FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@freedomforimmigrants.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden administration today announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will terminate its detention contract with the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama, in addition to reducing its use of three other immigration jails across the South. The following statement is from Andrea Carcamo, policy director at Freedom for Immigrants:
“Today’s announcement is a testament to the unshakable resolve of communities in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and all across the country who are paving the way for humane immigration policy that prioritizes dignity over detention. As we celebrate the relentless work of so many organizers, advocates and community members, including people inside detention, we renew our call to abolish this cruel and inhumane system in its entirety.
“The Biden administration must continue to shut down immigration detention centers, while also reducing the number of people in detention nationwide. Ending detention at some prisons while driving up the number of people at other abusive detention centers won’t cut it. As evident by the egregious abuses documented at jails like the Etowah County Detention Center for years, the detention system is abusive by design and beyond the reach of reform. Additionally, today’s announcement fell short of fully terminating the contracts for the other three detention centers. These contracts should be permanently ended, and everyone detained must be released to the safety of their families and communities.
“The President’s 2023 budget, which is expected to be announced next week, must reflect the administration's stated commitment to creating a fair and humane immigration policy. The U.S. immigration detention system—the largest of such systems in the world—deprives the liberty of tens of thousands of immigrants every day. Drastically reducing the budget for the detention machine will be critical as we continue to build a world where all people can live in freedom and dignity.”
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