Children belong in schools and homes, not in prison camps. But today at least 2,500 children are being held at Homestead detention center in Homestead, Florida. It’s the largest for-profit detention site for migrant children in the U.S. – and it continues to grow.
We’re uniting with friends and allies from Florida and beyond to say: this is immoral and the Homestead detention center must be shut down. Sign the petition if you are with us.
Immigrant detention is not only traumatic, but deadly. Six children have died while in the care of immigration officials in the past nine months.1 And earlier this month, President Trump announced his intention to send 500 additional migrant children to Homestead every month for the foreseeable future.2 We can’t let this happen.
Starting June 9th, there’s a massive weeklong mobilization at Homestead to demand an end to child detention, led by American Friends Service Committee, WeCount!, United We Dream and more. We’re proud to follow the leadership of Bend the Arc: South Florida, our Jewish volunteer leaders working in allyship with impacted and local communities for immigrant justice.
Recently, leaders from Bend the Arc: Southern California did an action demanding the shut down of Adelanto, the deadliest facility in the United States. From South Florida to Southern California, Bend the Arc leaders are working to expose, discredit, and defund the cruel and immoral immigration infrastructure that terrorizes, detains, and deports those seeking refuge. This is #DefundHate.
We can win this fight if we continue to rise up in solidarity all across the country and keep shining a light on the policies and detention centers the Trump Administration wants to keep hidden.
Sign the petition: Close the Homestead Child Detention Center.
Homestead detention center is not a safe place for children. ICE and CBP are not safe institutions in this country. We must defund these tools of hate, now. And we’re starting with shutting down the Homestead detention center.
Children seeking asylum should be with their family members and in communities, not in detention.
Sources:
1. CNN, "A 6th migrant child died while in US custody."
2. Politico, "Trump sending ‘500 migrants a month’ to Florida Democratic strongholds."
