In response to a ruling by a federal appeals court blocking a previous order shutting down “Alligator Alcatraz”, Amy Fischer, Amnesty International USA’s Director for Refugee and Migrant Rights said:
“This ruling is a setback for human rights. “Alligator Alcatraz” is a monument to cruelty and just one of the latest expansions of the Trump administration’s racist, anti-immigrant agenda. “Alligator Alcatraz” should have never existed and since its opening, we’ve been advocating for it to be shut down.
“Beyond the environmental concerns brought in the lawsuit, this facility, carried out in coordination with the state of Florida, is a human rights disaster. The people who have been caged there have gone through hell. Within weeks of starting to detain people, horror stories emerged about dangerous and inhumane conditions including maggot-infested food, overflowing toilets and no working showers, lack of medical care, and virtually no access to lawyers. These conditions are not isolated failures — they are part and parcel of the system designed for cruelty and meant to dehumanize our immigrant friends and neighbors.
“Florida taxpayers are footing the bill for this despicable detention center to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. That money could be going to disaster preparedness or other programs to keep Florida’s communities safe and healthy.
“This federal-state relationship sets a dangerous precedent that invites other states to potentially collaborate with the Trump administration in expanding the reach of his cruel agenda. We’ve already seen this with the likes of “Louisiana Lockup” and “Cornhusker clink” in Nebraska. The very nicknames given to these facilities trivialize the suffering of people who are caught up in President Trump’s cruel agenda. Governors in these states must stop being a player in President Trump’s cruel games.
“Like the rest of President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, expanding immigrant detention centers is a solution in search of a problem. These facilities are as expensive as they are cruel, and do absolutely nothing to keep our communities safe. Our immigrant family members, friends, and neighbors, many of whom came to the U.S. seeking safety and dignity, make our communities stronger and more vibrant. The U.S. government should be meeting them with compassion and support instead of terrorizing entire communities, tearing families apart, and locking them in cages.
“Immigration detention in the U.S. has long been plagued by systemic abuse and a failure to uphold human rights. But President Trump has doubled down and made it his mission to demonize and attack immigrants – he has made cruelty the point. But, he’s out of touch. Recent polling shows that an increasing number of Americans believe his deportation machine has gone too far.
“This ruling is a setback, but we will not stop fighting until the mass detention and deportation machine is dismantled, and immigrants are treated with dignity and respect.”
Additional Information:
Contact: media@aiusa.org
Tags: UNITED STATES, HUMAN SECURITY.
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