In 2017, when thousands of families were cruelly separated and imprisoned while trying to immigrate or seek asylum in the US, groups of community members and organizations gathered at Otay Mesa Detention Center in protest of the treatment to those inside and the separation of children from their families. Many of these families we knew while helping the shelters in Tijuana.
Eight years later, the federal government launched a massive, unlawful and inhumane ICE operation to incarcerate innocent people, many of who were legally here in the US. We came together once again to witness, protest and advocate against the deplorable and illegal treatment of those inside San Diego’s own concentration camp.
We played music as loud as we could so the detainees had some calmness, some humanity. While being there, risking punishment, they started throwing lotion bottles with names and identification information over the tall walls and fences, not knowing if we would get them, but hoping we did. When that happened, we knew what we needed to do….find out who was in there and help them reach their loved ones and legal support.
Our focus now is to raise funds to put on communication and commissary accounts of as many detainees as possible. In return, hopefully, get information of the conditions and treatment inside and make Core Civic accountable to their actions, with the end goal of SHUTTING IT DOWN!
Borderlands for Equity is an intersectional 501c3 organization where they advance human rights education, civic engagement, community advocacy and equitable policy change. Borderlands actively imbues a deep sense of personal agency, nourishes grassroots coalition building, cultivates greater community organizing capacity and serves impacted refugees/immigrants and those who continue to be targeted for the purpose of advancing a more socially just and inclusive community for all.
They envision a future where immigrant, refugee and most marginalized neighbors are able to better build, create, progress and thrive in diverse, equitable, socially just and safer communities.
Borderlands for Equity is Otay Mesa Detention Collective’s fiscal sponsor. To learn more about them, visit https://www.borderlandsequity.org
In Coalition with….
