Right now, the United States is experiencing unprecedented expansion of the immigration detention system. People are uniting to protect immigrant family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors by calling to shut down existing detention centers and blocking ICE proposals to build new ones as part of the Communities Not Cages campaign.
The Trump administration is dangerously moving full steam ahead with its cruel detention and deportation agenda. There are already nearly 60,000 people locked up in ICE detention –– if Trump’s multi-layered detention expansion plan is realized, it will triple the immigration detention system’s capacity.
The Communities Not Cages campaign has three dedicated branches: 1) stopping expansion, 2) uplifting communities, and 3) shrinking the system: shut down campaigns. The campaign amplifies the longstanding local organizing of Detention Watch Network (DWN) members, advocates, and allies across the country, while building a nationally coordinated strategy with the goal to ultimately abolish the detention system in its entirety.
Take Action
Sign The Petition Sign Up for Updates
If you want to unite for the rights of immigrants, the Communities Not Cages Campaign is a great place to start. ICE’s detention centers are everywhere, which makes federal policy a local issue in communities nationwide. At Detention Watch Network, we can connect you with community organizing already happening in your area.
Want to connect or have questions? Contact program@detentionwatchnetwork.org
How to Support the Campaign
- Spread the word. Follow Detention Watch Network on social media (Bluesky, Instagram) and use #CommunitiesNotCages to join the conversation.
- Join a local campaign. Are you nearby one of these facilities and want to learn more about local organizing? Email program@detentionwatchnetwork.org and we will connect you to local campaigns leading shut down efforts.
ICE Immigration Detention Expansion Map
This map depicts the massive expansion of the immigration detention system detailing: the expansion of existing facilities, new facility construction, facilities opened in 2018 and Bureau of Prisons facilities. See the map key for more information on the top left hand corner.
Campaign Materials and Art
- Campaign Explainer
- Communications Toolkit
Messaging, factors that affect your media coverage, interviewing 101 and influencing your targets via op-eds and LTEs