Thread by @mattkatz00

Dems in Hudson County, NJ, are meeting NOW & appear ready to renew an ICE contract to detain immigrants for as long as 10 yrs. 75-plus people plan to speak, likely almost all against the contract. In 2018, same freeholders voted to end contract by 2020.1/ zoom.us/j/91553925879

Dem Executive @TomDeGise's spokesman said the county needs the money from the contract to balance its budget. But he could not provide any financial analysis. They're paid $120/day/immigrant by ICE, but it's unclear what the profit is. But even though money is stated reason...2/

...@TomDeGise's office sent a memo today to some freeholders with list of alleged crimes that immigrants at the jail committed. This is misleading, in that they are not held on crimes at the jail -- they already served time for any crimes. They're there fighting deportation. 3/

@TomDeGise This is also a page out of ICE's playbook under Trump Administration, which sends press releases like this all the time. I have long sought information about detainees at the jail, but county says it doesn't have it. So this indicates that ICE is helping Dems keep the contract.4/

@TomDeGise Attorney @s_phia_: "I've received calls about people being locked in their cells for 23 ½ hours a day...cells that have feces on the wall...They have literally starved themselves to get you to pay attention…If someone dies on your watch...their deaths will be on your hands." 5/

Attorneys from New York Family Unity Project, which represent most detainees here, opposed ending the contract in 2018, but are now not taking a position. @s_phia_ -- in the comments above -- was speaking as a member of her union, and not representing NYFUP. 6/

New York *Immigrant Family Unity Project opposed ending the contract two years ago out of concern that their clients could be shipped far away from lawyers & family. Dems who want to keep contract are relying on this argument today.
*-missed "immigrant" in prior tweet 7/

"History will remember you as monsters," resident Michael Watson just told the freeholders. There's a lot of talk about legacy, history, morality, complicity. So far no one has spoken for keeping the contract. 8/

I've asked the top 3 Democrats in the state about whether they think New Jersey -- a "sanctuary state" -- should keep the ICE detention contract...
Spokesmen for @GovMurphy @CoryBooker & @SenatorMenendez didn't answer my emails. 9/

I've been listening to this meeting for 3 1/2 hours and 0 people have spoken in favor of this contract...close to 100 have spoken against it...but it appears the freeholders will still vote in favor of renewing the ICE contract. 10/

.@Das_Alina, co-director of immigrant rights clinic at NYU Law, says more ICE jails in NY/NJ means more immigrants arrested: "Holding open these beds is simply an invitation to ICE to fill up the beds and justify their detention budgets." 11/

"I wonder if you lose sleep about children separated from their family members. I do. I hope you do. It’s wrong for Hudson County to make money from such an inhumane practice. This is blood money that Hudson County is making from this contract."- Paula Rogovin 12/

An ICE contract opponent is now playing a song called "Big Love" from the Black Eyed Peas. I've been covering New Jersey meetings for...ever...never heard a song before! I believe this is the one she's playing: 13/

Entering the 7th hour. Only people to speak in support of ICE contract so far are the Democratic freeholders. One freeholder just said 99% of the opponents read their statements and didn't speak from the heart -- but this is by Zoom without video, so not sure how he knew that.14/

A DACA recipient began by complaining about the meeting time -- which began at 1 pm on a weekday -- before a freeholder laughed and said that it was 7:00 so what's the problem. She then paused, broke down in tears, and continued her statement with considerable passion. 15/

We're at the cutting-the-freeholders-down-to-size phase of the meeting. "The fact is that no one knows who you are, or what you do," said ICE opponent Patrick Toussaint.
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Of course in New Jersey, unknown Dems can repeatedly win reelections because of county Dem machines. 16/

This is now the longest meeting of any New Jersey governing body I've ever attended, and I've attended many. Approaching Hour 10. And yet...NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS SPOKEN IN FAVOR OF THE ICE CONTRACT. Except for the Democratic freeholders. Amazing. 17/

"It's so frustrating that you don't want to be informed...I don't think you're evil people but I don't understand you...And so many of you are Catholic!...How can you think it's okay to leave people in a jail for money!...How can you go along with this?" - @PaxChristiNJ 18/

Mic drop from final speaker of the public: "We can settle this here, or at Nuremberg...Because this is a crime against humanity." 18/

Freeholder @WilliamBillOdea calls the fact that they're voting on a contract for a duration of 10 years as "ludicrous." He now motions to carry the item to another meeting, to negotiate further. Doesn't get a 2nd! 19/

Freeholder Cifelli: "Some of the speakers were off the rails, some were just crazy. You don't like that? Sorry. That's me..." Apparently he will be voting to continue the contract. He says most people are "of the center" & "I was voted into office to represent those people" 18/

And anti-ICE contract Freeholder @WilliamBillOdea just said pro-ICE contract Freeholder Al Cifelli is "Pontius Pilate." 20/

"I don't think when it comes to a civil rights issue that dollars really matter," Freeholder @WilliamBillOdea says. He thinks if Hudson cancels the contract, then Essex and Bergen counties would follow & end their ICE detention. “This is a movement. Make no mistake about it."21/

Not all freeholders seem to understand that the detained are held for immigration violations, not crimes. Freeholder Caridad Rodriguez, an immigrant from Cuba, framed it as a law-and-order issue:“Safety for me & my family is my priority,” she said. She votes for the contract.22/

And that's it. Hudson County will continue detaining immigrants from NYC--and perhaps New Jersey--for another 10 years. $120/immigrant/day. After a 10-hour meeting, with zero residents supporting the contract, the all-Democratic board of voting freeholders votes to approve. 23/

Meeting moves onto other business, so a member of the public just got on to speak about a parking spot ordinance and told the freeholders to "GO TO HELL."
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Final vote to keep the ICE contract was 5-3. 24/

NJ Democrats Reverse Stance, Reject Residents’ Pleas, And Vote To Continue Jailing NYC Immigrants
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My write-up from this epic meeting for @Gothamist, plus my @WNYC conversation on Morning Edition, is here:
gothamist.com/news/nj-democr… 25/

A brief history of the Hudson County Corrections & Rehabilitation, which will house men and women for ICE for another decade: 26/

Democrats in Hudson County aren't the only New Jersey Democrats with ICE contracts...Essex County jails New Jersey immigrants. And Bergen County holds ICE detainees from NYC & NJ -- 9 of whom are currently on their 11th day of a hunger strike:

https://twitter.com/mattkatz00/status/1330973071998652416

27/

Just like Hudson, the owners of the former warehouse that houses the Elizabeth ICE Detention Center, a @CoreCivic facility, announced under pressure it would close. But: Just kidding! (Also there's a Covid outbreak there--a worker just died, and at least 10 others are sick.) 28/