Federal court finds conditions in CBP detention facilities are unconstitutional

Court orders Tucson Sector to make improvements or stop holding detainees for more than 48-hours

TUCSON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A federal judge has ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to overhaul the way it houses detainees in its Tucson Sector.

The court ruled Wednesday conditions in CBP holding cells are not only harsh, but also violate the U.S. Constitution. It's ordered the agency to either make improvements, or stop holding detainees for more than 48-hours.

The ruling limits detention times "...until CBP can provide conditions of confinement that meet detainees' human needs for sleeping in a bed with a blanket, a shower, food that meets acceptable dietary standards, potable water, and medical assessment performed by a medical professional."

The court's decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of migrant detainees by the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, the American Immigration Council, the National Immigration Law Center, and the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights.