The United States Supreme Court case Ziglar v. Abbasi and the severe psychological and physiological harms of solitary confinement

Abstract

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a group of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian men was arrested for immigration violations, held as “terrorism suspects,” and detained in federal prison for months. Each of these men was, or was believed to be, Muslim or Arab. These men (the “Detainees”) alleged that they were detained solely on the basis of their religion or race, and that there was no individualized basis to suspect them of terrorism. They further alleged that, during their detention, they were abused physically and verbally and subjected to inhumane conditions, including solitary confinement. After several months, the Detainees were cleared of any connection to terrorism and deported. The Detainees allege that they suffered severe psychological and physiological harms as a result of the conditions of their detention and that they continue to suffer the effects of this trauma today.

Keywords

• solitary confinement
• detention
• immigration
• prisoner rights
• torture
• cruel and inhumane treatment
• racial profiling
• amicus
• psychological harm
• us law
• constitutional law