Hunger, labor strike launched at immigration detention centers; SOS message published from Delaney Hall
Across the country, people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention have launched hunger and labor strikes, bravely putting their lives on the line to demand their freedom and protest the horrendous and inhumane conditions they are subjected to in detention. At Delaney Hall in New Jersey, the labor and hunger strike began in response to people being denied fresh food, medical care, and functioning air conditioning. Currently, more than 200 people are confirmed as on a labor and hunger strike with reports of more strikers inside the facility. At Adelanto in California, at least 20 people have gone on a hunger strike in response to mold, unsafe drinking water, and a lack of medical care.
Kathy O’Leary, left; photo by Tom Lynch
“The people in ICE detention at Delaney Hall let us know that they were organizing inside right after Sen. [Cory] Booker’s oversight visit at the end of January when they shared a letter they had written to give to him,” said Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace and Pax Christi New Jersey coordinator Kathy O’Leary. “The hunger and labor strike that they are engaging in is both a continuation of that initial organizing and an escalation in tactics. They have found a way to mobilize both across units and with the outside to have their demands for their freedom to be heard by our legislators. These are our neighbors who are crying out for our governor to listen to them, for the teenagers, elderly and medically infirm people to be released and ultimately for everyone’s freedom. I beg you, I implore you to hear their cries.”
Use this link to read a recent update from Kathy O’Leary about the nonviolent resistance that has taken place for the past year.
Delaney Hall, managed by GEO Group for the Department of Homeland Security (for a $1 billion, 15 year contract), is the largest immigrant detention center on the East Coast.
The current administration’s cruel mass detention expansion is exacerbating the inhumane conditions that are inherent to ICE’s detention system and have been well documented for decades. Over the past year, we have seen increased reports of death, medical neglect, use of force, isolation, retaliation, overcrowding, lack of food, and rampant transfers that cut people off from their loved ones and support networks. A shocking 18 people have died in ICE custody this calendar year — and 49 people total have died under this administration.
This past weekend, New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Analilia Mejia, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined members of Pax Christi New Jersey and dozens of other community members at Delaney Hall in solidarity with the detained hunger strikers, and demanded the facility shut down. In response, ICE reportedly sent an armored vehicle and armed agents, spraying pepper balls and tear gas at the crowd. The confrontational atmosphere continued on Tuesday, May 26.
Use this link to watch a video on Instagram of Sr. Susan Francois, CSJP, who describes the May 26 arrest of one the support persons providing medical attention to those who had been pepper-sprayed. (The medic, Adam Marshall, was released several hours after being arrested.)
On May 12, a handwritten letter in Spanish was released to the public, signed by almost 300 people being held in detention at Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ, sharing about the brutal conditions and their “deep helplessness and frustration that our due process, rights, and defense have been violated, disregarding benefits granted under the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments … We are certain that we are not being processed equally under immigration laws and the Constitution. We have seen fellow detainees with residency, U visas, T visas, among other similar cases.”
Use this link to read more about the letter on Gothamist.com. Use this link to see screenshots of the original letter from the detainees.
Read the English translation of the letter here:
No. 1 — By means of the present, we take the liberty of providing an account of the situation that thousands of immigrants are living in detention centers. In this case, we speak directly of DELANEY HALL NJ 07105.
Initially, we ask for forgiveness for the way we entered the United States, but given the circumstances we were living in our countries, which placed our lives and those of some members of our families in danger.
At the moment of entry, we turned ourselves in to border authorities, who processed us and some of us were granted “parole” or given a court date to continue with our processes, in accordance with the opportunity granted to us by the Constitution and the laws of the United States. Likewise, we had periodic check-ins in order to report to the authorities. We also obtained work permits, Social Security, we filed taxes, and we were working legally and contributing to the country’s economy. We must also mention that within this group there are individuals who crossed the border, integrated into society, formed families, and have lived in the country for 10 years or more with their citizen children, who despite not having legal status have also been paying their annual taxes and have a clean record. We find individuals from the LGBTQ+ community with diagnoses of illnesses such as HIV. cancer, diabetes, heart problems, among others, who are not receiving proper medical attention for the aforementioned conditions.
No. 2 — We know that ICE agents have orders to arrest immigrants, but in our cases we had already been processed, we were complying with legal requirements, and there was no order from a judge for our detention or arrest, since from our entry we received a procedural benefit. However, ICE officers did not take into account the fact that there was already an immigration court date, and they arrested us during check-in appointments at USCIS facilities. Even with credible fear approved, we have been subjected to court proceedings where attorneys are afraid to represent us, because they state that there is a presidential order to deport as many people as possible without reviewing each case individually, where judges are denying a high number of cases, dismissing them.
There are days where judges CHEN SHANA W., HAWKES JOSHUA, and RAMIN RASTEGAB have more than 40 hearings to review and study how due process should be applied, yet within minutes they make final decisions issuing deportations and expulsions. Many hearings are canceled, leaving detainees waiting months for a court date.
In the same way, prosecutors file motions to send individuals to Latin American countries such as ECUADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, and even UGANDA in Africa—countries with equal or worse conditions of violence and persecution from which we are fleeing. Even individuals from those same countries are currently on U.S. soil seeking safety and protection so they may continue defending their immigration cases. This has led many people, under pressure, to accept and sign voluntary departure to their countries of origin at the expense of the danger to which we may be exposed.
No. 3 — In these courts, judges inform the detainee that they can purchase a plane ticket to return to their country of origin, but the ICE officer denies that possibility, evidencing contradictions among government officials themselves.
Likewise, there are cases of individuals who already have their voluntary departure signed and deportations approved by judges, waiting two or three months to be sent to their country of origin.
We feel vulnerable and, in a way, kidnapped—detained without justification—not to mention that we are being tortured physically and psychologically due to the poor food resources provided in these detention centers. We see with deep helplessness and frustration that our due process, rights, and defense have been violated, disregarding benefits granted under the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Families are being destroyed and separated, where there are children, nieces, and minors who are suffering a very strong psychological impact because they do not understand the situation, and in some cases they have witnessed the arrests of their relatives, who have been struck by tragedy and the economic burden, since in most cases we are heads of household.
No. 4 — It is public knowledge that agents have arrested individuals with physical limitations such as: deaf, mute, blind individuals, elderly persons, and even pregnant women.
We see young people with approved juvenile status cases, with whom we are living in detention centers. There is also a high spread of COVID-19 in detention centers, and the flu is constant among detainees, which could lead to outbreaks of illnesses or epidemics.
In addition to the above, in certain courts we do not have interpreters or translators, as was the case of Mr ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■, A■■■■■■■■■, who in his court had a motion for ECUADOR by the judge, since the court did not have a translator or interpreter.
We are certain that we are not being processed equally under immigration laws and the Constitution. We have seen fellow detainees with residency, U visas, T visas, among other similar cases.
We have seen judges in this detention center who are ready to carry out deportations and mass expulsions without properly reviewing cases. We live with anguish and fear of appearing in court.
We are witnessing how judges are disregarding decisions of federal judges, for example not honoring HABEAS CORPUS rulings decided by a FEDERAL judge, depriving us of our liberty.
No. 5 — Judges CHEN SHANA W., HAWKES JOSHUA, and RAMIN RASTEGAR accuse us of being a danger to the United States of America or, alternatively, declare that we will flee from immigration agencies, even though they have adequate monitoring tools such as GPS ankle monitors and constant check-ins at immigration offices. There are individuals who have been detained for five months or more, who have been denied bond more than once despite having a clean record and an approved HABEAS CORPUS.
We sincerely and earnestly ask for help from Senators, Congress members, foundations, and organizations that collaborate with immigrants.
Our AMERICAN DREAM is the safety and protection of our families. We are in a difficult situation, and we trust in God and believe that justice will be done under the law of the United States of America, since it is a sovereign and constitutional country respected worldwide for upholding human rights.
On the following pages are the signatures of the detainees who certify what is written.
S.O.S
>>If you live in New Jersey, use this link to send a letter to your elected officials, urging that
They speak directly with people detained at Delaney Hall, and ensure that they get the medical treatment and adequate food they need. They must demand the release of all those detained there, particularly those with serious medical conditions, along with all young and elderly people.
Every office that has conducted a site inspection of Delaney Hall must prepare a formal report on the conditions observed and call for its closure.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill adequately fund legal representation for New Jersey immigrants, mobilize resources to support families impacted by detention and deportation, and meet with the hunger strikers at Delaney Hall.
The Department of Homeland Security provide information about its plans to open a new prison in Roxbury.
Enforcement numbers across the state be shared.
If you live elsewhere, please contact your elected officials and let them know that you are deeply concerned about the events taking place at Delaney Hall. Use this link provided by the Sisters of Mercy to send a message to your US representative and senators urging them to reject the reconciliation bill that would give $70 billion to ICE and Border Patrol — this bill was expected to have been voted on earlier in May but has been postponed until later in the summer. There is still time to push against it.
