Researched by Kerry Headley and Allison Murray
An investigation of the booming private immigration prison industry reveals that the son-in-law of Vice President Dick Cheney was a key lobbyist for one of the US’s largest detention contractors before becoming the general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Phillip Perry, who is married to Cheney’s daughter, lobbied on behalf of the Corrections Corporation of America, which is one of many detention companies with strong ties to Washington, D.C. According to disclosure records, the corporations lobbied against providing transparency of what takes place inside their facilities. Their most generous donations were made largely to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which oversees funding for the detention centers. The report by thebusinessofdetention.com found that the majority of detainees are held under poor conditions until they agree to leave the country. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren stated that people in the immigration system are over-incarcerated.
“Cancer-Stricken 34-Year-Old Chinese Computer Engineer Dies After Being Denied Care in Private US Immigration Prison”Amy Goodman, democracynow.org, 8/18/2008 http://www.democracynow.org/2008/8/19/35_year_old_immigrant_detainee_dies