ICE is Applying Creepy Dress Codes to Children Now

The late and great Marjane Satrapi spent much of her life criticizing compulsory dress codes in Iran, saying that imposing it on kids—some as young as six—reveals just how deep the “perversity” goes. Well… we’re officially in the calling-kids-“provocative” era of fascism right now, and Satrapi’s words apply as strong as ever.

According to a new report by the Guardian, compiled with various interviews with families and advocates around Delaney Hall in New Jersey, ICE has been regularly rejecting from the facility families over what they’re wearing—and imposing a strict dress code with constantly changing details and rules. Totally normal stuff. 

One woman whose brother was detained says that last summer, her mother was rejected from visiting because she was wearing a postpartum belly wrap after suffering a miscarriage. Another teenage girl said that she was rejected from visiting for wearing a knee-length dress that was appropriate for school but apparently not Delaney—which only allows for skirts and dresses that extend to the knee while seated. Another one of the detainees’ wives said she and her children have been turned away more than 10 times for violating supposed dress codes, on one occasion being rejected because the leggings her four-year-old daughter was wearing were—to quote the guard in charge—too “provocative.” “How is that provocative if she’s only four years old?” she said. How, indeed.

Delaney Hall has been the subject of attention since opening last May, being one of the various private prisons that’s been tied with a seemingly never-ending list of controversies, much of which have caused detainees to launch a hunger strike—which just entered its third week.  The strike began in May, shortly after detainees sent out an “SOS” letter about the conditions inside Delaney’s walls, detailing reports of abuse, expired and inedible food, and inadequate health care. In February as well, a 41-year-old detainee entered the facility and died just five hours later, with causes still unknown. 

Speaking to the Guardian in a statement, the Department of Homeland Security insisted—as it has from the beginning—that there is no hunger strike at Delaney Hall. 

While various ICE centers reportedly have implemented some kind of dress codes similar to prison visitation dress codes—such as banning anything form-fitting or revealing, including shirts without bras—Delaney is apparently the worst. “Delaney Hall is weird,” one activist said—adding also that no other facilities police what kids are wearing nearly as much as the New Jersey facility.

I’ll say. This entire timeline is weird. 

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