New York City kicks off the National Week of Action

NYC Dia de Los Muertos: Funeral to honor those that died in ICE custody

New York City – On Wednesday, October 26th, 2016, in response to the ongoing deaths of noncitizens in immigration detention facilities across the country, immigrant rights advocates, faith-based groups, immigration detention abolitionists, prison abolitionists and community members will gather to hold a public funeral for  Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, to honor those that have died in ICE immigration detention custody.

From October 26 to November 4, Detention Watch Network members and allies will mark the Latin American Holiday, Día de los Muertos, with national days of action to honor the lives of those who have died in immigration detention.

Recent investigations into deaths in immigration detention have found that inadequate medical care at detention centers have contributed to numerous deaths. This year alone, there have been ten deaths at detention centers across the country at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We demand ICE conduct an investigation into the 10 deaths that have occurred this year and release the findings by January 30th.

The Queer Detainee Empowerment Project will hold a public funeral to honor two of the people who have just died at Elizabeth Detention Center and Orange County Detention Center. We will stage a direct action to make the violence of immigration detention centers visible to the public and the employees of Federal Plaza.

What: A public funeral for the people who recently died in detention in New York and New Jersey, and the rest of those who have died this year in immigration detention centers.

Where: Federal Plaza – New York City ICE Headquarters is at 26 Federal Plaza off of Worth Street in Foley Square.

When: Wednesday, October 26th at 5pm

Who: Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, Black and Pink: NYC, Enlace,n African Communities Together, NYC Anarchist Black Cross, Detention Watch Network, Rude Mechanical Orchestra and more

Make a Statement Denouncing the deaths of these human being in ICE custody.

Our Demands Are:

• ICE conduct an investigation into the 10 deaths that have occurred this year and release the findings by January 30th.

• ICE STOP detaining noncitizens in immigration detention, as they’ve shown that they are unable to ensure their safety or to provide adequate healthcare.

• The federal government shut down all immigration detention facilities.

• Immigrants should feel safe in going to any city agency and going about their daily lives, without the threat of detention or deportation. Explicitly prohibit ICE near sensitive locations including homes, hospitals, courts, homeless shelters, public demonstrations, community centers, places of worship and schools.

• NYC and the federal government must use resources to #StopICE and strengthen families, of all forms, not tear them apart.