Help For Detainees
- indivisible
- Jun 3
- 8 min read
Happy Wednesday, Activists!
We hope you've had a good week so far. As usual, it's been a busy one already.
First, let me address some of the questions about June 14 that we've been hearing. June 14 is NOT another No Kings protest and rally. This is just some misinformation going around. It is an entirely different kind of event and more details are below.
Also, see last Friday's newsletter for so much you can do to push against this regime and help voters know what's up. And guess what - it will relieve your anxiety! Get involved! Take some action! Feel better!
Finally, here's a good news alert! Did you see the Maddow show on Monday? In it, she highlighted what's been happening to the slavery exhibits at the President's House at Independence Mall. She talked about Philadelphia and that people in Philly don't like their stuff to be messed with, and sued the regime over the removal of the exhibits at the Presidents House.
But what was really cool is that she showed that volunteers are reading the passages of the removed exhibits aloud for the public. And she highlighted one person reading the text - Sheri Utain. Sheri is one of our very active and wonderful volunteers! Woo-hoo! Check out the YouTube video here. Sheri is at 9:30 minutes on the video but watch the whole story. It's really cool.
JUNE 14 - RISE UP SING OUT PARTIES!
On June 14th, the anniversary of No Kings and Flag Day, the No Kings Coalition is partnering with the Committee for the First Amendment (CFA) for their national day of action, “Rise Up, Sing Out.” The concert is sponsored by Jane Fonda and will feature a lot of entertainers and singers you know. It's from 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Use this toolkit to host an in-person party to livestream CFA’s celebrity-packed concert and bring your communities together to have fun, get creative, share food, and build deeper connections!
This toolkit has everything you need to organize your Rise Up, Sing Out Party. Let’s dig in! And here's another helpful guide to plan your party! Have fun with it!
DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY
This is to catch you up on what is happening at Delaney Hall Detention Facility. It's an immigration concentration camp in Newark, New Jersey with more than 1,000 beds. It’s one of many other such facilities that play a major role in Trump’s multi-billion-dollar mass deportation agenda. Plus, Indivisible is hosting a Delaney Hall Strategy Meeting this Thursday, 8:00 - 9:00 pm. Sign up here.
Delaney is federally funded and privately run for profit. GEO Group, ICE’s single largest contractor, received a $1 billion contract from ICE to run it. GEO operates Moshannon Valley Detention camp too.
The people detained at Delaney are immigrants who’ve been here for decades. Parents and spouses of US citizens, Dreamers like the 18-year-old pulled out weeks before her high school graduation, pregnant women, the elderly, and overwhelmingly people with no criminal records at all. People who are detained do much of the facility's own labor -- cooking, cleaning, repairs -- for as little as $1 per day.
There are reports of maggot-ridden food, overcrowding, extreme heat, scalding showers, and dangerously inadequate healthcare -- no doctor on site, and Tylenol handed out for everything from cancer to chronic disease. These conditions are the same as at Moshannon too, also run by GEO Group.
Delaney has been a flashpoint for over a year. But on May 22, a few hundred detained people organized a hunger and labor strike, followed by solidarity protests outside the building. Then it escalated: Last weekend, ICE agents pepper-sprayed press and protestors, including US Senator Andy Kim.
This past weekend, Gov. Sherrill sent in state police that used tear gas, flash-bangs, rubber bullets, and mounted units to attack protestors and press; Proud Boys counterprotestors showed up; and the city set a curfew.
Immigrants detained inside Delaney are bravely demanding dignity, due process, and the freedom to be with their families. They want Delaney and all detention centers closed down. They demand that the most vulnerable -- particularly the elderly, the young, and the seriously ill -- be released, and investigations into the facility and those running it.
As usual, Republicans are accepting no blame and are escalating. DHS Secretary Mullin criticized Senator Kim for showing up, and threatened to effectively shut down the Newark International airport in retaliation.
Senator Kim has continued to show up and helped keep a spotlight on what’s happening inside the facility. House Minority Leader Jeffries led a delegation inside the facility and said afterwards it “must be shut down immediately.” The Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill has demanded that health inspectors be allowed into the facility, but is also getting lots of criticism for directing anger at protesters rather than Trump's fascist goons.
Remember that all elected officials answer to us. It’s federal funds flowing through private hands tormenting the moms, dads, and kids inside Delaney and Moshannon. So we need to make some calls.
Call your representative and our senators and demand Congress address the captives’ demands and stop the Trump regime’s inhumane incarceration of our immigrant neighbors. And also demand they vote not to send one more dime for ICE and Border Patrol.
Here are the contacts to call and write: Sen. McCormick – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. office 202-224-6324; email link Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link For outside PA: Find your senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link. Rep. Evans – D.C. 202-225-4001; Phila. office (215) 276-0340; email link Rep. Boyle – D.C. office 202-225-6111; Phila office 215-335-3355; email link Rep. Scanlon -- D.C. office 202-225-2011; Chester office (610) 626-2020; email link Outside Philadelphia? Find your Representative here.
TAKE ACTION ABOUT MOSHANNON
We've got a few things here for you that were discussed during the Moshannon informational meeting and some followup items. Check them out below and decide what you can do. Moshannon is where people in the Philadelphia region are taken when they are abducted off our streets.
--> You may remember hearing about the woman who's husband is detained and who testified at a recent County Commissioners meeting. She has had to sell their home to pay for a lawyer and their bread winner is unable to work and suport the family. You can help by donating on her Go Fund Me page. Here is the link.
—> You can fill out this form to let the organizers you saw in the meeting know you want to help.
—> Read up on Occupy the Lot, where activists will gather near the detention center to protest.
—> Consider joining the bus sponsored by Live Free Philly going to protest on June 18th. Live Free Philly is a movement that calls on people of conscience to stand in prayer, witness, and community action against profit -driven inhuman confinement. More information and sign up HERE.
--> Last Thursday, May 28, PA Congress members, Summer Lee and Chris DeLuzio made news by being the first to be let into the Moshannon Valley immigration detention facility to perform an inspection without 7 days prior notice since Trump took office. They made observations they deemed problematic, such as inadequate health care and language services.
The Indivisible folks at our Moshannon meeting would love it if you would call and write to their offices to thank them for listening to their constituents and others in the state and inspecting the facility - as much as they were permitted. We also would like you to ask them, “What is next? What are your next steps towards remediating the problems you observed?”
Congresswoman Summer Lee Phone: (202) 225-2135
Congressman Chris DeLuzio Phone: (202) 225-2301
THIS SATURDAY - CITIZENS PROTEST DAY OF ACTION Let's keep up the pressure, pressure, pressure  And what bank helps fund GEO Group and Core Civic? Citizens Bank. Join us and thousands of people across the country on Saturday, June 6th to send Citizens Bank a clear message: financing private prison and immigration detention facility operators The GEO Group and CoreCivic is bad for business. We'll be at Philadelphia brancheS on Saturday.
These two of the country's largest prison companies are earning record profits operating dozens of ICE detention facilities. While most major banks have cut ties with CoreCivic and The GEO Group, Citizens Bank is deepening its financial support for these companies, which are already holding more than half of the 70,000 immigrants currently in ICE detention centers across the country.
Bring your signs! Some ideas are: De-ICE Citizens Bank; Cages Aren't Communities; Citizens Bank - Stop Financing ICE Prisons; Citizens Bank + ICE = Human Rights Abuse; ICE Prisons Don't Strengthen Our Communities; Citizens Bank - Cut Ties With ICE Prisons; or think up one of your own! We love to see them.
Three protests for you on Saturday, June 6. Check the times for each.
1. 1515 Market Street, Philadelphia, 11:00 - Noon
2. Chestnut Hill Branch, 8623 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, 10:00 - 11:00
3. 2001 S Broad St, Philadelphia, Noon - 1:00 pm |
MORE PROTESTS YOU CAN JOIN
1. Springfield protest - Every Saturday, 1:00 - 2:00 at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and PA Route 320. Bring your signs on your favorite topic!
2. Tesla Takedown Protest - Every Saturday - 11:00 - Noon Tesla Takedown Devon - At the Tesla showroom, 470 Lancaster Ave, Devon, PA
3. Every Friday -- 11:15 am - Join Fridays@Fetterman's for the weekly Friday vigil for peace in Gaza/Palestine outside of Senator John Fetterman's office at 200 Chestnut Street from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. Register here
4. Fitz Friday - 5:00 - 6:00 pm -- Protest at Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office at One Summit Square, Langhorne, PA. Bring signs about whatever you want. There's a lot to complain about!
5. Every Wednesday 4:00 - 5:00 pm -- Join this resistance group at #WeThePeopleWednesdays for Singing for Sanity at High Point Cafe at Allens Lane. More information is here.
6. Every Thursday, 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Join your Northern Liberties neighbors in peaceful protest at the corner of 2nd and Spring Garden Streets. Bring signs or borrow ours!
7. Every Wednesday at noon - Outside the Philadelphia ICE Office, 114 N. 8th Street. Sponsored by New Sanctuary Movement. This is a 40-week series of Interfaith Prayer Vigils.
8. Every Monday at Noon - Monday at McCormick's -- Join our friends at Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW for Monday's at McCormick's, in front of Senator McCormick's office at 20th and Market Streets.
9 - 11. Vigils outside the ICE office at 114 North 8th Street:
11. Are you outside the Philadelphia area? You can see all the protests planned by Indivisibles in your area at this link.
And A Few More Things:
We can send you our No Kings t-shirt! We fixed the links, below! 1. For the short sleeve shirt, make a donation of $35 and then sign up for your choice of color. 2. For the long sleeve shirt, make a donation of $45 and then sign up for your choice of color. Your shirts will be mailed directly to you.
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