For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Contact:
Carly Perez, cperez@detentionwatchnetwork.org, 202-846-7059
Liz Martinez, lmartinez@freedomforimmigrants.org 956-572-4349
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
People’s Tribunal to hold ICE accountable for its culture of secrecy and systemic abuse
More complaints on sexual and physical abuse have been submitted against ICE than any other DHS agency
Washington, DC — On Thursday, Freedom for Immigrants (formerly CIVIC), Detention Watch Network and other immigrant rights organizations and activists will gather at the National Archives for a people’s tribunal to hold Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accountable for its culture of secrecy and systemic abuse, as government data has proven widespread sexual assault, abuse and harassment in ICE detention.
The tribunal is one of a series of coordinated people’s tribunals across the country as a part of the #ICEonTrial campaign. The campaign comes as ICE recently petitioned the National Archives and Records Administration to routinely destroy records of abuse in detention, as the agency is continually emboldened to be less transparent, unaccountable and act with increased impunity under the Trump administration.
What: People’s tribunal with the opportunity to hear from immigrant rights activists and people directly affected by the immigrant detention system on ICE’s well documented track record of abuse.
When: Thursday, April 12th at 12:00 pm EST; more information here
Where: National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
Who:
Gretta Soto Moreno, activist who was formerly detained
Rosanna Santos, activist who was formerly detained
Douglas Menjivar-Pineda, activist who was formerly detained
Other speakers include Rev. Katie Romano Griffin from Cedar Lane UU Church in Bethesda, MD, and Danny Cendejas from Detention Watch Network
Moderated by Christina Fialho and Rebecca Merton, Freedom for Immigrants
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Freedom for Immigrants (formerly CIVIC) is devoted to abolishing immigration detention, while ending the isolation of people currently suffering in this profit-driven system.We visit and monitor 43 immigrant prisons and jails, and we run the largest national hotline for detained immigrants.Through these windows into the system, we gather data and stories to combat injustice at the individual level and push systemic change. www.freedomforimmigrants.org
Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to expose and challenge the injustices of the United States’ immigration detention and deportation system and advocate for profound change that promotes the rights and dignity of all persons. Founded in 1997 by immigrant rights groups, DWN brings together advocates to unify strategy and build partnerships on a local and national level to end immigration detention. Visit www.detentionwatchnetwork.org
SEARAC was founded in 1979 to facilitate the relocation of Southeast Asian refugees into American society and to foster the development of nonprofit organizations led by and for Southeast Asian Americans. SEARAC has grown into an organization that strengthens the capacity of community-based organizations led by refugees from around the world. We serve as a coalition builder and leader among diverse refugee communities; carry out action-oriented research projects; foster civic engagement among refugees; and represent refugee communities at the national level in Washington, DC and at the state level in California.
www.searac.org
CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
www.codepink.org
La ColectiVA is an inclusive collaborative led by gente Latinx who are committed to upholding social justice and equity. / La ColectiVA es una colaborativa inclusiva liderada por gente Latinx que están comprometidas a defender la justicia social y la equidad.
www.lacolectiva.org
Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) educates and engages African American and black immigrant communities to organize and advocate for racial, social and economic justice. Local BAJI Organizing Committees in New York, Georgia, California and Arizona build coalitions and initiate campaigns among communities to push for racial justice. At the local and regional level, BAJI provides training and technical assistance to partner organizations to develop leadership skills, works with faith communities to harness their prophetic voice, and initiates vibrant dialogues with African Americans and black immigrants to discover more about race, our diverse identities, racism, migration and globalization.
www.baji.org
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. To learn more, visit http://afsc.org