Night of 1,000 Conversations in Tacoma

From our partners at FIRM:

Join thousands of people across America for the Night of 1,000 Conversations. They are going to talk with friends, family, neighbors, and community members about how the government is moving away from American ideals of upholding human rights and civil liberties. They are going to talk about how Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies impact their communities and what their communities can do to protect the people they care most about. Then, they are going to do something about it.

In our area, One America will be meeting at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma Washington. More details below.

September 20, 2008
11:00 am to 3:30 pm
Northwest Detention Center * 1623 East J Street

Hosted by One America, demonstrators will be standing in solidarity with detainees and families and friends of those impacted by inhumane conditions in the local immigration detention center. The goal is to provide both logistical support to loved ones about the detention process and finding an attorney to represent them as well as moral support for the plight faced by these families. For more information, contact Shana Roth-Gormley at (206) 723-2203 x 205 or shana@WeAreOneAmerica.org.

For info on events in your area, visit FIRM.

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Immigration Detention Worse than Prison

Chris Thomas,
Public News Service - OR

Seattle, WA - People in Oregon who are accused of immigration violations most often end up at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. A new report alleges serious human rights violations at that facility.

Seattle University law students who interviewed detainees and worked to confirm their stories heard about a wide range of problems, from overcrowding and lack of food and medical attention, to physical and verbal abuse by guards and federal marshals.

Pramila Jayapal, founder and executive director of the human rights group One America, says most people assume detention centers operate under the same rules as jails or prisons, but that isn't the case.

"The issue here is that with immigrant detention, which is currently the most rapidly growing form of incarceration in the United States, there are absolutely no standards governing that kind of detention."

The Center in Tacoma holds about a thousand detainees. In recent months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stepped up deportations there.

Jayapal says One America will take the Seattle U report to the Washington Congressional delegation. The organization has also given a copy to ICE officials, who have not yet responded.

Jayapal points out the Center was designed for temporary stays, but some people have been held there for four years. She warns the report contains some disturbing descriptions of strip searches and other experiences.

"We hope that by putting these details down on paper in a way that is legitimate will not only help educate the general public about these abuses, but will also help in our efforts to call for Congressional oversight."

The full report is available online at www.weareoneamerica.org.

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