Everglades concentration camp construction paused by court order
Welcome to our news segment: TL;DR of Immigration News, for when the news is Too Long and you Didn’t Read it.
This is a weekly collection of immigration-related news stories. These bite-size summaries will keep you up to date without overwhelming your inbox.
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Everglades concentration camp construction paused by court order
The Florida Fascist cabal’s plans to rapidly expand the Everglades Concentration Camp have been halted in federal court. Judge Kathleen Williams put a 14 day hold on construction at the isolated facility, citing considerations related to the ongoing environmental lawsuit.
This is a victory. Any sand in the gears of the kidnapping and detention machine is good news, and this temporary halt will prevent DeSantis and company from ratcheting up the capacity of this heinous facility. It’s just one of many complementary efforts currently targeting the camp. This massive fight includes another lawsuit, on-the-ground protests, and vigils outside the gates.
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Charges Dropped Against Activist Who Gave Out Face Shields During LA Protests
The criminalization of dissent is one of the defining features of authoritarian regimes. Over 50 people have been arrested and charged with crimes connected to widespread protests against ICE’s militarily-assisted dragnets in Los Angeles.
One of those apprehended during Los Angeles’ historic struggle against deportation raids, organizer Alejandro Orellana, was arrested and charged with federal offenses of conspiracy and “aiding and abetting civil disorder” for the so-called crime of using and sharing masks during the protests. Led by Centro CSO, the community rallied around Orellana. There were numerous protests and national call-ins for his release.
On July 30, the US Attorney dropped all charges against Orellana. This represents an important victory for collective action. At the same time, repression continues. CourtWatch LA, a program through La Defensa, a femme-led advocacy organization, is attending the pre-trial hearings of activists arrested for protesting the raids. We must maintain pressure!
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Companies aiding Trump’s immigration crackdown see ‘extraordinary’ revenues
While some see surveillance, arbitrary detentions, and deportations as threats to democracy, the prison-industrial complex sees "unprecedented growth opportunities" for profit. Setareh Ghandehari of Detention Watch Network has been expecting this. “Private prison companies have been giddy since last November about the prospect of making money at the expense of all of us.” Now, to an even greater extent than they have been the last two decades, these companies are seeing record outlooks.
Setareh points out that this greed-fest comes "at the expense of vital programs that serve all Americans… profits come from the destruction of human lives as directed by the Trump administration and made possible by the majority Congress.”
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From LA: demonstrators demand the release of nurse taken into federal custody in San Pedro; Federal agents use fake job offer, rental truck to trap day laborers in LA raid
ICE continues to terrorize residents of Los Angeles. Here’s a short round up of the major things that happened in the last week:
Border Patrol Agents used deception and a Penske Truck to arrest people outside the Home Depot in MacArthur Park, a neighborhood that has been targeted by ICE since the militarization of LA started. According to witnesses on the scene, an undercover officer posing as a contractor seeking employment led day laborers to a Penske truck in the parking lot, after which ICE officers stormed out of the cargo area and began making arrests. More about this incident is reported by the LA Public Press.
On Friday, San Pedro resident Amanda Trebach, ICU nurse and community organizer of ICE watch in her neighborhood, was violently arrested by immigration agents near Terminal Island. At the beginning of the ICE raids in LA, Amanda and her neighbors noticed that agents were using their neighborhood in San Pedro as a staging area. They worked with neighbors to patrol and alert people in the city of ICE’s whereabouts. Organizers held an emergency rally for her at the downtown detention center.
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[UPDATED] Take Action:
We are heartbroken to share that our friend, Xóchitl, was abducted by ICE from the El Paso airport, despite holding DACA status. When Never Again got started in 2019, Xóchitl was organizing with Cosecha, a powerful national movement of immigrant leaders, families, and workers fighting for permanent protection, dignity, and respect for the entire undocumented community. The partnership with Cosecha helped guide our founding.
Now, it's time to stand with Xóchitl as she fights for her freedom.
Support financially: bit.ly/freexoch
Petition for her release: Freecata.com
Uplift the Free Xóchil campaign on social media: Including using this guide to change your profile picture to the Free Xochitl graphic.
Keep an eye out for more instructions from Never Again Action emails and social media on how you can support the Free Xóchitl campaign.
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If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for next week’s roundup, drop us a line at neveragainaction@gmail.com.