Power and purpose in an immigration removal centre

How is power manifest inside an immigration removal centre (IRC), and does the basic function of the institution align with staff’s sense of purpose? Drawing on interviews with employees at Brook House IRC, I argue that power is simultaneously present, absent and elsewhere. Staff acknowledge the presence of power in their ‘immigration prison’, but routinely feel an absence of authority, and note that decisions about immigration cases are made elsewhere. I then analyze how employees speak about the purpose of their work, which they see as providing both security and welfare. I conclude that the twin realities of power and purpose, security and welfare, create a dilemma for staff, IRCs and the liberal state as a whole.