Jayapal said that her concerns extend to the several others who remain incarcerated and separated from their families.
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Rwittika Chakraborty
- Fri, 27, Feb 2026
- 03:17 EST
- 8
Pramila Jayapal / Wikimedia commons
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has emphasized the urgency to pass the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to “overhaul the inhumane, for-profit detention system,” following the release of a single father who was under ICE detention for 46 days.
Jayapal took to X and shared that she met with Juan, a single father of a U.S. citizen child, last week at the Northwest Detention Center.
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She then announced that Juan was released following a 46-day detention on Feb. 27.
Jayapal mentioned that despite having a signed privacy release waiver from Juan, ICE tried to block her from meeting with him at the detention center.
Upon refusal to leave, she could finally meet with him during public visitation hours, where Juan shared details of his detention, which Jayapal described as “horrific.”
“Juan has lived and worked in the United States for over 20 years, when ICE stopped him while driving for no apparent reason other than that he was Latino,” wrote Jayapal.
She then stated that Juan is the sole caregiver of an eight-year-old daughter, who has suffered numerous medical procedures and requires specialized care.
Last week, at the Northwest Detention Center, I met with Juan, a single-father who had been detained for 46 days. Today, he was released.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) February 27, 2026
We must pass my Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act and overhaul the inhumane, for-profit detention system. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/TOWLhKQe3S
After narrating Juan’s experience, Jayapal said that while she is relieved that he is now reunited with his daughter, her concerns extend to the several others who remain incarcerated and separated from their families.
“For too many individuals, there is absolutely no reason for them to be in detention other than the Trump Administration's desire to pad the profits of the private prison companies who bank rolled Trump's election campaign,” she wrote.
Citing Juan’s story as a relevant example, Jayapal urged for her proposed Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to be passed to better aid the community and wrote,
"We have proven, humane solutions like community-based case management to help people navigate the system that have produced 99 percent compliance rates with court appearances.”
“Instead of needlessly detaining sole caregivers and fathers like Juan, we should be passing my Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would support alternatives to detention and overhaul the detention system,” concluded Jayapal.
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