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Obama Preps Immigration Reform

Sweeping changes to be announced Tuesday.

As if health care, green energy, and a (failed) Olympic bid weren't enough: The Obama administration plans to unveil a 35-page report pushing for sweeping changes to America's immigration detention system on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under George W. Bush, immigration-detention expanded sharply due to Dubya's tough stance on illegal immigrants; Obama's team will tackle a range of problems that have cropped up with the rising numbers of immigrant detainees, including medical care and phone access. The White House plans to seek private-sector solutions, while Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano plans to unveil a new classification system that will keep criminal and non-criminal detainees separate and will screen for medical and mental problems among the detainee population. America's immigration detainee system includes 32,000 beds at 350 local jails, prisons, and private facilities; 400,000 people cycle through the system each year.