FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@freedomforimmigrants.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amid another series of preventable deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, a record-high daily detention population number, and Trump and Congress’ push to drastically increase ICE’s detention budget by $45 billion, or 13 times the current funding level, Laura Hernández, executive director of Freedom for Immigrants, issued the following statement:
“We mourn the lives of Jesus Molina-Veya (45), Johnny Noviello (49), and Isidro Perez (75) and send our deepest condolences to their families. Jesus, Johnny, and Isidro would be alive and free today were it not for their unjust detention. These tragedies, which could have been prevented, underscore that nobody is safe for any period of time inside ICE detention. Recent investigations add to decades of evidence demonstrating that ICE’s deliberate callousness puts lives at risk. There have been 13 deaths that we know of in ICE custody this fiscal year, making it one of the deadliest years on record.
“Trump’s destructive spending bill would supercharge what is already the world’s largest immigration detention system, fueling detention to levels of horror never before seen and undoubtedly leading to more deaths. Building sprawling detention camps, expanding existing detention facilities, and re-opening sites previously closed for unspeakable harms are all part of Stephen Miller and Trump's efforts to further entrench America’s two-tiered justice system and bring to scale their vision of permanently making non-white immigrants second-class citizens.
“Let’s not forget: Immigration detention did not appear overnight. Detention is built on a legacy of white supremacy, exclusionary policies, and mass incarceration. It’s not lost on us that Trump’s expanding detention right as he’s ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. The modern detention system began in the 80’s when the government detained Haitian refugees at disproportionate rates, for longer periods of time, and in more isolated and abusive conditions. To this day, Black immigrants continue to face higher levels of abuse in detention. The construction of the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention camp in Florida — built by desecrating the ancestral lands of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes — proves this nation has yet to learn from the darkest stains on its history.
“Now is the time for moral clarity. In every corner of the country, people of conscience are using their voice to reject both Trump’s fascist agenda and the interconnected, but bipartisan-supported, detention machine. By design, immigration detention dehumanizes people and separates families, all the while private prison executives and shareholders pocket billions from human suffering. Years from now, generations will look back at this crucial moment in our history. Which side will you be on?”
BACKGROUND ON IMMIGRATION DETENTION
The U.S. operates the largest immigration detention system in the world. Since its inception, the profit-driven detention system has been rife with rampant racism, physical violence, fatal medical neglect, sexual assault, and torture, among other harms. For decades, immigrants in detention have courageously stepped forward to expose abuse and advocate for their freedom. ICE’s sprawling network of jails has greatly aided the Trump administration’s broader efforts to crack down on political dissent and eliminate due process. Often placed in remote areas, ICE detention centers operate as black box sites and Constitution-free zones. Rights are routinely deprived from individuals in ICE custody, and it is notoriously difficult for family members, legal representation, and the press to visit detention sites. Their remote and secretive nature impedes oversight and facilitates a culture of impunity and abuse among ICE and detention officials.
See Freedom for Immigrants’ journalist resources to learn more about immigration detention.
###
Freedom for Immigrants is an abolitionist organization working to end immigration incarceration by organizing with and following the leadership of currently and formerly incarcerated immigrants. We’re building a future in which all people can move freely and thrive. Learn more at www.freedomforimmigrants.org/.