WHAT: PROTEST/RALLY/PRESS CONFERENCE IN SUPPORT OF ADELANTO HUNGER STRIKERS
WHEN: Thursday Nov. 30, 2017 11:AM Visuals, banners
Where: USCIS Building- 995 Hardt ST. San Bernardino CA 92408
Who: Concern Families, Local Organizations concerned with the treatment and rights of immigrants detained in Adelanto Detention Facility
WHY: Thursday will mark the 10th day in which over 30 immigration detainees have been on a hunger strike which started on Monday November 20th, protesting the inhumane condition that have been housed in Adelanto Detention Center in Adelanto, California, an immigration detention center run by the private prison corporation GEO Group.
Detainees’ grievances have not been addressed after promises from GEO Group staff that where never follow through. They continue to demand that they are provided the basic needs and not be held in lockdown or disciplinary conditions amounting to solitary confinement. They need to have access to the law library to defend them selves from deportation. They need to have access to their religious services in which they are being deprived of. They need to be able to touch their children and share more time with them during visiting and not have their visiting reduced to 1 day a week for 1 hour. They are going to stay on this peaceful hunger strike until their demands are met.
We have people who are now getting ill as a consequence of the 9 days of the hunger strike. Five of the hunger strikers have been punish and taken to solitary confinement accused of inciting the hunger strike. We demand their immediate release. Families members will speak on how this hunger strike is important in changing the mistreatment their love ones are going through.
As U.S. citizens, residents, concerned civilians, organizations, community, legal experts, and families of the detained and deported, we have a moral and legal responsibility to demand that the United States government halt traumatizing and further mistreatment of migrants in detention.
Communiqué provided by letter and signed by hunger strikers inside Adelanto Detention Center and family members. The hunger strike started on the morning of Monday, November 20, and they will not eat until the government responds to our demands and agrees to negotiate.
The reasons for our hunger strike are: 1) Depriving hugging their children and families during visiting 2) Denial to religious services 3) Humiliation and discrimination towards the detained 4) Depriving them access to law library 5) Bad or spoil food 6) Discriminatory modified housing classification 7) Discriminatory clothing classification 8) Cosmetics for indigent detainees 9) Adequately review complains file by detainees
WE DEMAND: 1) Have access to more time for contact visit with family and children, as general population has 2) Access and more time for religious services 3) GEO staff treat the detainees with respect and not discriminate against them 4) Access to adequate time in law library for preparation for their case. 5) Uniforms with general color used by all – no the red uniform that discriminates them as criminals, specially used during court hearings 6) Stop the practice of segregating detainees in solitary stile housing. 7) Better cooked and adequate nutritious food for detainees 8) Provide cosmetics for all indigent detainees not just who they want to give 9) Have ICE take action on complains filed by detainees to Geo staff that which are not resolved. 10) The release of five detainees accused of inciting the hunger strike, from solitary confinement.
We ask for your attention, because Adelanto is not a prisons and should not treat anyone with tactics used in prisons where incarcerated people are paying for their crimes. Adelanto exists for those who are seeking immigration relief or are being processed for deportation. Everyone deserves to be treated as a human being and respect.
Hunger Strike Participants and families
Prison Industry Divestment Movement 