Dozens more remain detained, Organizing to Demand Freedom and Lower Bonds
LOS ANGELES, CA — Nearly three months after a series of hunger strikes began among immigrants held at the Adelanto Detention Center, a coalition of anti-detention activists have raised funds to release seven of the hunger strike’s organizers on bond. All seven are asylum applicants who passed their initial asylum interviews but remained detained with impossibly high bonds until local organizations, congregations, and individuals contributed to the Adelanto Bond Fund to finance their release.
In a handwritten letter released during a strike of dozens of Central American and Haitian detainees on July 4th, the hunger strikers asserted that —
“Today we need reasonable bonds that allow us to leave this
prison. […] Bond has been set at $15,000, $20,000, $35,000, even $50,000, in order to break our spirit so
that we give up our rights to due process, or even worse to get us to accept voluntary deportation.”
WHAT: Press conference featuring released hunger-striker and community partners to celebrate the release of some hunger strikers, demand release of those who remain in detention, and request the Attorney General investigate Adelanto Detention Center
WHEN: Wednesday, September 20th at 9:30am
WHERE: CARECEN (2845 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90005)
WHO: Released hunger strikers, deportation defense advocates, CLUE Justice, CARECEN LA, NWDC
Resistance, The Immigrant Youth Coalition, Black Alliance for Just Immigration. Haitian Bridge Alliance,
Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), Human Rights Alliance for Child
Refugees and Families, California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance, CHIRLA, Undocumedia, Pueblo Sin
Fronteras, Sureñxs En Acción
BACKGROUND — The seven released hunger strike leaders include two representatives of the original
eight Central American hunger strikers, who were detained after applying for asylum at the conclusion of
a month-long caravan of refugees through Mexico in April and May, as well as a representative of the
detained Haitian contingent that joined the hunger strike in July. A coalition of social justice, faith &
immigrant rights’ organizations based in Los Angeles have been supporting the hunger strikers’ bond
fund and coordinating with congregations who would like to contribute all or part of the average $3100
required to bond out one of the hunger strikers, and support them in continuing their anti-detention
organizing in their communities and congregations. Information on the bond fund can be accessed at
cluela.nationbuilder.com/Adelanto
CONTACT:
Esther Portillo: esther.portillo1@gmail.com (347) 585–7462
Cinthia Flores: cflores@chirla.org (323) 823–4405
