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Immigrant-rights activists are planning to hold a protest vigil at the Pinal County Jail July 7 in hope of pushing the federal government to end its immigrant-detention contract with the county.
It’ll start at 6:30 and end at 9:30.
Their demonstration follows our cover story on the terrible treatment of immigrant detainees by the federal government’s contractors, especially the good folks at the Pinal County Jail, and the release of an ACLU report chronicling systemic problems in Arizona’s immigrant-detention facilities.
The ACLU specifically called for the “inhumane” detention wing at the Pinal County Jail to be closed down by the feds.
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You can read our feature for full details on the big business of immigrant detention but the situation, in brief, is this: immigrants waiting for deportation or immigration court dates are held at five separate long-term detention facilities in Florence and Eloy.
Although all of them are tough places for immigrants, especially those who are only guilty of immigration violations, none are worse than the Pinal County Jail, where immigrants are not allowed to go outside or see their families.
Immigration and Customers Enforcement responded to the ACLU report yesterday with a press release promising to investigate conditions in immigration-detention facilities.
We’ll believe it when we see it.
Activists from Phoenix and Tucson are organizing carpools for anyone who wants to head down but might not want to drive, so check it out and get in on the action.
