CCA SE FUE!
ICE cancela acuerdo tentativo para construir una prisión privada para inmigrantes en el sur de la Florida. Esta lucha de David contra Goliat resulta en una victoria para inmigrantes, residentes y ambientalistas
Después de una lucha larga y acalorada en el sur de la Florida, el ICE anunció ayer que su plan para traer uno de los centros de detención de inmigración privados más grandes del país, a través de un convenio con la Ciudad de Southwest Ranches y el gigante de las prisiones, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), ha muerto. Defensores de los inmigrantes y familias inmigrantes reclaman este anuncio como una victoria contra el encarcelamiento masivo de inmigrantes impulsado por el lucro, ahorrando a los contribuyentes millones de dólares.
A continuación encuentran la declaración de María Rodríguez, Directora Ejecutiva de la Coalición de Inmigrantes de Florida, organización que encabezó la campaña “CCA Go Away”, junto con los residentes del condado de Broward.
“Después de un año de escuchar a nuestros oficiales electos decir que esto era un ‘trato hecho’, incluyendo a la Congresista Debbie Wasserman Schultz, creímos que todo era posible, siempre y cuando pudiéramos convocar a la comunidad, unir sus voces de oposición y apoyar el poder en sus comunidades. Todos podemos y debemos hacer frente a intereses poderosos, incluidas las grandes empresas y los funcionarios electos, quienes no siempre escuchan o representan nuestros intereses. No hay tal cosa como un ‘trato hecho’ cuando la gente se une y hace todo lo posible para demandar que sus líderes hagan lo correcto.
Este centro de detención para inmigrantes siempre fue un proyecto errado e innecesario desde cualquier punto de vista. El sur de la Florida no quería ver más familias de inmigrantes separadas por el aumento de las detenciones y las deportaciones; los residentes de Broward no querían una prisión gigante cerca de sus casas; los contribuyentes no podían seguir alimentando el negocio de la detención de inmigrantes para que empresas como CCA aumentaran sus ganancias; y los Everglades no podían tener más desarrollo urbano irresponsable que amenazara su estabilidad.
Hemos sido testigos de la influencia que las empresas de prisiones con fines de lucro tienen sobre nuestras políticas y los legisladores, y los queremos fuera de la Florida de una buena vez. Las compañías de prisiones privadas están cabildeando y promoviendo leyes que profundizan la crisis de la encarcelación masiva de gente de color en este país. Para empeorar las cosas, las compañías de prisiones privadas como CCA y GEO Group tienen una larga trayectoria de recortar gastos a costa de la seguridad de los detenidos solo para poder hacer más dinero. Los devastadores resultados incluyen muertes injustas, disturbios y agresiones sexuales, muchos de los cuales no salen a la luz pública. CCA no es un buen vecino.
La expansión nacional de la detención con fines de lucro ha encontrado resistencia en todo el país y victorias decisivas para aquellos que se oponen a ella. Desde el 2011, la Campaña Nacional de Desinversión en Prisiones fue fundamental para lograr que la Iglesia Metodista Unida y Pershing Square vendieran sus acciones en CCA y GEO Group, y más instituciones pronto seguirán su ejemplo. Este año, el esfuerzo de privatización de prisiones más grande del país fracasó en la legislatura de la Florida. En abril, el Condado de Valdosta, GA, archivó un proyecto de CCA. Esta misma semana, Crete, IL, voto en contra de otra prision para inmigrantes de CCA en este suburbio de Chicago. Hoy en día, el sur de la Florida celebra esto como una victoria de diversos sectores que se unieron para proteger a nuestra comunidad. La coalición que se formó se enfrento a lo peor del 1% y ganó.
La costosa detención de inmigrantes para el beneficio de empresas privadas como CCA y Grupo Geo a costa de los contribuyentes es inmoral, cara e innecesaria. El propio ICE ha aclamado que algunas alternativas más baratas a la detención son igual de eficaces y ahorran millones de dólares en dinero de los contribuyentes. En ausencia de una reforma migratoria integral, el ICE debe detener la expansión de la detención y la dolorosa separación de las familias.
Esta decisión llegó en el mismo día en que el presidente Obama anunció el alivio administrativo para jóvenes inmigrantes, quienes a menudo eran innecesariamente encarcelados en prisiones privadas similares a la que CCA pretendía construir en el Sur de la Florida.
Los inmigrantes, especialmente los latinos, por fin sentimos que nuestras voces están siendo escuchadas. Hemos dejado claro que no vamos a aceptar que otros se lucren de nuestro dolor y la separación de nuestras familias.
CCA GOES AWAY!
ICE cancels tentative agreement to build a for-profit immigrant lock-up in South Florida.
David vs. Goliath battle results in victory for immigrant rights, residents and environmentalists
After a long and heated fight in South Florida, ICE announced yesterday that their plan to bring one of the largest for-profit immigration detention centers in the country, through an agreement with the Town of Southwest Ranches and private prison giant, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is dead. Immigrant advocates and immigrant families are claiming this as a victory against the mass incarceration of immigrants driven by profit, thus saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
Below is a statement from Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, the organization who spearheaded the grassroots campaign “CCA Go Away” together with Broward residents.
“After one year of hearing our elected officials say this was a ‘done deal’, including Cong. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, we always believed that anything was possible as long as we could get people together to unite their voices in opposition and to build power in their communities. All of us can and should stand up to powerful interests, including corporations and elected officials, who are not watching or representing the interests of those affected. There is no such thing as a ‘done deal’ when people unite and do everything they can to hold their leaders accountable.
This proposed immigration detention center was always wrong and unnecessary from any point of view. South Florida didn’t want more immigrant families being torn apart because of increased detentions and deportations; Broward residents didn’t want a massive prison near their homes; taxpayers couldn’t continue feeding the business of immigrant detention making companies like CCA increase its profits; and the Everglades couldn’t take more irresponsible urban development that threatened its stability.
We have witnessed the influence that for-profit prison companies have on our policies and legislators and we want them out of Florida all together. For-profit prison corporations are lobbying and promoting laws that deepen the crisis of mass incarceration of people of color in this country. To make it worse, private prison companies like CCA and the GEO Group have a long track record of cutting corners with the safety of detainees so they can make more money. The devastating results include wrongful deaths, riots, and sexual assaults; many of which get covered up. CCA is not a good neighbor.
The national expansion of detention for profit has met nationwide resistance and decisive victories for those who oppose it. Since 2011, the National Prison Divestment Campaign has been instrumental to get the United Methodist Church and Pershing Square to divest their shares in CCA and Geo Group and more institutions are sure to follow suit. This year, the largest prison privatization effort in the country failed in the Florida legislature. In April, Valdosta County, GA, shelved a CCA project. Just this week,Crete, IL, voted down another CCA immigration prison in this Chicago suburb. Today, South Floridians celebrate this as a victory of diverse sectors that came together to protect our community. The coalition that came together stood up to the worst of the 1% and won.
Costly immigrant detention that profits private corporations like CCA and the Geo Group on the backs of taxpayers is immoral, expensive, and unnecessary. ICE itself has hailed cheaper alternatives to detention to be just as effective and saves millions in taxpayer money. In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, ICE must stop its expansion of costly detention and the brutal separation of families.
This decision came on the same day as President Obama announced administrative relief for young immigrants, who were often unnecessarily incarcerated in private prisons such as the one CCA planned to build in South Florida.
Immigrants, and especially Latinos, finally feel that our voices are being heard. We have made it clear that we will not accept any profiteering from our pain and the separation of our families.“
Listen: The Anatomy of a private “prison” riot
Crete, Illinois says NO to CCA!
Congratulations to the people in Crete for saying NO to CCA’s attempt of profiting from the the pain of immigrants and the separation of families. This is an inspiring example of what people can do when they stand up united against those who are putting people before profits!
Read the statement from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, who worked together with residents to stop this detention center.
This is the second time this year that CCA has been asked to GO AWAY from a community. The first one was in Georgia, and now Crete. Will South Florida be next?
Crete trustees reject detention center plan
via WBEZ91.5 / June 11, 2012
After months of rancor among its leaders and residents, a Chicago suburb has rejected a plan by the country’s largest private prison operator to build and operate an immigrant detention center.
A unanimous voice vote of Crete’s six trustees Monday night ended village negotiations with Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America. The vote came just hours after an unsuccessful negotiating session between Crete and CCA officials. Village President Michael Einhorn said the trustee vote blocks the project “as of now.”
The decision thrilled residents who have campaigned against the plan since last fall. “When lots of little people get together, it’s possible that the big guns will listen,” said Marimonica Murray, a leader of the group Concerned Citizens of Crete, which led opposition to the detention center.
Under the proposal, Crete would have contracted with CCA, which would have owned the medium-security facility and held more than 700 foreign nationals awaiting deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Crete officials say they first learned about the project from CCA in 2010. ICE announced last summer that the federal agency had “tentatively selected” Crete for the facility.
Village officials touted the potential for scores of permanent jobs. They also talked up expected taxes and per-detainee payments for the village.
But the proposal met stiff resistance from Crete residents worried that the detention center would drag down property values, stretch village services too thin and threaten public safety. Those residents aligned with immigrant advocates who said CCA treated its detainees and workers poorly. The company disputed those claims.
Illinois legislation that would have derailed the project sailed through the Senate in March. The bill would have banned government agencies at the local and state levels from contracting with private firms to build or run civil detention centers. A close House floor vote last month defeated the measure.
In response to Crete’s decision to withdraw from negotiations with CCA, a written statement from company spokesman Steven Owen called the outcome “disappointing to the taxpayers, job seekers and local businesses that stood to benefit from this economic boost.” The statement said the company “will continue to work closely with ICE in meeting their needs in the region.”
Neither CCA nor ICE immediately responded to questions about whether they would look for another Chicago-area site to build a detention center.
Mira el video y firma la petición.
Mas de 12,000 personas le han pedido que diga NO, pero Debbie se rehúsa a escuchar a su gente.
Acompáñanos a su oficina y pídele que nos escuche!
More than 12,000 people have asked her to say NO, but she wont listen. Watch the video and sign the petition.
Join us to her office and ask her to listen to us!
