August 26, 2025

The Center on Disability strongly opposes discrimination against people with disabilities, including immigrants with disabilities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is abruptly and often violently taking people into custody. They are routinely held in inhumane conditions and in detention centers located far away from their families and support networks. These unacceptable practices deny them their basic human and civil rights. For people with disabilities, these actions can have even more serious consequences. They are more likely to be abused or exploited, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition, individuals with disabilities can lose access to:

• Important and potentially life-saving medications,
• Medical specialists and essential services,
• Caregivers and support networks they depend on for daily care,
• Their means of communication, like sign language interpreters and assistive devices, and
• Mobility aids like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes.

In California alone, recent examples of disability discrimination and mistreatment include:

• A 15-year-old with special needs was detained at gunpoint by federal agents outside a school in a case of mistaken identity.
• A teenager and a 21-year-old with a developmental disability were arrested by immigration officials and sent to detention centers outside of the state
• A deaf Mongolian man who uses sign language to communicate spent months in detention without access to an interpreter.
• A California Department of Justice investigation uncovered a lack of access to proper medical treatment and basic mental health care for those held in detention facilities. It also found incidents of force used against individuals with mental health conditions.

As a federal agency, ICE is covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Rehabilitation Act requirements for people with disabilities are very similar to those of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ICE actions above are examples of direct disability discrimination; failure to modify policies, practices, or procedures to avoid discrimination; and failure to provide effective communication to someone with a hearing disability. ICE also often uses private facilities to hold the people they arrest. These facilities are covered by Title III of the ADA and need to comply with all its requirements for non-discrimination, physical accessibility, and effective communication.

The Arc of California Board of Directors recently released a statement strongly opposing the harmful and discriminatory immigration enforcement activities being carried out by ICE throughout the state. They also noted the particularly damaging effects of these practices on individuals with disabilities, their families, and the workers who support them. The Board calls on local, state, and federal leaders to take immediate action to stop these unconstitutional and human rights violations. We stand in solidarity with the Arc of California Board of Directors.

The Center on Disability urges immediate corrective action to address these cruel and discriminatory practices against people with disabilities in both California and throughout the nation.