Inmate barred from marriage at Mississippi ICE facility, couple’s wedding plans halted
Melvin Funez, 22, has been detained at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi, since December after being arrested by local authorities for a minor traffic violation. His fiancée, Hannah Cline, 21, a U.S. citizen from Florida, says they planned to marry in January, but their plans were thwarted by restrictions on marriage requests at the facility.
Funez, who was brought to the U.S. from Honduras as an infant, was stopped by police on Nov. 29 when a headlight on his car was out. ICE agents took him into custody, and he has been held in various facilities across Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi since then.
Starting in January, Funez submitted multiple requests through the detention center’s electronic portal to hold a wedding, but all were denied. A review by Mississippi Today indicated that the requests were dismissed with a blanket response stating that marriage requests are not permitted at the facility, contrary to federal policy, which generally allows detainees to marry unless there are security concerns or other compelling reasons.
ICE and CoreCivic, the private company that operates the facility, did not respond to requests for comment, but a spokesperson for CoreCivic affirmed that the facility follows ICE policies. Immigration attorney Brandon Riches called the blanket denial unusual and said it could violate detainees’ rights. He added that detainees across the country have successfully married while in detention, including in facilities in Texas and Washington.
Funez’s fiancée, Cline, said she has been unable to contact staff at the detention center despite multiple attempts and that calls often go unanswered or are automated. Meanwhile, Funez waits for his bond hearing, scheduled for Wednesday morning. He has been wearing a ring with an ‘H’ for Hannah, crafted by a fellow detainee from plastic bags, and hopes to use the same makeshift ring to propose if he is released.
The case underscores ongoing issues regarding detainee rights and marriage policies at ICE facilities, which are classified as civil, not criminal, detentions. Experts note that detainees generally retain the right to marry, and reports from other detention centers show marriages occurring regularly.
As Funez awaits his bond hearing, his case highlights the broader debate over the treatment of immigration detainees and the restrictions placed on their personal rights during detention, amid tightening immigration enforcement policies nationwide.
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