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The second Ramadan under Trump 2.0 has come with new denials of rights for Muslims detained in the administration’s fast-growing network of immigration jails.

Ramadan, which began in mid-February and will end this week, is one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. Muslims observe it as a month of fasting each day from sunrise to sunset, engaging in communal prayer, studying the Quran, and performing acts of charity and community service. Many of these practices are made difficult in immigration jails, where inflexible mealtimes, prohibitions on gathering, and a denial of access to items such as Qurans, prayer mats, or religious dress are the norm year-round. This is the case even though immigration detention is a form of civil detention, and it is not supposed to be punitive.

​​“The very least that people who are detained are entitled to is the right to practice their religion with dignity, yet they are often unable to exercise this basic right,” Faiza Duale, deputy legal director at the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) Washington, told Truthout. “This is especially troubling during Ramadan, a holy month of additional devotion and a time when there are greater spiritual rewards for that devotion.”

The number of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has shot up to 75,000 compared to just 40,000 about a year ago, before Donald Trump returned to office. These individuals are warehoused across more than 225 facilities, which have come under mounting criticism, including from members of Congress. Critics condemn the inhumane living conditions, lack of oversight, and denial of basic rights like access to legal representation.

Religious practice is another fundamental right often denied or at least made difficult for those held in immigration jails. Although ICE’s own standards require that detainees be “provided reasonable and equitable opportunities to participate in the practices of their respective faiths,” civil rights advocates who spoke to Truthout said that, oftentimes, religious accommodations are not offered or met when requested.

Muslim Jailhouse Lawyers Are Reshaping the Fight for Prisoners Rights

“The way that religious needs are accommodated in these systems is very poorly developed or nonexistent,” Maria Kari, attorney and executive director at Project TAHA, told Truthout.

“They’re not getting enough calories to sustain their fasting and their health.”

“They’re not getting enough calories to sustain their fasting and their health.”

Kari is part of the legal team representing Yaakub Ira Vijandre, a Filipino American journalist and pro-Palestine activist who has been jailed by ICE since October 2025. Vijandre is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals........

© Truthout