The Obama administration has set up a toll-free hotline to help illegal immigrants detained by law enforcement at the state and local levels.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced Thursday that the hotline is being launched to make sure detainees understand “their potential removal from the country and are made aware of their rights.”
Those arrested under immigration laws can also use the government hotline if they think they are actually an American citizen or victim of a crime. The hotline will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The agency also announced the implementation of a new detainer form, which includes instructions on how detainees can make civil rights or civil liberties complaints against immigration officials.
The agency said the forms, which require basic information on detainees, “help ensure that individuals who are convicted of criminal charges or have previously been removed are not released back into the community to potentially commit more crimes.”