Read more: Local, Politics, Crime, Illegal Immigration, Illegal Immigrants, Tent City, Detention Center, Raymondville, Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Organizers of a vigil against the mistreatment of federal detainees called for the closure of the nation's largest immigration detention center known as “Tent City” in Raymondville.
The vigil was held by some one hundred people from across Texas Friday evening.
The privately-operated prison in Willacy County houses some 3,000 immigrants.
Some of them have turned to Action 4 News to sound off on allegations of horrendous conditions, sexual assaults, rotten food and poor medical care inside the facility.
Vigil organizers, some from as far away as Austin and Laredo, said the inhumane treatment of detainees must be stopped.
“We know there are about a hundred deaths of detainees since the creation of Homeland Security,” said Bob Libal with Grassroots Leadership.
A number of concerns brought up at the vigil are being addressed in a massive U.S Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention reform plan.
The government announced sweeping changes and publically outlined them in a release earlier this month.
The reform hits seven major components and focuses on greater federal oversight, specific attention to detainee care and uniformity at detention centers.
Those at the vigil called the proposed government measures a step in the right direction.
“They’re good intentions… but right now talk,” said Edith Galvan with the ACLU of Texas.
However, until action they said comes in the form of “Tent City” closing forever, the vigils and protests against immigrant detention centers will continue.
ICE DETENTION REFORM PLAN LINK:
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/press_ice_detention_reform_fact_sheet.pdf
ICE STATEMENT TO ACTION 4 NEWS:
"ICE is aware of a protest planned by a community group at the Willacy Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas. While we respect this organization's right to peacefully and lawfully express their opinions, we would note that no one from that organization has been in direct contact with anyone from ICE about their specific concerns. ICE is committed to ensuring that all detainees in our custody are held and treated in a safe, secure and humane manner. Assistant Secretary Morton and Secretary Napolitano have both expressed their commitment to providing constant and effective oversight of the ICE detention program.”
