Saturday, February 13, 2010

Tacoma, WA - People came from near and far (Tacoma, Seattle, Olympia, and Portland) for a protest rally against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. The detention center is run for-profit, by The GEO Group Inc. According to the description on company's website:

GEO(NYSE: GGI) is an industry leader and pioneer in the privatization of correctional facilities throughout the world and is the largest publicly traded company engaged solely in the business of managing correctional and detention facilities. The company offers a comprehensive range of prison and correctional related services to federal, state, local and overseas government agencies.

There is more to this story, much, much more. One participant in today's rally called the ICE facility "Guantanamo Northwest". Perhaps that was an exaggeration - but what the conditions are really like inside the prison are not well known to most people.

Another participant informed the assembled rallyers that prisoners in the facility are given pills to keep them calm.

Again, there is much, much more to this story. And certainly it is important to connect the issue of immigration and violations of human rights, with abusive international policies of socio-economic and political dominance and exploitation.

Update: Members of Olympia based groups such as the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP), Latin American Solidarity Organization (LASO), Evergreen Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano Aztlan (MECHA), Bridges Not Walls (BNW), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and Evergreen Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) were instrumental in organizing and participating in the rally.

Other groups, such as One America and The Tacoma/Pierce County Progressive Roundtable were also instrumental in making this event happen.

- Berd

The short story is that Judge Ross ruled in favor of the protesters' motion to defend themselves based on the necessity of their actions.

Then, later on, when one of the jurors (a Pierce County Corrections Officer) was seen waving to a witness for the prosecution (Lakewood Police Officer Martin Knott,) a mistrial was declared.

The trial is scheduled to start over (with selection of a new jury) in April. The defendants' claim to necessity has been established and that part of the case is set to remain.

War Resisters' Day in Court

Good news from Pierce County, where protesters will be able to defend themselves based on the necessity of their actions. More news with photos to follow.

Here's an early report from KIRO 7: link (includes video).

Also, the story was picked up by the Tacoma News Tribune (via The Olympian): link.

Every second Saturday of the month there is a Vigil in support of the rights of immigrants at the Northwest Detention Center. This past Saturday we had a march!

The detention center is controlled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but is run by the GEO Corp a for profit corporation who has ties to Guantanamo amongst other nefarious prison complexes. It holds 1,000 immigrants but is increasing to hold 1,500 none of whom are there because they are serving terms as criminals in prison.

Mostly Mexicans, around 50%, the average stay is close to 30 days if you sign papers saying you willingly want to be deported. However if you fight deportation you may get held there for 11 months to over 4 years. This is not punishment for a crime.

While many get referred here from Idaho, Oregon and Washington after getting picked up by the police, all jail time is served before they are sent to the facility. Some may have been placed here after a routine traffic infraction or for being brown while driving, others may have been picked up on home or business raids. Some are US citizens and are detained through confusion or because they don't have their papers on them.

The conditions under which they are held are deplorable ones with many getting sick from food poisoning as one recent example. If released they are dumped jobless, homeless and without money onto the streets of Tacoma, their old lives ruined.