FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 27, 2020

Media Contact: Rebekah Entralgo, rentralgo@freedomforimmigrants.org

Advocates Unveil Joint Executive Order and Campaign to #FreeThemAll in New York, New Jersey

As the number of COVID-19 cases in ICE detention continues to rise, Governors must take immediate action to save lives.

Recording available here.

NEW YORK -- On Monday morning, organizations representing the Abolish ICE NY-NJ Coalition held a press conference to launch a campaign to free them all and present a joint executive order directed to both Gov. Cuomo and Gov. Murphy demanding the states end their complicity with ICE detention while supporting national calls to free everyone from immigration detention.

“If COVID-19 can attack places like nursing homes, I can imagine what it would do to detention centers because I have been there,” said Frank, a member of Queer Detainee Empowerment Project and a Nigerian asylum seeker formerly detained at the Elizabeth Detention Center. “There is no social distancing. Our beds are close together, the toilets are close together, there is no privacy. How can people participate in social distancing in this kind of environment?”

“We urge Governors Murphy and Cuomo to join calls from advocates, medical professionals, public health experts, elected officials, and people impacted by immigration detention for ICE to immediately halt all transfers, deportations, and enforcement activity during the COVID-19 pandemic and finally, to free everyone in its custody,” said Tania Mattos, Policy and Northeast Monitoring Manager.

The executive order was developed by a coalition of organizations including Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, Pax Christi New Jersey, Doctors for Camp Closures, Freedom For Immigrants, North New Jersey DSA, NYC DSA and others.