Miami, FL – Today, immigrant youth from United We Dream and allies from Immigrant Action Alliance, American Friends Service Committee Florida, and the Doctors for Camp Closure Florida Chapter, held a press conference outside the Krome Detention Center to highlight the expansion of immigrant detention under the Biden administration and demand the release of all immigrants from detention, including Hector Rolando who is currently held at Krome while his asylum case is being processed.
Today’s press conference was in partnership with Detention Watch Network’s ‘Communities Not Cages’ National Day of Action, where nationwide, immigrants and allies held 25 actions to demand the Biden administration end all detentions, deportations, and expulsions and deliver permanent protections from deportation for millions this year.
Photos from the press conference can be found here. All credit to United We Dream.
Romina Montenegro, Florida Advocacy Coordinator of United We Dream, said:
“Over the years, organizers from United We Dream Florida have taken action to expose the truth and harm immigration enforcement and detention continue to have on our communities and families like Hector Ronaldo’s. Since President Biden took office, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the number of immigrants detained in ICE facilities nationwide, from 14,000 at the start of his administration to now nearly 27,000. This is unacceptable! The Biden administration has a responsibility to chart a new path forward on immigration rooted in humanity, where people like Hector can navigate their asylum process with loved ones, not in detention.”
Emma, Mother of Hector who is currently detained at Krome detention center, said:
“For months, I have been unable to rest knowing that my son’s life is at risk. October will mark a year of Hector being in detention. A year without his children. A year without his family. Every day, my grandchildren ask when they’ll get to see their dad again. I’m heartbroken that I don’t have an answer for them. I know how crushing it feels for Hector to not be with the ones he loves most and to worry every day whether he’ll be able to hold his kids again. This is what detention does to families like mine. It strips us of the people that made our family feel like home. It strips us of our humanity. And it’s torturous for Hector and all those who know and love him. Detention is no place for any human being and must be abolished. The Biden administration must let our people go.”
Cynthia Garcia, National Campaigns Manager for Community Protection of United We Dream, said:
“It is deeply contradictory for the Biden administration to say it values immigrants on the one hand, while continuing to invest billions of dollars into an enforcement machine built to harm our communities on the other. Under Biden’s watch, tens of thousands of community members nationwide continue to be arrested, detained, and put on a path to deportation. Hector, who United We Dream has been fighting to get released from the Krome facility in Florida, is one of thousands of people separated from his family and forced to stay in a deadly detention center rife with abuse. The Biden administration has a responsibility and the means to build a humane immigration system. Stating their values is not enough. The Biden administration can and must defund ICE and CBP and prove they’re willing to stand behind their word.”
