The city government of McFarland, California is actively in discussions with private prison company GEO Group to expand their city permits in order to continue detaining members of the immigrant community.
Should the proposed expansion be approved, ICE and GEO would have the capacity to detain nearly 2,000 people, in addition to the 400 beds at Mesa Verde detention facility in Bakersfield. Giving ICE more infrastructure to incarcerate people will impact local residents and criminalized communities across the state.
GEO’s attempt to expand detention in California comes on the heels of AB32, a landmark bill heavily supported by immigrant organizers in the state. AB32 was signed into law last year, effectively banning private detention in California. Private prison companies like GEO Group, however, are exploiting loopholes and violating the spirit of a law that so many fought for.
In response to the expansion proposal, Freedom for Immigrants has submitted the following comment to the city of McFarland in strong opposition:
