Wednesday, February 10, 2010

URGENT ACTION: Ask ICE to recognize the dignity of each individual

The Department of Homeland Security has the authority to review each detention and release detainees who are not flight risks and do not present any danger. It ignores that authority, however, and refuses to release the many people in detention do not need to be detained at all.

Please join AFSC in calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to recognize the dignity of each individual in its custody by using existing legal standards for each case to determine whether detention is really necessary.

Without individual case review, more and more people are subject to unnecessary detention. With closures of facilities, detainees are not released, but are transferred from jail to jail, often without notice to families or attorneys and without proper medical records, leading to less access for visits and more isolation.

In New York, ICE has announced its plans to close the Varick Federal Detention Facility, and to move its almost 300 detainees to Hudson County Jail in New Jersey. Current detainees in Hudson County would be transferred to other jails in New Jersey. These transfers and disruptions in already disrupted lives are unnecessary and can be avoided if ICE exercises its authority to review the individual cases and release detainees who are eligible for release.

Please take action now! Some of this legislation and practice (or refusal to practice) could affect the most innocent without any recourse...One Heart recommends seeing the excellent introductory film: "The Visitor" which brings home the point: This manner of disappearance could happen to virtual ANY of us or our loved ones at anytime...)

Support Dignity of ALL and demand ICE exercise authority to Review ALL individual cases and RELEASE detainees eligible for release - GO here

and/or GO here

And/Or go directly to afsc dot org GO here and look for the issue of your interest including Immigrant Rights to find various actions of support for the voiceless...

Amy Gottlieb and Christian Ramirez
AFSC’s Immigrant Rights Programs.

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