WASHINGTON — More than 100 deaf immigrants deported from the United States in 2026 have faced inadequate or no access to sign language interpreters during interactions with immigration officials, raising concerns about whether federal disability protections are being followed, according to reporting from Mother Jones.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federally funded programs and facilities to provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities, including deaf people. Immigration detention centers and courts that receive federal funding are covered under the law, according to Mother Jones reporter Julia Métraux.
Métraux said deaf immigrants generally can request sign language interpreters while in detention, but interpreters are not typically present during street-level encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
One Venezuelan immigrant identified as Emilio told Métraux that he requested an interpreter after immigration officials placed him on a bus. He did not understand where he was being taken until the bus reached the Mexican border, where officials released him despite Mexico not being his home country.
Other deaf immigrants in detention have reported difficulties accessing interpreters during medical appointments and routine interactions with guards, Métraux said.
Language differences can create another barrier. Hands United, an organization that assists deaf immigrants and their families, told Métraux that the United States does not have a certification process for interpreters working in sign languages other than American Sign Language. That can result in interpreters who lack sufficient proficiency in languages such as Venezuelan or Mexican Sign Language.
Métraux also reported that masking among ICE agents can make communication more difficult for deaf immigrants who rely partly on visual cues. She noted that lip-reading does not provide a reliable substitute for interpretation.
Oversight has also weakened. Métraux said the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which handles complaints involving disability accommodations, previously had about 150 employees. Nearly all were laid off last year, leaving only two staff members, according to her reporting.
Advocates said the reduced oversight has created additional obstacles for deaf immigrants seeking accommodations.
Métraux said organizations continue to pursue legal action, although relatively few disability and deaf advocacy groups focus specifically on the immigration system.
