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Immigrants in the U.S. are detained in a secretive web of 350 private, federal, state and local jails and prisons, at an annual cost of $1.7 billion to taxpayers. Over 80% of detained immigrants go through the immigration system with no lawyer. Many are denied their fair day in court owing to mandatory and arbitrary detention laws and policies that severely limit judicial discretion. While detained, immigrants face horrific conditions of confinement, including mistreatment by guards, solitary confinement, the denial of medical attention and limited or no access to their families, lawyers and the outside world. Last year ICE announced plans to reform the immigration detention system, yet to date, there is little evidence of change.
Join Detention Watch Network as we launch our National Campaign “Dignity, Not Detention: Preserving Human Rights and Restoring Justice” which calls for an end to detention expansion nationally.
OUR DEMANDS:
• We are demanding that President Obama take immediate action to
prevent human rights abuses in detention centers.
• We are demanding that Congress restore due process to the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and guarantee that every person has the right to a fair day in court.
• We are demanding that the U.S. government put an end to the arbitrary detention of more than 300,000 people and start using cost-saving alternatives.
The campaign will include local site fights against detention expansion in Arizona, Georgia and Texas that underscore the impact of national detention policy on local communities. For more information, visit www.dignitynotdetention.org
On Feb. 25th, coordinated actions in support of the national campaign are taking place in cities across the country in cities including Gainesville (GA), Phoenix, San Antonio, New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles.
Contacts for events are posted below:
In Arizona:
WHO: Puente, ACLU-AZ
Event: March, Press Conference, Delivery of letter
Location: 2035 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Time: March at Noon, Press Conference at 1pm
Contact: Carlos Garcia, Puente
520-248-1697, carlos@puenteaz.org
In Texas:
WHO: Texans United for Families and Grassroots Leadership
Event: Press Conference, Action and Delivery of Petitions
Location: 8940 Fourwinds Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78239
Time: Noon
Contact: Bob Libal, Grassroots Leadership/TUFF
512-971-0487, blibal@grassrootsleadership.org
**Texas Event on Facebook:http://bit.ly/a9tp9M **
In Georgia:
WHO: Georgia Detention Watch
Event: Press Conference, Public Testimony, & Prayer Service
Location: North Georgia Detention Center, 622 Main Street, Gainesville, GA 30501
Time: Noon
Contact: Azadeh Shahshani, Georgia Detention Watch/ACLU of GA 770-303-8111, ashahshahani@acluga.org
In Los Angeles:
WHO: NILC, Will Coley
Event: Video Launch
Location: http://www.youtube.com/user/DetentionWatchNetwrk
Will Coley, 917.523.1963, will@aquifermedia.com
Adela de la Torre, NILC, 213.674.2832, delatorre@nilc.org
In New York/New Jersey:
WHO: AFSC, Families for Freedom, New Sanctuary
Event: Morning Press Conference at Varick Street Detention Center Evening Vigil at Hudson Cty Jail
Location: Varick Street Detention Center
201 Varick Street ,New York, NY 10014 Hudson County Jail, 35 Hackensack Avenue, Kearney, NJ 07032
Time: 11:30am (New York), 7:00 pm (New Jersey)
Contact: Amy Gottlieb, AFSC (New Jersey) 917-494-6415, AGottlieb@afsc.org
Alina Das, New York University, Immigration Law Clinic (New York) 347-693-6485, DasA@exchange.law.nyu.edu
**NY Event on Facebook: http://bit.ly/bGwOea **
**NJ Event on Facebook: http://bit.ly/9rqkTr **
Find out how you and your community or organization can get involved at www.dignitynotdetention.org and spread the word!
