Freedom for Immigrants Profile picture
Jun 24, 2020 13 tweets 8 min read Read on X
🧵THREAD: Yesterday fmr nat. security advisor @AmbJohnBolton’s book was released, claiming Trump told Chinese President Jinping to continue building concentration camps for Uyghurs.

It's our understanding that Trump’s @DHSgov also has aided India in expanding camps for Muslims.
This isn't the 1st time the U.S. has exported detention abroad.

The U.S. has funneled money & direct support to Mexico for detention through Programa Frontera Sur (see below). As the U.S. strengthens relations w/ India, India is expanding detention with little public oversight.
On March 25th, Freedom for Immigrants submitted a FOIA to @DHSgov @ICEgov @DHSOIG and #CRCL for any communications or transactions between DHS or DHS component agencies with India concerning India’s mass detention camps for Muslims.
The Citizenship Am. Act was passed by India's parliament in December & Muslims are excluded from citizenship.

Those who can’t prove citizenship will end up in detention camps, including in Assam where a new massive 3K prison is being built for Muslims. bloomberg.com/features/2020-…
Already in Assam, 800+ persons are held indefinitely in 6 detention centers that @migradetention reports are overcrowded & lack medical care.

Since 2016, 29 detained migrants have died, 10 last year. While India has released prisoners, those “declared foreigners” have not been.
There have been protests in India against the Citizenship Am. Act #CAA and reports indicate that the Union Home Ministry are using the #COVID19 nationwide lockdown as a cover for attacking the democratic right to dissent according to @detsolnet
In the U.S., on March 26th @ICEgov emailed us to tell us that our FOIA request on U.S. involvement in India detention was being denied because it was “too broad” as it “did not specifically identify the records which you are seeking” - that same day, we appealed this decision.
In our appeal, we explained that DHS has not provided the public info about how it may be working w/ India. We explained how we narrowly constructed our request & "[T]he identification standard should not be used to obstruct public access to agency records." Bristol-Meyers v. FTC
On April 24th, @ICEgov denied our FOIA. We emailed OGIS who mediates disputes between FOIA requesters & agencies. On June 12th, OGIS said they cannot help. So @ICEgov has not been forced to reveal the responsive info. We also haven't received info from @DHSgov @DHSOIG or #CRCL.
The U.S. government has a history of funding immigration enforcement abroad.

For example, the U.S. pressured Mexico to start Programa Frontera Sur to arrest and detain migrants en route to the U.S. & supported it through training, tech & intelligence. azpm.org/s/39635-progra…
The U.S. is not alone in its imperialist approach to migration enforcement.

@migradetention says the EU strikes deals with actors in African countries to stop Mediterranean migration, e.g. equipping Libyan forces to “rescue” refugees at sea & paying militias to control detention
Immigration detention is a global issue.

While the U.S. maintains the oldest & largest system, nearly every country detains migrants. The U.S. must stop exporting this destructive model and we must educate ourselves on the history of detention worldwide: freedomforimmigrants.org/detention-time…
We are calling on reporters to investigate this issue with us and ensure that the U.S. government is not training or advising India on how to further oppress minorities. #FreedomforImmigrants #BreakTheICE #FreeThemAll #ThereAreAlternatives #AbolishDetention

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More from @MigrantFreedom

May 28, 2021
📢Now is the time to end New York’s complicity with immigrant detention! 🧵 thread + 📝 statement from 75+ groups on why we need to pass the #DignityNotDetention Act:

freedomforimmigrants.org/policy-updates…
COVID-19 exacerbated the dangers of ICE detention, which has *always* been inhumane. 2020 was the deadliest year in detention since ‘05, with 21 deaths - and over 10K COVID cases. #DignityNotDetention
People in ICE detention in New York state have reported lack of PPE & hygienic materials, and the use of solitary confinement as “quarantine” - total lack of basic public health. #DignityNotDetention
Read 9 tweets
May 17, 2021
ICE is seeking to expand detention in NY. It’s up to us to end ICE contracts in NY by passing #DignityNotDetention @NYSA_Majority @NYSenDems

What exactly does this bill do? Read thread ⬇️:
1. #DignityNotDetention prohibits NY State government from entering into immigration detention contracts & prohibits them from receiving any payments related to immigration detention.
2. #DignityNotDetention prohibits New York state from renewing any existing immigration detention contracts.
Read 4 tweets
Feb 22, 2021
BREAKING: Freedom for Immigrants and 9 partner orgs submitted a civil rights complaint against the Glades County Detention Center in Florida. Link to the full CRCL in comments. freedomforimmigrants.org/news/shut-down…
With 25 testimonies, it details atrocities happening inside Glades, including: ICE’s failures to follow court orders to release individuals; retaliation for protests and public reporting; use of toxic chemical spray in enclosed spaces; hospitalizations, deaths, and disappearances
The complaint demands ICE terminate its contract with Glades County and immediately release all people detained at the facility.
Read 4 tweets
Feb 10, 2021
BREAKING:

Our National Detention Hotline received a disturbing call from a Black immigrant in an ICE prison who had experienced physical abuse at the hands of the guards.

Hotline volunteers acted quickly to file a civil rights complaint on his behalf.
In an interview, our Director of Visitation Advocacy Strategies, Sofia Casini, highlighted the connection between the abuse of Black immigrants in ICE prison with abuse at the hands of law enforcement.
Casini stated, "Our nation just went through a year of examining the ways people in authority harm Black people while claiming, 'I was at risk. This person was a threat' — people who are Black and unarmed and at their mercy."
Read 8 tweets
Feb 3, 2021
BREAKING: We @MigrantFreedom @AlOtroLado_Org @_AIRLegal_ & Louisiana Advocates for Immigrants in Detention have filed a civil rights complaint against @ICEgov & @LaSalleCorr‘s use of force in Louisiana to coerce immigrants into signing deportation papers. freedomforimmigrants.org/crcl/2021/2/2/…
The complaint was submitted on behalf of 3 Cameroonian asylum seekers at Winn Correctional Center who were physically assaulted, choked, beaten and handcuffed in attempts to force their signatures.

The full complaint is available here: static1.squarespace.com/static/5a33042…
One of the men has tested positive for COVID and another has been exposed to COVID. All 3 face life-threatening consequences if deported to Cameroon. #FreeThemAll #BlackLivesMatter
Read 6 tweets
Jan 26, 2021
This morning, we @ Freedom for Immigrants and @DetentionWatch Network delivered a letter to @POTUS on behalf of 217 groups demanding President Biden address COVID-19 inside immigration detention by releasing everyone within the first 100 days #FreeThemAll

freedomforimmigrants.org/news/freethema…
Our organization has documented at least
199 instances of retaliation at 49 detention facilities since the onset of the pandemic, underscoring the systemic nature of this abuse. You can follow our up-to-date COVID-19 reporting at freedomforimmigrants.org/covid19
Throughout the pandemic, the average length of detention has increased–meaning that people are trapped in prolonged detention in these lethal conditions. As a result, FY 2020 was the deadliest year in ICE detention since 2005, with 21 reported deaths, eight due to
COVID.
Read 4 tweets

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