Over three days, two deaths take place in ICE detention
March 23, 2020
Washington, DC — Over the weekend Buzzfeed reported the death of a 42-year-old Mexican man in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at a hospital on Saturday.
Our latest press releases on important news and events relating to immigration detention in the United States
For media inquiries contact: media@detentionwatchnetwork.org
An unprecedented response: Nearly 800 non-governmental organizations call on ICE to release all people from immigration detention
March 19, 2020
Washington, DC — Today, 763 non-governmental organizations sent a letter to Matthew T. Albence, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling for ICE to immediately release all people currently detained in immigration detention, cease all local enforcement operations, and eliminate ICE check-ins and mandatory court appearances.
Defund Hate Coalition: Giving Trump More Money for ICE and CBP During the Coronavirus Global Health Crisis Is Exploitative
March 18, 2020
Washington, DC — The Defund Hate Coalition issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s request for massive funding increases for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in response to Covid-19:
With the threat of a coronavirus outbreak in immigration detention facilities, advocates say the government can and should release all people from immigration detention now
March 12, 2020
Washington, DC — With the rising spread of the coronavirus across the United States, the threat of a deadly outbreak at immigration detention facilities is imminent. Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement in response:
Suicides on the rise in immigration detention
February 21, 2020
Youngstown, Ohio — Detention Watch Network is demanding an immediate investigation into the death of David Hernandez Colula, a 34-year-old man from Mexico. Hernandez Colula died on February 20 while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, Ohio. ICE is reporting his death as an apparent suicide, marking the seventh death in ICE custody during FY2020.
Defund Hate Coalition Condemns Trump’s Anti-Immigrant FY21 Budgets, Calls on Congress to Act
February 10, 2020
Washington, DC — The Defund Hate Coalition issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2021:
Defund Hate Coalition Responds to ICE Shooting Two People in NYC: The Deportation Force of ICE and CBP Are Terrorizing our Communities
February 7, 2020
Washington, DC — On Thursday, news media reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot two people in an attempt to arrest an immigrant outside their home in Brooklyn, New York.
The Defund Hate Campaign, which is made up of 38 organizations comprising directly impacted communities, faith leaders, and civil rights and immigrant rights advocates, released the following statement:
New bill will keep ICE and its contractors out of Maryland, protect immigrant communities, and make sure that no city, county, or corporation is profiting from immigration detention
January 30, 2020
Annapolis, Maryland — Today, Maryland Delegates introduced the Dignity Not Detention Act, a bill that would ban new state and local contracts with for-profit immigration detention companies and start to phase out existing contracts by July 2020.
Silky Shah, Executive Director of Detention Watch Network, issued the following statement in response:
Immigrant rights advocates across the country demand Sheriff Horton reinstate the Etowah Visitation Project
January 29, 2020
Gadsden, Alabama – Just over a month since the Etowah Visitation Project celebrated the reinstatement of the project at the Etowah Detention Center on December 18, the group has learned that the agreement previously in place between Sheriff Horton and the visitation project is not being upheld despite being notified by his office that visits would resume. Rather, people detained are no longer being formally connected to community support, as they were previously, and barriers imposed make visitation nearly impossible.
Two deaths over the course of three days in ICE immigration detention centers
January 28, 2020
Macclenny, Florida — Detention Watch Network and Friends of Miami-Dade Detainees are demanding an immediate investigation into the deaths of Ben James Owen, a 39-year-old man from the United Kingdom, and a 63-year-old man from Cuba. Owen died on January 25 while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained at the Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida. ICE is reporting his death as a suicide.