As Detainees Enter 8th Day of #Freedomgiving Hunger Strike, Protests Prompt Candidate Response, ICE Continues Retaliation

O’Malley Calls for End to Detention, Sanders Issues Support, Clinton Pivots to Beltway Talking Points

“Generic pledges of future positions are inadequate when there are people in detention literally starving to be free right now.” – Fahd Ahmed, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM)

Citing that leading Democratic candidates have made promises of reform in the future, #Freedomgiving hunger strike supporters rallied at Hillary Clinton’s office yesterday demanding that she and the other candidates speak out on the current crisis in detention.

Before the rally, Fahd Ahmed, executive director of Desis Rising Up and Moving explained, “People seeking safety in the US who instead find themselves locked behind bars have refused their meals for the past week. The fact that they have not been released after as much as two years in detention is a failure of the immigration system. If the candidates don’t speak out on their behalf we are also witnessing a failure of humanity. Bernie Sanders started a petition for refugees coming to the US but what about the ones already in detention here?”

The Sanders campaign was the first to respond, issuing a statement of support while protesters were still picketing saying, “…These aspiring Americans should not be criminalized, subjected to dehumanizing solitary confinement or indefinitely detained. The United States must meet our international responsibilities to families seeking refuge…”

Sign to demand the release of hunger striking detainees.

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Click Here to See Letter Sent to ICE in support of the strikers

To: ICE Director Sarah Saldaña I am writing in support of immigrant detainees on hunger strike in multiple ICE facilities around the U.S. Instead of punishment and retaliation, ICE should immediately release them and investigate the conditions that caused their whistleblowing activity. Thank you, [Signature]

DRUM held an action outside Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters in downtown Brooklyn calling on ALL presidential…

Posted by DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving on Thursday, December 3, 2015

O’Malley’s representative went further, telling the Huffington Post, “We have to end immigrant detention, period. This is a symptom of the larger problem, which is that we are inhumanely detaining, without due process, thousands of immigrants that should not be in those conditions.”

However, while a representative from the Clinton campaign greeted the protesters on the street, the campaign dodged supporting the strikers’ directly or addressing the current crisis they are blowing the whistle on stating, “We listened to their stories, and are inspired by the important role that activism plays to implement change on behalf of immigrant families. Hillary Clinton believes our immigration enforcement and detention system must be humane, and ensure the dignity, safety, and well-being of every human being.”

“We weren’t asking Clinton about her beliefs, we were asking if we should believe the sincerity of her support for the immigrant community,” responded Marisa Franco, director of the #Not1More Campaign supporting the strike. “The hunger strike is a test of this country’s character, a test of the immigration system’s fairness, and it is a test of the candidates actual commitment to our issues.”

The Candidates’ statements came amongst rising concerns for hunger strikers well-being as they enter day 8 of the #freedomgiving hunger strikes that have grown to seven facilities and more than 150 asylum-seekers from Africa and South Asia refusing meals. Despite ICE’s public statements expressing concern for their safety, in both Theo Lacy in Orange County, CA and Etoway in Alabama, strikers have reported participants being placed in solitary confinement as punishment for their whistleblowing activity. In Etowah, participants report disturbing medical abuse including the forced catheterization of one man.

Protesters held signs outside Clinton’s office that read “Freedom is more important than food,” and “We’re prepared to die here just not in Bangladesh.”

Fahd Ahmed, director of DRUM – Desis Rising Up and Moving added, “The hunger strikers show that current immigration policy is cruel and unusual punishment that no one should be subjected to. People seeking safety should not be subjected to the dangerous neglect and intentional abuse they’re experiencing in detention.”

Reported Hunger Strike Participants Include:

Etowah (AL) – 40 detainees

Theo Lacy (CA) – 36 detainees

Otay (CA)  – 18 detainees

Adelanto (CA) – 8 detainees

Aurora (CO) – 13 detainees

South Texas (TX) – 17 detainees

Krome (FL) –  15 detainees

More details at: www.notonemoredeportation.com/free-the-hunger-striking-detainees/

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