FFI Commissary Fund

The FFI Commissary Fund is a form of mutual aid.

Money from FFI’s Commissary Fund is deposited directly into individuals’ commissary accounts at detention centers across the country. People rely on the commissary to nourish themselves, and commissary support is one of the most common requests we receive through FFI’s National Immigration Detention Hotline.

When community members are forcibly removed from our communities and detained by ICE, they are also removed from their networks of support. Mutual aid helps break through dehumanizing and isolating detention centers by strengthening community ties. It reminds us that when we come together, we are able to meet material needs, which in turn helps grow our resilience and collective ability to resist. The FFI Commissary Fund prioritizes resources for Black migrants, as well as organizers and those detained in less resourced areas. 

What’s commissary? 

Commissary in immigration detention is an internal store where detained people can purchase essential items like food, snacks, hygiene products, stationery, and stamps. 

Since the meals inside detention are inconsistent and lack nutrition, and are often moldy, expired, or spoiled with worms, people in detention rely on the commissary to nourish themselves. In fact, commissary support is one of the most common requests we receive through our National Immigration Detention Hotline. 

This is just one of the ways detention is designed to dehumanize and force people to give up on their immigration cases to stay in the U.S. As we work to dismantle the detention system long term, our fund provides immediate relief to those inside. And, in line with our theory of change, we believe that for people to organize most effectively, they need resources so they can act from a place of stability, capacity, and strength. 

How it works 

We deposit money directly into individuals’ commissary accounts at detention centers across the country, particularly to individuals detained in facilities where there is no local support, mutual aid, or visitation groups available. Currently, we support about 50 individuals per month. 

Your donation of any amount will help us build a strong and resilient reserve of funds to directly aid those inside ICE detention centers.