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gonna leave nice & early for today’s jail board meeting in case they decide to close all public parking for this public meeting & put the public in danger like thisM4TaOTNN
the albemarle charlottesville regional jail board has again pushed back the vote on whether or not to continue their (voluntary!) policy on ICE notifications. so far this year 16 members of our community have been stolen from us under this policy.
at the august jail board meeting, the commonwealth’s attorney for nelson county fiercely advocated for cooperation with ICE
at the january jail board meeting, the commonwealth’s attorney for albemarle county said we should be GRATEFUL to ICE
at the last meeting of this board in september, local republicans packed the public comment with hateful, xenophobic, and incorrect statements
sitting outside in the overflow area by choice today — i’ve got no interest in being inside the jail. you’d think they could hold these meetings someplace else...
an outgoing member of the board is being recognized for her 12 years of service. she says she’s never seen the level of community engagement they’ve had lately.
board chair diantha mckeel is getting tearful recognizing the death of the sheriff’s deputy who died in the california mass shooting. no mention of the other deaths in that incident.
meeting is getting underway with public comment. far fewer folks here than last time. the first speaker says she spoke at the last meeting in favor of ICE notifications. “repetition is good: report to ICE, report to ICE, report to ICE.”
next speaker says she works in healthcare. in that field they stress prevention, prevention of disease. she’s comparing immigrants to a disease spreading through our community.
she’s using “illegal” as a noun.
no human is illegal.
no human is illegal.
next speaker has a sign with sixteen silhouettes representing the sixteen people stolen from our community by ICE so far this year under this policy.
“undocumented immigrants are not a disease. that kind of dehumanizing language is a precursor to genocide and it disgusts me.”
“i’m really disappointed” that this board’s policy is just to continue wait.
this community wants an end to collaboration with ICE.
“i’m really disappointed” that this board’s policy is just to continue wait.
this community wants an end to collaboration with ICE.
based on the rate of deportations under this policy so far this year, it’s likely another two people will be harmed between now & the vote on the policy at the january meeting. waiting is harming our community.
“if robert tracci wants to speak to this board, it should be on the agenda”
at the last meeting, albemarle county commonwealth’s attorney addressed the board outside public comment & was not on the agenda.
at the last meeting, albemarle county commonwealth’s attorney addressed the board outside public comment & was not on the agenda.
“you need to allow ICE agents to do their jobs & to protect us,” says the next speaker.
(who is us? who is being protected by this?)
(who is us? who is being protected by this?)
the next speaker says she was formerly an undocumented immigrant. she is reading testimony from two people who couldn’t be here, including one if the sixteen people deported from our community this year.
“i tell my nephews to carry their paperwork with them so ICE does not take them. this is a fear we live with.”
“both of my children were born in charlottesville,” says the statement from man who lived in our community for fourteen years before he was stolen from us and sent to mexico.
“the things the jail does to immigrants - they don’t have to do.”
“the things the jail does to immigrants - they don’t have to do.”
i’m glad i chose to sit outside. i don’t want these pigs to see me cry.
next speaker: “these policies are dangerous.” collaborating with ICE makes people trust police less.
these practices are violations of the geneva convention, he says. he is a former corrections officer himself.
these practices are violations of the geneva convention, he says. he is a former corrections officer himself.
“i understand y’all don’t care - because they’re not pretty white kids.” “they came here fleeing violence & torture.”
he says the jail is licking fed boots, “it’s pathetic, it’s disgraceful, and it’s insulting.”
he says the jail is licking fed boots, “it’s pathetic, it’s disgraceful, and it’s insulting.”
the next speaker asks what the purpose of the jail & the jail board is. the people picked up under this policy have been released by the ACRJ - so the jail is making a decision that these people don’t pose a threat to the community but is letting ICE make their own determination
“imagine some catastrophe happened here & you had to flee” - how would you want to be treated?
“these are people, they’re not from another planet,” he says in response the folks “ranting about aliens”
“these are people, they’re not from another planet,” he says in response the folks “ranting about aliens”
“this is a situation that calls for some moral courage” and hopes to see members of the board stand up for what’s right.
the people they are deporting are “at mortal risk.”
the people they are deporting are “at mortal risk.”
the next speaker is eric martin, the man who was arrested for reading a book near jason kessler at the UVA law library. he opens by saying he was once held here at this jail.
“i don’t see how you can be pro family & go through this. how you can be pro child and go through this.”
“i don’t see how you can be pro safety and send people into unsafe circumstances.”
“i don’t see how you can be pro safety and send people into unsafe circumstances.”
he says he’s glad for the moment of silence for the dead sheriff, but he also mourns the deaths of immigrants this government sends to their deaths.
next speaker is reading the text of a petition from a local chapter of amnesty international. she has over 300 signatures from people opposing the ICE notification policy.
i’m hopeful that the pretrial motions in the fields case on the docket for today is just another pretrial conference in chambers. can’t be everywhere at once & this meeting is important.
the speaker is out of time, just as she starts to describe the sexual abuse of a six year old girl in ICE custody.
public comment is now closed.
public comment is now closed.
the jail superintendent clarifies that they do not proactively reach out to ICE at the time of booking (note: because they do it when they determine release time)
councilor wes bellamy asks that the board refrain from referring to people as “illegals,” and instead say “undocumented.”
now an update on VINE, a system discussed at the last meeting. there are some problems with the data, apparently.
i tried to attend a recent training held at the jail about VINE, but registration was required & the form didn’t work (and if we’re being honest, this minor roadblock was enough to discourage me from spending my morning at the jail)
oh lucky me, we’re about to get an abbreviated version of the presentation i missed that morning.
this guy is extremely ready for a protein drink emergency 
the VINE system is in use in most states. she shows us a map of real-time notifications around the country. 7000 “registrations” have been made today... the carceral state at work.
the VINE rep clarifies that they do not work directly with ICE, but ICE can sign up for notifications about anyone, same as anyone else.
interim city manager mike murphy asking a relevant question... if they’ve deemed VINE insufficient at this time for use by ICE, are we sure it’s currently sufficient to meet the needs of the victims it was designed to serve?
the jail supt says they have redundancies for that.
the jail supt says they have redundancies for that.
the board is now going into closed session for a “personnel discussion”
