Support Hunger Strike at the North West Detention Centre, Tacoma, US
HUNGER STRIKE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER TO PROTEST DEATH OF DETAINEE & INHUMANE CONDITIONS
For years, people held in the North West Detention Centre, Tacoma (USA) have organized hunger strikes and protests against inhuman and dangerous conditions. This includes rape and sexual assault by guards, which has been systematically ignored. The Centre is run by the private company GEO Group.
Since 7 March, up to 300 detainees have been on hunger strike in response to the death of Mr Charles Leo Daniel, a man who suffered serious mental illness and who had been left in solitary confinement for almost four years.
On 12 March, our dear colleague Maru Mora Villalpando, founder of La Resistencia began, with others, a solidarity hunger strike outside the detention centre where a monitoring camp has been setup. They have pledged to continue their action until Washington State Senators Murray and Cantwell agree to make a public statement acknowledging the horrors happening at the detention centre.
Please support by calling / emailing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and GEO
For more information, read this latest Press release here. DM at @ResistenciaNW
PLEASE WRITE/CALL TO PROTEST
Below is a copy of our email to the authorities.
You are welcome to use any part of it in writing your own.
To:
ICE Seattle Field Director, Drew Bostock — Drew.h.bostock@ice.dhs.gov
ICE Seattle Deputy Director. Sylvie A Renda — Sylvie.renda@ice.dhs.gov
Supervisory Detention Deportation Officer, Kathlyn Lawrence — 206-835-0650
GEO NWDC Warden/Facility Administrator, Bruce Scott — bscott@geogroup.com
We are shocked and extremely concerned that Mr Charles Leo Daniel, a man suffering serious mental illness, was found dead inside the North West Detention Centre, Tacoma, USA on 7 March 2024. Mr Daniel had been held in solitary confinement for almost four years, a form of torture. Since Mr Daniel’s death there have been two confirmed suicide attempts inside the Centre,
We are aware that, for years, detainees have been protesting inhumane conditions including women reporting sexual assault by guards, that is systematically ignored. Detainees are demanding what should be theirs as a right: edible food, a clean environment, clean clothes, a reduction of commissary prices, in person visits, etc.
La Resistencia say:
“It’s clear that the lives of people detained inside NWDC are not being protected, and that the for-profit facility is incentivised to keep people imprisoned for as long as they can. There is no right to a speedy trial inside NWDC, and Washington state citizens deserve to know that their tax dollars are being handed over to a Florida-based corporation that routinely violates human and constitutional rights.”
Our dear colleague, Maru Mora Villalpando, founder of La Resistencia has, with others, now joined detainees on hunger strike. We urge you to respond positively to detainee’s demands:
1) Shut down NWDC
2) End solitary confinement
3) An independent investigation of the death of Mr Charles Leo Daniel
4) An accountability and reparations process
We look forward for your urgent response, and we will continue to closely monitor the situation at the NWDC.
Your sincerely,
Cristel Amiss, Global Women Against Deportations
Ben Martin, Payday men’s network
c/o Crossroads Women’s Centre,
25 Wolsey Mews
London, NW5 2AB, UK