Prof. Linus Chan Quoted by Star Tribune About Poor Conditions at Whipple Building

Professor Linus Chan, James H. Binger Clinical Professor of Law, was quoted by the Minnesota Star Tribune about conditions at the Whipple Federal Building. Individuals who have been detained there have included immigrants who are in the United States legally and illegally, as well as protesters, attorneys, and immigration advocates. The building’s holding facilities were designed to detain people for less than 12 hours, according to a class action lawsuit filed Jan. 27. The building, home to immigration court and some local offices for federal immigration agencies, lacks the infrastructure to detain people for longer periods, such as private phones where privileged calls may be conducted, the suit alleges. Immigration attorneys say Whipple’s conditions have become more cramped and neglectful since the ICE surge began. Prof. Chan said in a recent legislative hearing that the poor conditions at Whipple are purposeful. “They have used and weaponized detention” to encourage self-deportation, he said.