Washington, DC — In response to the shooting at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office in Dallas, Detention Watch Network released the following statement:
“Detention Watch Network condemns the shooting in Dallas that resulted in the death of an immigrant in ICE custody. A person tragically lost their life — a family will forever be changed — while two other people are fighting for their lives in critical condition.
Our message is clear: Immigrant lives are of value, and immigrants deserve safety, dignity and respect. We mourn the loss of life yesterday and the other 17 immigrants who have died in ICE custody just this year, valued loved ones who deserved to return to their families.
Shamefully, while details continue to unfold, the Trump administration is using this tragedy to spread misinformation and double down on its cruel mass detention and deportation agenda. The administration’s dehumanizing rhetoric and cruel policies scapegoat immigrants and sow division based on what people look like, where they come from, and the language they speak. Decades of evidence illustrate how violence and abuse are inherent to ICE and its detention system. Trump's cruel detention expansion is exacerbating inherently inhumane conditions and expanding abuses, with increasing reports of death, medical neglect, overcrowding, lack of food, and rampant transfers.”
###
Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition building power through collective advocacy, grassroots organizing, and strategic communications to abolish immigration detention in the United States.