Skip to main content

To: Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Free the Cuban Asylum Seekers!

Parole and release Cuban asylum seekers who have been kept in indefinite detention in Tacoma's Northwest Detention Center since June 2017.

Why is this important?

We demand that ICE immediately parole and release all the Cuban asylum seekers detained at Northwest Detention Center. Approximately 30 Cuban asylum seekers are detained in the Northwest Detention Center at the time of this petition's creation. While their female relatives and children were paroled and released at the Texas border, they were transferred to the Tacoma facility where they have been virtually stonewalled by ICE.

More than 14 have participated in a hunger strike since August 27 in an attempt to get ICE to move their processes along. This is the fifth hunger strike at the NWDC so far in 2017, which ICE and GEO Group claim is a model immigration detention facility. Since August 27th, strikers reported threats of being placed on IV and force-feeding, and some strikers were placed in solitary confinement. They also reported that GEO administrators did not monitor their vitals or physical health. Hunger strikers stated that ICE has given different excuses for not releasing them, including telling them that that they cannot determine whether they are Cuban, despite being provided with birth certificates and identification cards; others have stated that ICE has given no explanations or excuse, and some have not even received court dates or interviews with ICE authorities.
Northwest Detention Center, Tacoma, WA

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Category

Links

Updates

2017-09-19 02:04:59 -0400

Thanks to all for your support! About 20 Cuban asylum seekers have been released, but about 30 more are still being detained. We have submitted this petition for those who request it. One of them, Manuel, has been granted the opportunity to leave on bond. Please share his bond fundraiser (https://www.youcaring.com/manuelriveronpina-945500) and keep sharing the word with your friends -- the struggle continues!

2017-09-11 19:52:47 -0400

100 signatures reached

2017-09-09 00:24:48 -0400

50 signatures reached

2017-09-08 12:00:01 -0400

25 signatures reached

2017-09-07 22:12:37 -0400

10 signatures reached

2017-09-07 21:15:24 -0400

Just today, an immigration judge told two Cuban asylum seekers that she did not understand why ICE was denying parole. The ICE officer in the courtroom offered no explanation.