FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@freedomforimmigrants.org

CHICAGO — Freedom for Immigrants (FFI) today announced that Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (ICDI) is the recipient of the 2022 Reverend John Guttermann Legacy Award, an honor presented annually to recognize the achievements of local immigration detention visitation groups and their critical contributions to the detention abolition movement.

Based in Chicago, ICDI formed one of the first Visitation Groups in the FFI National Visitation Network approximately 15 years ago when leaders of all faiths joined together to advocate for state legislation that established the right to visit immigrants held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Upon the start of the legislative cycle in 2021, ICDI mobilized its network of volunteers to submit witness slips to the state legislature and contact their representatives in support of the Illinois Way Forward Act, a groundbreaking law that prohibits local jails in the state from entering into contract with ICE and limits cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement.

“FFI is thrilled to recognize the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants for their bold leadership and significant contributions to ending immigration detention in Illinois,” said Layla Razavi, interim co-executive director of Freedom for Immigrants. “By fully committing to abolition and amplifying demands from the community, ICDI has established themselves as an integral part of the abolitionist movement in Illinois and beyond.”

“Our commitment is to stand in solidarity with immigrants affected by an inhumane system,” said Edward Pratt, executive director of Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants. “We focus on bringing compassion, love and care to our participants through our programs. It’s an honor to be recognized for the program that began our journey.”

Following passage of the New Way Forward Act, ICDC supported the efforts of groups such as Organized Communities Against Deportations to demand the immediate releases of those detained at the three county jails impacted by the legislation. ICDI also provided post-release support to dozens of individuals who were released and continued to offer ongoing accompaniment through video visits, letters and weekly commissary donations to those who were cruelly transferred to other ICE jails and prisons across state lines.

In addition to its detention visitation work, ICDI has developed several other initiatives over the years such as accompaniment and court watch networks, as well as community-based housing for individuals and families seeking asylum.

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Freedom for Immigrants established the annual Reverend John Guttermann Legacy Award in honor of Reverend John Guttermann, a leading voice in the detention visitation movement who passed away suddenly in 2016 after a diagnosis of brain cancer. Rev. Guttermann was the founder of Conversations with Friends, a Minnesota-based Visitation Group. Click here to learn more.