When immigration detention becomes a system of concentration: Lessons from research on 150 historical cases

Scholars have defined the elements of what qualifies as a concentration camp system. Based on those, ICE detention facilities meet the definition of concentration camps.

By: Alex Braithwaite, University of Arizona and Rachel D. Van Nostrand, Louisiana State University , The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 1, 2026

Words: 1,561

Last Updated: 2 months, 4 weeks ago

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By Alex Braithwaite, University of Arizona and Rachel D. Van Nostrand, Louisiana State University

The phrase “concentration camp” is freighted with dark historical meaning. Most people hear it and instinctively think of concentration camps used by the Nazis to exterminate Jews and other minority populations during the Holocaust.

But the use and name of concentration camps originated far earlier. In the late 1800s, Spanish military officials used concentration camps – reconcentrados – during …

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