TLDR:
- ICE is refusing to provide toothbrushes to migrants in short-term processing facilities, arguing they can be turned into weapons or used to destroy property.
- The agency survived abolition calls during the first Trump administration and now faces renewed fire from Democrats who compare it to “Nazis” and activists who accuse it of “kidnapping.”
- Federal judges are ordering improvements at facilities like Broadview near Chicago, where migrants report overcrowded cells without basic hygiene items.
- ICE has begun offering toothbrushes upon request at some facilities and is exploring “specialized” brushes with safety features like flexible handles that bend under pressure.
ICE is drawing a hard line on dental hygiene for migrants in short-term processing facilities, telling federal judges that toothbrushes pose too much danger to hand out freely.
“Due to health and safety concerns, it is not advisable to provide everyone with a toothbrush as they can be used as weapons, or to destroy property,” the government told a judge overseeing conditions at a facility near Chicago.
The toothbrush skirmish reflects a larger battle over migrant detention and ICE itself. The agency survived calls for its abolition during the first Trump administration but again faces criticism from Democrats who compare it to “Nazis,” activists who accuse it of “kidnapping,” and federal judges struggling with immigration law complications.
Facilities like Broadview in Chicago’s suburbs have become focal points. Migrants report spending days in cells smelling like urine, without mattresses or soap. One detainee said an officer grabbed his head and pressured him to sign deportation papers.
Federal judges have ordered improvements, including toothbrushes. ICE initially offered dental wipes instead, then said it would provide toothbrushes upon request. The agency is now exploring specialized brushes with flexible handles that bend under slight pressure — products already used in prisons and jails.
Read more:
• ICE bristles over demand to provide toothbrushes to migrants in short-term detention
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
