Pressroom

Our latest press releases on important news and events relating to immigration detention in the United States

For media inquiries contact: media@detentionwatchnetwork.org

Immigrant rights activists urge members of Congress to oppose anti-immigrant funding as Trump’s remarks up the ante on upcoming  budget negotiations

August 23, 2017

Washington, DC — With just two weeks left until members of Congress return to DC to vote on Trump’s funding proposal, last night’s campaign style rally in Arizona stoked the flames of upcoming funding negotiations. Trump threatened to shut down the government if he does not receive money for the border wall, demonstrating yet again the high stakes showdown slated to take place in September.

The following is a statement by Mary Small, Policy Director for Detention Watch Network:

Rights Groups Call for Transparency and Accountability in Latest ICE Detention Death

June 14, 2017

New York, NY — Immigrant rights organizations, Center for Constitutional Rights, Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP), Families for Freedom, Immigrant Defense Project (IDP), and Detention Watch Network (DWN) are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Carlos Mejia-Bonilla. Mejia-Bonilla, 44, died on Saturday while in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This tragedy marks the 10th death to occur in ICE detention since the start of the fiscal year.

Hunger Strikers Overcome Brutal Retaliation, Persevering into their Second Day

June 13, 2017

Adelanto, CA – It has now been 31 hours since nine individuals, known as the #Adelanto9, began a hunger strike at the Adelanto Detention Center in California yesterday morning. Within hours of refusing to eat food or drink water, the #Adelanto9 reported that they were drenched with pepper spray, beaten and transferred into a high security area by GEO Group (GEO) guards, the notorious private prison company that operates the facility. 

Third Death in Immigration Detention Makes the Adelanto Detention Center the Deadliest Facility in 2017

June 6, 2017

Washington, DC — Immigrant rights organizations, Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC), Detention Watch Network (DWN), and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Vicente Caceres-Maradiaga. Caceres-Maradiaga, 46, died last Wednesday while in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being detained at Adelanto Detention Center in California. This tragedy marks the third death to occur at Adelanto this year, after Sergio Alonso Lopez and Osmar Epifanio Gonzalez-Gadba.

Second Suicide to Occur in ICE Detention This Year

May 16, 2017

Washington, DC — Immigrant rights organizations, Georgia Detention Watch and Detention Watch Network demand an immediate investigation into the death of Jean Jimenez-Joseph. Jimenez-Joseph, 27, died on Monday while in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being detained at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. ICE is reporting the death as a suicide, which provides a heartbreaking perspective into the state of mind of Jimenez-Joseph who had spent 19 days in solitary confinement prior to his passing.

Federal Budget Limits Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda, Continues to Expand Detention and Border Militarization

May 2, 2017

Washington, DC – For weeks, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have gathered petitions, protested in the streets, and confronted members of Congress to oppose Trump’s funding request to bankroll his wholesale attack on immigrants. Over the weekend, Congress reached a preliminary deal which would fund the government through the end of September, pending a vote that could come anytime within the week.

Activists Confront Members of Congress to Demand “No Boots, No Beds, No Wall” as the Funding Deadline Approaches

April 27, 2017

Washington, DC — Yesterday, American Friends Service Committee, Detention Watch Network and United We Dream activists converged on Capitol Hill to confront Members of Congress to publicly commit to not a penny for Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Congress is scheduled to vote by the end of the week on federal government funding for the rest of the fiscal year. Negotiations include the administration’s request for an additional $3 billion for DHS which would bankroll the deportation force, mass detention of immigrants and the border wall.

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