Texas - Home of The New American Concentration Camps II: Follow-up
Put forth on December 22, 2006 by XicanoPwr
Posted in Civil Rights, Deportation, Human Rights, Immigration, La Migra, Nativism, Racism, Raza, Xmas
Back in April, I wrote that Texas was becoming home of the new American concentration camp because Williamson County’s T. Don Hutto Correctional Residential Center, a private detention facility in Taylor, Texas, became the newest facility for Homeland Security that would house “immigrants not from Mexico, but caught in Texas.”
While we sit in our home, enjoying our family time this Christmas, just know that 400 immigrants - 200 are children - are being housed in the T. Don Hutto Residential Center. Greg Moses writes:
Immigration attorney John Wheat Gibson represents two families that include a pregnant woman and children ages 2, 3, 5, 12, 14, and 17. The families have been incarcerated since their midnight arrests in early November by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).“The children, imprisoned with their mothers, have never been accused of any wrongdoing. Neither have their mothers,” says Gibson. “All are Palestinian refugees who entered the U.S. legally, but have been denied asylum.”
What makes Don Hutto unique, it is one of two facilities in the country that hold immigrant families and children on non-criminal charges. The other facility is located in Pennsylvania and is much smaller than the one here in Texas. The Don Hutto facility is owned by Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America, the nation’s largest private prison company�the sixth largest prison system in the US.
It is interesting that a country with a slogan “home of the free” locks up 2 million men, women, boys, and girls - most of them people of color. For the most part, these people are simply prisoners in limbo because of this nation’s broken immigration policies. The only requirement for being a prisoner was to be unlucky enough to be picked up and imprisoned for being brown and looking for the American dream.
Should we really be surprised? No. Not when the country’s former anti-terrorist czar Tom Ridge considered undocumented migrants as a “danger” and should be treated like terrorists, drug smugglers, or weapons of mass destruction in an official document that establishes US policy in respect to its borders, a policy derived from the accords that the Mexican government signed with the US government in Monterrey.
In a story that has not received that much attention except from Raw Story, a semi-annual report was filed by Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner showing a marked increase in arrests of department employees. This is what was found:
- Former prison captain guilty of civil rights violation and witness tampering, convicted of 3 counts of witness tampering and the beating of an immigrant detainee.
- ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) special agent convicted of workers’ compensation fraud of over $239,000 while working for another company and failing to report the income.
- An Immigration Enforcement agent indicted for harboring a fugitive.
- ICE special agent charged and arrested for exposing himself to a female juvenile in a shopping mall. The agent was given one year’s supervised probation and resigned but was not fired.
- Death of ICE detainee: An internal investigation determined that the death of a detainee while in custody was a suicide, but that ICE procedures for handling a suicidal detainee were not followed. Cause of death not stated.
- ICE agent pleaded guilty to bribery.
- ICE facility investigated in another detainee death; another internal investigation determined that neither ICE nor the detention facility was negligent. A Cuban national alien, while detained by ICE at a contract facility operated by “Corrections Corporation of America,” died while in custody. Cause of death not stated.
- Border Patrol agent pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and selling identity documents; also assisted in drug smuggling by guaranteeing safe passage of 2 kilos of cocaine.
- Border Patrol agent guilty of illegal possession of a machine gun and other unregistered firearms.
- ICE agent arressted for online solicitation of a minor.
- Customs and Border Protection officer arrested for bribery and alien smuggling. One of the smugglers gave the officer a Lexus SUV, and the officer also had numerous unexplained deposits in his bank account.
- Border Patrol agent arrested for aggravated sexual assault: While off-duty, the agent took a female (age not stated) to his apartment and administered an unknown drug, rendering the female unable to resist his advances.
- One Border Patrol agent determined to be an illegal alien was further charged with illegal possession of firearms and for his role in smuggling 99 illegal aliens into the country.
- Two Border Patrol agents had been working with an alien smuggling organization since 2003 and were determined to have received an amount estimated at $900,000.
It is hard to say smile this Christmas season knowing families are being broken up and locked up. There is no smile in the eyes of these children, no sounds of joy echoing the living room, no nothing. Yet, the far right conservatives don’t seem to be burdened with the ability for human empathy and thus seem able to slip into abject cruelty without the bat of an eye.
I have been sitting in front of my screen for hours trying to write something about it but has become such a chore do so, maybe because I this really has broken my heart. Nez’s piece perfectly sums up how I feel.
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This is the blog of Edmundo "XicanoPwr" Rocha, a social worker, an activist, freelance writer and founder and editor of The Sanctuary. My interests include: immigration reform, critical race theory and it's interaction with equality/inequality and freedom/oppression as they relate to the experiences of people of color in the Americas.
Para Justicia y Libertad is a Latino-centered political blog focusing on the humanistic perspective of politics, history, and society as they relate to the Latina/o community throughout Texas and the United States.
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Yet, the far right conservatives don�t seem to be burdened with the ability for human empathy and thus seem able to slip into abject cruelty without the bat of an eye.
I don’t think many of our democratic politicians really care much about these children, these families either. that seems to be one thing that unites all the politicians, is hating on those “illegals”. Everybody seems to agree that “illegals” are a “problem” that needs to be dealt with, rather than a system that incarcerates families being a problem that needs to be dealt with.
It is disgusting and reprehensible.
I was reading someone today who was saying basically “dont get so worked up” and I just had to spit. I dont understand some people. If we all act as if this is okay, normal, humane�who the hell is left to care? Out here on the outside? Fuck. Spare me from apathy dressed up as reasonability.
I think that is the problem with the whole manufactured news bit. For one it creates a sense of nobody cares bit because the few democratic politicians who have spoken out are never reported except for their own location. That is the part that really troubles me. And the democrats that are highlighted are those who you can tell one from the other.
You have Congressman Jos E. Serrano from New York who denounced the raids, but do we hear anything about him. Not a single word. But we hear about Congressman Reyes who is quick to kick them all out. And that is who the press will print.
In fact, the newly/re-elected Congressman Ciro Rodriguez is against the raids but not a damn thing. This is what Congressman Serrano said about him
He even spoke out against Congressman Goode. I think when we don’t see any Congressman talking about this type of issues in the public and see people like Congressman Reyes, people start to get the sense of hey, “don’t get so worked up, your own Latino Congressmembers aren’t.” That is when the nothingness starts swallowing people up in record speed because people buy into the crap.
Greetings, y’all. I am forwarding the message and press release I’ve just found that Jay sent me yesterday. Although, as he says, most people who would come already have plans, even had we more notice…nevertheless, I am able to go to this vigil.
Continued best wishes,
Jane
Jay Johnson wrote:
From: “Jay Johnson”
To: “Jane Leatherman”
Subject: FW: Christmas Eve vigil for the children in the Hutto family prison camp…
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:45:13 -0600
Mornin Jane
I hope this reaches you.
First of allI wanted to thank you for your support at our vigil at the Hutto prison camp last week. Below is a press release that I sent out this morning. I thought youd like to know that its already been picked up by the Rio Grande Guardianand by the Texas Civil Rights Review.
http://texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=697
Jay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connecting the dotsmaking a difference
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jay J. Johnson-Castro, Sr.
http://www.villadelrio.com
jay@villadelrio.com
(830)768-0768
(830)768-0768 (fax)
(830)734-8636 (cell)
——————————————————————————–
From: Jay Johnson [mailto:jayjsr@stx.rr.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 9:36 AM
Subject: Christmas Eve vigil for the children in the Hutto family prison camp…
For immediate release
Contact: Jay J. Johnson-Castro: (830)-768-0768
Teye and Belen: (512)922-0789
Austin, Texas. Along with Jay J. Johnson-Castro, two professional Flamenco performers, Teye and Belen, who are based in Austin ( http://www.teyeandbelen.com ), are organizing a Christmas Eve Vigil for the children who are incarcerated in the Hutto prison camp in Taylor, Texas.
Jay, who gained international media attention when he made a 205 mile walk from Laredo to Brownsville to protest the proposed border wall as well as the walk from the Capitol in Austin to Hutto prison camp last week, proposed the Christmas Eve Vigil so as not to forget the children over the holidays who are imprisoned there. Teye and Belen embraced the thought and offered to perform there.
The Vigil will be held on Dec 24, from 5-6pm, across from the entrance of the Hutto prison camp.
Teye and Belen will use their Flamenco talents to show their protest for the inhumane treatment of the inmates of Don Hutto Center in Taylor Texas, especially the 200 children that are imprisoned there. They will perform according to their best Gypsy Campfire traditions. Since there will be no campfireit is requested that you bring your own candles.
Everyone is invited to attend the Christmas Eve Vigil for the children who are imprisoned in the Hutto prison camp. For anyone who does attend, Teye and Belen will be giving away a free autographed copy of their latest CD, FlamencObsesionArte.
Most folks who would be likely to support such a vigil will already have made plans for Christmas Eve with their friends and families and enjoying traditional holiday cheer. Recognizing that few will be thinking about imprisoned children here on American soil on this Christmas Eve, Jay, along with Teye and Belen will hold this special vigilfor these children. Even if only a few are able to attend, all will know that someone is conscious of their plight.
The intention of this vigil is therefore two fold. (1) To bring hope in during the Christmas holidays to children and their families in the Hutto and other prison camps throughout Texas and the United States and (2) to bring further local, state, national and international awareness to their plight.
Address of the Hutto family prison camp: 1001 Welch St., Taylor, Texas (35 miles northeast of the State Capitol)
If you are not part of the media, please forward this to your media friends.
Good point. Which is why it is so important for all of us to keep speaking out. No matter who doesn’t want to hear it.
Jay, welcome and thank you for sharing this valuable information on this blog, hopefully, this information will reach some people in time to join in the vigil.
Feel free to drop in any time to give an update on what is happening over in Taylor, TX or just to share your opinion.
We’re grateful that folks like y’all are picking up on the travesty being committed on American soil just 35 miles from the Capitol of Texas.
We did the walk and held the first vigil just one week ago…and look at the momentum that grass roots America has made. With this vigil this Christmas Evening…we will fan the flames of American outrage against the fascism that has crept into this country of immigrants. We are exposing Chertoff & Company. We are exposing the immigration-corporatrion complex…in which children and their desperate mothers are imprisoned like hardened criminals.
I know it’s short notice…but if anyone can spare an hour…from 5p-to 6p…you would be able to share in the demise of the perverted mentality that would rejoicingly exploit children for obscene profits. One hour…plus travel time…and you can be back with your friends and families for a warm and cozy Christmas Eve.
For me…it’s a full days trip. But…at least the children and their moms…the media…and especially Chertoff & Company will know that there are Americans who not only genuinely care…but will fight with the power of democracy and all of our freedoms of speech and press and assembly…until these immoral and criminal acts are fully exposed, the children and their moms are freed…and real justice stares the real criminals in the face.
Enjoy…Disfrutan…
Jay
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